The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-04

amendment upon the country, the,
States would bear the same relation t,
the General Government that countie
now do to the States, and soon the Gov
eminent would be as strong and as fa
removed from the people as the most des
potic Kingdoms of the Old World. Tn,
proposition and adoption OF the amend
ment by Congress, was fraud upon tn,
people. The national conventions O
both parties, in the platforms they adopt
ed, expressly repudiated the idea thai
there was any intention of depriving the
States OF the control of suffrage right
that the States had always exercised. The
Radical National Convention that met in
Chicago in May last and nominated
GRANT and CoLFAX, gave utteranca to
following sentiment upon this question
The guarantee by Congress o. equal
| suffrage % all loyal men of the South
was demanded 10y every consideration OF
safety, OF gratitude, and of justice, and
must be maintained, aChite the question o,
suVroge, IN ut tie toydL States, proDeriv
belongs to the people OF those .Stafes."
Here Is no equivocation. 1t pi oclaimetl
to the people OF Indiana, as well as to the
balance OF the country, that the question
OF suffrage properly belonged to them.
From every Radical stump, from every
Radical orator, and from every
Radical press, it was proclaimed
throughout the canvass in Indiana last
year. lhat the Republican party did not
advocate negro sutfrage-that they did.not
intend, even if successful, to interfere
with suffrage i'll the States. This was the
solemn pledge, bat how has it been re-
deemed? By false pretences they de-
ceived the people into again trusting
them with political power. or, rather con-
tlntilng IL In their hands. But these
faithless promises, like dead sea fruit,
turned TO ashes upon their lips. The men
who gave these assurances to a confiding
people, after attaining power, as deliber-
ately violate their word AMI plodse, os
though truth and honor was not known
in the Radical vocabulary.
The Democratic party were equally
pledged to the country upon this issue az
the Radical. The Democratic National
Convention, that assembled in New York
on the 4th of July last, put forth the fol-
lowing declaration as a plank in its plat
form:
Amnesty for all past political offenses,
ana the regulation Of the elective franchise
if the States by Their citizens
There is 10 doubtful expression in
these words. Both parties were solemn
ly pledged to leave the regulation of
the elective franchise by the citizens of
the States, just as it had been regulated
from the time the Constitution was
adopted, and just as the Fathers OF the
Republic intended.
And how is it proposed to commit the
great wrong-this great fraud upon the
people? Has the issue con-
tanned in this amendment ever
peen submitted 10 the people
the source OF power in free govern
ment? Just the reverse. The people
were assured that there was no intention
of disturbing this question. The boldness
and assurance of the party i'm power
is alarming, and illustrates how
easily contding people may be
robbed of their liberties. Congress
does not propose to submit this
question to conventions of the people, or
even Legislatures chosen with direct
reference TO it. They submit it 10 existing
Legislatures, elected like their own
body, upon the distinct reputation of
any intention to impose negro suffrage
upon the country, or OF depriving the
states of the control OF suffrage within
their borders. Are We not right then,
in characterizing tho proposed amend
ment from its inception To tho present
time, in every step that has been taken
upon it, as a most barefaced and infamous
fraud and imposition upon the people.
One Of the best arguments against this
measure, especially the proposition to
submit 1t to existing Legislatures, elect
cd without any authority or even inten-
ton of empowering them with the de-
termination of SO important question,
is the argument Of Senator MORTON upon
proposition to change the mode i'm
which the electors of President and Vice
President were to DO selected. He said !:
at is proposed by this amendment
that the people of each State shall appoint
the electors, and that Congress NAV de-
termlne the manner i'll which electors
shall be appointed. The effect of this
amendment is to take away from the
Legislatures of the several States the
great power which they now have, and
which may under certain circum-
stances be most dangerous power, and
which might bring on civil war and revo-
luton where Legislature, finding itself
in minority, and unwilling that
the people of the State shall vote direct
| ly for President and Vice President,
may, as IL has the power now, repeal
the law by which the people can vote at
all for these officers and select electors
who shall cast the vote of that State. In
| the desperation of party, and in the con-
tingencies of politics, such a great power
as this should not be- lei. TO the I.eg,sla-
ture of any State: ana while we are en-
gagged in the business of amending the
Constitution We should now provide that
the people of the several States shall
themselves appoint these electors and
the power shall not be left i'll the hands
of the Legislatures"
The same principle is involved i'm the
submission OF the proposed amendment to
the existing Legislatures, that Senator
MORTON SO vehemently denounced in the
extract we have quoted, although the APP
plication is to another question.
Why the great haste to press SO inpor-
liant change in the principles OF the
Government and the policy of the ccun-
try? 1t is not a temporary question, like
the tariff or national banking system,
that only affects the material interests
and can he easily modified or altered il
necessary, but the establishment of an
important principle, revolutionary in its
character, that is To seriously affect the
country for veal or woe, perhaps for gene
rations to come. 1t is dangerous To expert
ment upon settled principles in the Con,
S.itution, the result of the experience anu
long consideration of wise and patriot,
men. Before SO radical a chang,
is made ought not the people, from whose
consent all the just powers of government
should be derived, have ample time {,
discuss and consider it? Would il max,
any material difference with the classe