The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-12-18


In answer to a resolution ofinquiry the Presi-
dent, on Monday last, transmitted to the House
of Representatives message giving the follow
ing as the list of States which have fully ratified
the fifteenth amendment to the national Con-
stitution, viz: Missouri, Kansas, North Carroll
ma, West Virginia, Massachusetts,, Wisconsin,
Maine, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina,
Pennsy lvania, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida,
Illinois, Indiana New York, New Hampshire,
Nevada, Vermont and Virginia Alabama has
also ratified it, but the official information of that
fact had not been received at the State Depart
ment. This makes twenty-five States, and the
assent of six more is necessary in order that the
Instrument may be adopted. The Legislatures
of Mississippi, Texas, Rhode Island, Iowa, Min
nesota, Nebraska and Ohio are strongly Repub-
lican, and will ratify the amendment at their
several sessions in January. This will make
twenty nine, one more than is necessary. 1t is
said, also, that portion of the democratic men,
bers ofthe Oregon General Assembly have de-
termined to unite with the Republicans in that
body, and thus give the Endorsement of thai
State 10 the great measure. As the adoption Of
the amendment is now reduced to an absolute
certainty, it might reasonably be supposed thai
the democratic legislatures of Maryland, Ken
lucky, New Jersey, California, Tennessee, ant
other States would give way and agree, withou
further opposition, to the final incorporation o
the proposition with the constitution. But any
one who expects that does not know the temper o
the party. 1t is everywhere still clinging des
perately to the hope Of finally thwarting tn
success of the movement. Yet, notwithstand
ing this determined opposition, the work of rat
iication has steadily gone on.
The fact is, the prestige Of success has passed
away from the democratic party. 1t failed il
its Kansas measures and policy, from beginning
to end. 1t failed TO prevent the election of Lin
coin and to prevent his Inauguration. 1t failed
in the rebellion it raised, and in every effort Il
arrest the war or to patch up truce with reb
els. 1t failed to defend slavery or prevent it
abolition. 1t failed with a war candidate fol
the Presidency, and ii failed with a peace can
didate. 1t failed in its attempt to divide ant
destroy the Republican party through Johnson
treachery. 1t failed to force the conquered rebe
States back into congress in all the insolence O.
rebellion. 1t was unable to arrest reconstruc
ton in any of its stages. II could not retard
the success of the Freedmen's Bureau, or prevent
negro voting. 1t failed to prevent the success Of
the national banking system and the destruc.
ton Of State banks 1t failed in all its long
10 tba hoolr
cy into contempt. 1t failed TO keep the conquer
ed States from accepting our terms of recon.
struction. 1t has failed in all attempts to invali
date our public debt. II failed to prevent the
admission OF the States of Kansas, Nebraska and
Nevada, and the restoration of Tennessee, Ala.
bama, and other conquered States 1t failed tc
prevent the organization and admission of Wes
Virginia. asia
In view of this long record of disastrous ex.
periences, it might be supposed that the faith Of
the party in its own power would be lessened
But ii has not been, although it is now manifest
that the prestige of success in its measures rests
with the Republican party. We have not speci
fed among the democratic failures its attempt tc
defeat the fourteenth amendment which made
the colored Americans citizens OF the Republic
nor the opposition OF the democrats TO the fif.
teenth amendment, which abolishes and prohib.
it's slavery, though both these great fundamen-
tai organic laws now stand as monuments to its
helpless malignity The success of the fifteenth
amendment is as certain as that of its predeces-
sors, and when that shall be accomplished it will
only remain for the United States Supreme Court
to decide unconstitutional all State laws con-
ficting with it.
But Congress will not be disposed to wait for
any such decision, The amendment gives that
body power to enforce it by appropriate legisla-
ton, and this will undoubtedly be done. We
do not suppose that congress will attempt the
passage of any bill regulating local elections, in
any State, but it has been decided that that body
can regulate elections of congressman and presi-
dental electors. Congress has already iuterfered
so far as to make every State vote for President
and Vice President on the same day, and if the
States fail to conform to the new constitutional
provision in regulating these elections, congress
can, should and will attend to the matter SO
that it may be considered a settled question that
at the Presidential election in 1872 every colored
American Of qualified age and residence will
have a vote.