The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-20
The Democracy and the Fifteenth
Amendment.

SOME Republican newspapers, with
manliness enough to expose and properly
characterize the corruption of their party,
and which wish for a return of honest
and statesmanlike administrations In our
National and State governments, are
calling upon the Democratic party to dl-
vest itself of what thev call its 80 hatred of
the negro" and prepare to take upon it.
self the conduct of the Government, by a
full and practical admission of the doc
trine of "human equality"
The question of negro suffrage may
perhaps be regarded as dead issue. Dem
Ocrats do not believe in what is called
human equality" as the doctrine is
taught by Radicals of the present day in
this country, but they do believe in ODE
dience to the Constitution, and if the Fiji
teenth Amendment shall be ratified by the
requisite number of States, the Democ-
rscy will make no factious opposition to
its enforcement.
They want, however, if the amend
ment is to be declared a part of the SUI
preme law of the land, a lawful ratifca-
ton of the same by the required number
OF States. To arraign the Democracy as
engaging in a foolish contest in Indiana in
opposing the amendment, and thereby
keep alive prejudices against them which
prevent the triumph of the party, is way
of dispOsing of the Indiana imbrog-
Ito which is not creditable to the men.
tai or moral capacity of the men making
the arraignment.
Congress was guilty of contemplate
trickery in submitting the amendment to
the people in form which denied them
the privilege of voting on it. 1t is known
that majority of the voters in Indiana
are opposed to negro suffrage in that State.
The Legislature, in contempt of the
wishes OF the people, has undertaken to
fasten negro suffrage on them. I'm
der such circumstances, it was right for
Democratic members of the Legislature
to resign, and deprive the Legislature of
the quorum necessary to q lawful rati6ca-
ton of the amendment
The question of whether less than a
quorum OF a Legislature can ratify Con-
stitutional Amendment, and transact bust
ness which the organic law of the State
says may only be done when quorum is
In session, is one too plain for argument.
Notwithstanding this, il the party in
power cannot, outside of Indiana, obtain
the consent of three-fourths of the States
to the Fifteenth Amendment, the farce
dubbed a ratification by the Republican
members of the Indiana Legislature will
be declared a valid proceeding by the Ad-
ministration, and treated as such by Con-
gress. 1t is insulting to the intelligence of
Republicans to suppose they think the So
called Fourteenth Amendment to the
| Constitution was lawfully carried, and
yet it is enforced as part Of the supreme
law of the land.
Because Democrats protest against such
usurpation and tyranny, they are told by
the Republican newspapers TO which we
have referred that the prejudices of the
Democracy against the negro are depriv.
ing the party of all hopes of success, and
preventing it from entering upon that
career of usefulness which its history,
strength, and the present condition of the
country demand. They who reason In
this way are blinded by partisanship, and
unable, or unwilling to see the distinction
between lawful opposition to political
theory, and lawful opposition to Legisla-
tive frauds assuming the force and charac
ter of law. Chicago Times, 17M.