Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-15
TnENEW NORTHUMBERLAND

remarks, conceived in the same
spirit that animates the whole
series of reconstruction laws, under
every form of variation. 1t is q
device to make political strength
to the party in power by means
outside of the constitution, in order
to prevent the overthrow which
would await if the constitution were
\ permitted to remain unchanged and
had been allowed to rule. Bogus
States, with constitutions imposed
upon them by external force, are
needed to repress the intelligent
opinions of the lawful population
and to consolidate a political as
tendency which cannot be deposed
except by the political struggles ex-
tending through generations. The
omnibus bill puts this design plain
ly on its face. Success has made
the authors bold enough to throw
ABIDE all pretences of concealment
The three outlying States are to
be permitted to vote on the consti-
tutions prepared for them by the
emissaries sent out, backed by the
military power, TO make govern
ments according to the Radical
model. They must vote to approve;
that is the condition indispensable,
bat vote to approve will not be
enough. Accepting the constitu-
ton does not satisfactorily establish
the main fact of absolute devotion
to the Radical party. A rev State
having been thus made according
to the prescribed pattern, it is pro-
vided in the law that it shall
not assume its place as a
State in the Union until it
shall have performed, as q pre-
liminary condition, one of the
most important functions of a State,
in full communion within the Union.
1t must become a potent party in
the alteration of the constitution of
the Union, into which it is not yet
admitted. The condition of its be-
coming State is, that it shall per-
form the highest functions Of a |
State, as commanded. If it will
not do this in advance, it shall not |
be State at all. The impudent |
abSurdity of this logic is so plain |
that thirteen of the Radical Senators |
refused to vote in favor of inserting
it in the bill, and let themselves be
put on record as disappearing it,
with the comforting knowledge that
at wOnld pass without their votes,
and they would have the benefit of |
the enactment without the shame of
having approved it.
The condition fulfilled of having
these bogus votes secured for per-
verting the constitution of the
United States, it might reasonably
follow that there would be no fur
ther question of the admission of
these yassals into the Radical SER
vice in Congress. But the assur-
ance of fealty is not yet to be alb
solutely relied on. The door is in
deed open for admission, and the
reconstructed Virginia, Mississippi
and Texas, clothed and uniformed
after the regulation pattern,
are brought up to be further
examined before they are let
in. If there be any symp-
tom Of independence left
If there be shown any sign in
either state of a spirit of independ-
ence, which, exercising the freedom
of spirit and of the ballot, threatens
a revolt against the domestic policy
with which Radicalism aff1iets the
Union--it mgy be turned away
until it takes the test of utter SUBJ
eerviency. Like the girl who APP
piled for admission to Magdalen
Asylum, and being found inadmis,
sible because virtuOus, was told TO
go out and qualify, the State which
Us not utterly selvile has, right
TO expect anything bNtproscription
till the last scruple is overcome.
When this consummGtiOn is
effected, reconstruction will have
become a completed work. 1t Will
have accomplished what it set out
TO dO-in the altering of great and
benefcent system of government
against the consent of the governed,
and in changing a republic of the
United States into q despotism, i'm
perial in all but name, welded from
the centre by partisan chiefs, who
think that by these extraordinary
measures they have succeeded in
entrenching themselves perma>
nently in power.
Then the First Book of the His
tory of the American Experiment
of constitutional selEgovernment
will have been closed. There are
millions of earnest and patriotic
Americans who believe that it re
cords a failure, and who look with
fearful solicitude to the future which
the new era will inaugurate.