Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-06-14
THE ENFORCEMENT ACT

The Fifteenth Amendment is legally of OBJ
legation as part of the Constitution of the
United States. That is to say the forms of
its ratification and proclamation have been
complied with. If the Congress tomorrow
should submit resolution of amendment to
the Constitution to this effect: the constitu>
ton of the United States having ceased to
exert its functions is hereby abolished and
all powers of government are lodged in the
National Legislature and if in pursuance of
the forms of law this amendment was sub
mitted to the States by Congress and its rati
fcation by three-fourths of the States should
be proclaimed by the executive, the .tormau1
or what we have styled above the legal OBJ
sorption of the Federal Government by a
Legislative oligarchy would be accomplished,
and the liberties of the people and the separate
existence of the several States would be
amended off the face of the earth.
Precisely such result has been accom-
plished in effect by the enforcement Act of
twenty three sections to carry out the pro-
visions of the Fifteenth Amendment, which
has just passed both Houses of Congress and
been signed by the President. History has
been perverted, the records reversed, and the
old original contest between the Nationalist
and the advocates Federative Govern
ment in the Convention which framed the
Constitution, and which was SO signally de-
cided at that day in favor of the latter, has
been reopened with shameless and wanton
perfdy by the present Congress of the United
States. The question of Suffrage carries
along with it the very essence of sovereignty,
nay, is sovereignty itself (Jefferson). The
allegiance of the citizen follows the sovereignty
of the State. Yet this enforcement act utter
~ annihilates every hitherto accepted theory
of the Fathers tears up by the roots the
paramount or ultimate sovereignty of the
States and transfers our allegiance to the Con-
gress of the United States. Is this mon
strous fable ? Some wild dream of sick
mans imagination !? The answer will soon
be furnished by the army ofspies now already
whetting their hungry jaws and preparing to
avail themselves of the opportunity to rob,
perjure and hunt out peQceable citizens in
their homes on imaginary, fictitious and wicked
charges under this bill of denominations. 1t
is some little satisfaction to know that the bill
strikes northward as we'll as southwark, that
the great and opulent States of New York,
Pennsylvania and Ohio equally visited with
Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, and
that the lethargy of the North is likely to be
rudely disturbed, and the usurpations of Con-
gress at last to be revealed in the sight of
those who are alone powerful to resist it and
hurl back the progress of consolidation and
coming despotism. Without entering into an
argument upon the Fifteenth Amendment,
we restrict ourselves to-day to the declaration
of the utter invalidity Of this Enforcement
Act, as transcending the assumed Constitu-
tional authority for its passage. A stream
cannot rise higher than its fountain. This
act is wilful aud deliberate attempt upon the
very existence of the Republic and gives the
coup-de-grace to the rights of the States
Mr.. Lincoln's novel doctrine is about to be
enforced and States to be reduced to the level
of countries.