Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-10-14
The Democratic Doctrine.

SENATOR THURMAN, of Ohio, who as
pires to the Presidency, IN recent
speech in Cincinnati, took the ground
that the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fit
teenth Amendments to the Constitution
of the United States were never legally
adopted, and are, therefore, no part OF tbs
Federal Constitution. This is the dec
trine ofthe ultra Democracy of the South,
and is unquestionabiy to bezthe issue in
the Presidential election in 1879. The
Thirteenth Amendment is the one which
abolished slavery, and Senator Thurman,
in declaring it to have never been adopt
ed, falls little short of Mr.. Pendleton,
who was at the time member Of Con-
gress, and who declared that the amend
ment was void of itself, it not being in
the power of the people, not even of all
the States, TO abOlish slavery by an amend
ment to the Constitution.
The Democratic party of the North
seem to be unable to throw off the thral
dom in which they were held for so many
years by the slavehOlders. Though the
Southern people claimed that their negro
slaves were tse'mOst docile and c9ntented
portion of the human family, and did not
want to be free; the slaves, nevertheless,
at the first opportunity, welcomed their
emsncipators, and entered heartily into
the enjoyment of their freedom. Not so
with the Northern Democracy. They
were more abjecJ slaves than ever were
the negroes Though numerically largely
in excess of their Southern rulers, they
accepted the law from the latter, and
kissed the hand that smote them. All
through the South there is lingering
hope that in the future, in come way,
they will be compensated for their slaves
A M Of ~, 4 I,
taken to perpetuate the evidence Of own
ership and loss Of slave property by indi
vidusls. eTo the very lsst Kentucky
hoped that provision would be made to
pay for the slaves. The Thirteenth
Amendment abolished slavery, and the
Fourteenth Amendment, in distinct
terms prohibited Congress from ever
making any compensation for slave prop
erty. SO long as these amendments stand
they extinguish all hope Of fcompensation,
and yet the claim for this property will be
handed down from sire to son for genera
tiols. The Southern people cay but little
against the Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Amendments, because they live surround.
ed by the population whose liberty is
involved. But the Northern Democracy,
true 10 their old bopdege, propose TO agi
tate that question, and therefore they
propose TO treat the Thirteenth, Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments "a
nulities. This will not revive slavery
because that ia physical impossibilty,
but IL will restore the legality of slays
property, aud will remove the constitu
uonal prohibition against its being paid
for by the government. The Democracy
OF Illinois avoided this question in their
platform, except in the iudirect mode of
declaring that the Republican party had
violated State rights by making war upop
rebellion, ard by abolishiDg proper.V n, |
slaves held by State law. But the success
of that party this fall viii embolden its
leaders TO declare, as Senator Thurman
has done, that the Democratic party, |
when In power, shall treat the Thir,
tssnib, Fourteenth and Fihseath Amend.