The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-08-13

Tor reconstruction. A republican
govern lent is one under which the
adult conapos meats male citizens,
not DISTINGUISHED for crime, have
the right to vote and hold office.
This definition is taken substan-
TALLY from the report of the Demo
cratic members of the committee
in Congress on the Dorr rebellion
i'll Rhode Island in 1881. The
report was made upon a memorial
Of Rhode Islanders asking Con-
gress to give that State republi-
cah government, and was drawn by
Edmund Burke, of New Hamp-
shire very able man--was con
Cured in by Mr.. Clernand, Of Hi
nOis, Rathbun, of New York, and
the other Democrats on the com
miitee; was supported by all the
Democratic members in Congress,
and was made the text book of
Democratic stump speakers in the
Presidentia campaign of 1874.
sustained it as a Polk elector then;
! continue to support it now, as a
private citizen, because it is right.
The report says:
'sAll the power which Congress
possesses over the subject matter
of the memorial is derived from
the fourth article OF the Con5titu,
ton, which mas been before cited
That provision guarantees to each
State republican form of govern,
ment, and stipulates to protect
each Of them against invasion,
&c This provision of the Con
stitution vests in the Congress of
the United State q supervision
over all the State Constitutions so
far as the ascertainment of their
republican character is concerned,
and when those constitutions do
not provide for republican form
OF government, which, in addition
to an outward popular organiza-
ton, the committee understand to
be one which exists in the consent
of the people, and over which they
have control, it is the duty of Con
gress to set it aside, and 20 recog-
nize ard enforce one which / osses-
ses this republican character"
Again says the report: "On this
point the committee differ with the
President (John Tyler) They
hold that when the edsus faederts
arises which demands the execu
ton of the constitutional guar an
tee to the State, the author of the
Union, charged with the execution
of that guarantee must deliberat e
and decide. They must decide
whether they are called upon to
guarantee republican form Of
government adopted by the people
Of the State claiming the guarantee,
or to perpetuate a government
which is not, or has ceased to be,
republican. The section 0: the con
stitution containing this stipulated
guarantee, eg Ut termini, requires
this deiiberation and decision"
Such was unanimous Democratic
doctrine in 1874, upon which Polk
was elected.
This Democratic report not only
defines a Republican Governm emf
as one in which all the adult male
citizens are voters, but it goes fur
Their The Committee say: They
beliye that the right of suffrage is
q natural right, not constitutional
right; which attaches to man, indie
pendent of the accident OF birth, Oh
fortune, of which right he can not
be Invested, except by usurpation
or force" A government which
excludes large number of it's cit.
liens from the right to vote is an
oligarchy.
The negroes, then, being citi
zens, have the right to vote.
State governments depriving Ell
of this right are not republican
and it is the duty of Congress &c
cause such State governments tC
be reconstructed with q republican
form.
All this has been constitution
ally done, so far as the States Of
the United States are concerned
and the negro man is a voter con
stitutionally and (the Democrats
said in 1844) by natural rights
To oppose his right to vote is
now to oppose the Constitution, &c
oppose the republican government
TO deny the Declaration of Inde
pendence, and favor the return Of
the negro, in effect, toward slavery
The negro, in fact, votes without
disturbance, and associates with
the whites in daily labor, in car
riage rides, in barber shops, in me
nageries, and in kitchen and dinin g
rooms, and why he may not in vo-
ting l do not see.
A word as to the bearing of The
amendment upon State rights
There is much misrepresentation
upon this point. No amendment
has been made not justified by the
original constitution, and none but
what is in discharge of an obliga
ton imposed by it. 1t says tha
the United States shall guarantee
to each State republican govern
ment Now liz discharge Of this
obligation the United States have
added these amendments to the
National Constitution, viz: the 18Th
14th, and 18th.
The first of these takes away
the State tight oil establishing sla
very.
The second takes away the State
right of exercising despotic power
over her citizens.
The third takes away the State
right of establishing an oligarchy
of race. The amendments compe
the States to continue to keep theil