The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-04-25
THE DEkocRAiIc PARTY AND THE CON.
sTITUTI0NAL AMENDNRNTs

OF declaration of principles which they
have recently adopted, with the request that
we lay them before our readers. This we
do a. they present q question which the
party must face and decide. The declara.
tion is as follows:
The City Executive Committee of the
Democratic party of Philadelphia, repre-
senting its principles and protecting its
interests, and defending both as exigencies
require, deems it to be a solemn duty at
this time, On behalf Of the Democracy, TO
declare:
l. That the Constitution Of the United
States was ordained by the fathers of Amer i
can freedom to the basis Of the system of
representative Democratic government, by
which the sovereignty of the States could
only be maintained, the Federal government
established, and the Union of these States
preserved.
ii. That the Democratic party was Great
ed to proclaim aud defend this system of
government, and for more than half q eentu-
~ this great patriotic party have the bless
ings of constitutional government to the
people of the United States, from Maine
TO Texas, and from the Atlantic TO the IA
oiGc.
III That the strength of the Democracy
became its weakness, and oy an opIof'unase
division In this national party the enemies
of the Constitution 10 minority of the peo-
pie gained the political power in the Fed
eral government, who, when thus enabled to
rule, began Q scheme to establish them.
selves as the government, in defiance of the
Constitution of the United States.
~ That from lSkn ha hnur
the enemies of the Constitution, in Federal
Congress and in the State Legislatures, have
devised plans from time TO time which, by
frauds the most fragrant, crimes the most
wicked, force the most brutal, violence the
most wanton, and all in utter and open VIC
lstion of the Constitution of the United
States, have subverted the dearest rights of
the people, destroyed the inslienable rights
of the citizen, and are now maintaiaing
power, thus gained, by the force OF arms.
!. That dreading the retributive justice,
which, though slow, is sure, and which is
preparing itself to overwhelm them, the enc
mics of the Constitution of the United
States have undertaken to justify their acts
of fraud and revelation and violence which
they hope to gain exemption from the effects
of the sober second thoughts of an outraged
people.
VI. That the Democratic party, relying
on the power OF the people, which, misdi
rected by error, will certainly be led at last
by truth, does now proclaim that these So
so called amend ments TO the CONSTITUTE on
are unconstitutional, or Of no effect because
they are not amendments to the Constitution
as that instrument permits, but are merely
Congressional usurpstions consummated by
fraud, force, revolution and violence, IN
open defiance of the letter and spirit of the
supreme law of the land because they never
were submitted TO the States or adopted by
tine States, which the Constitution recognized
IS sovereign and independent governments,
bat were forced upon q subjugated people
By military despotism, and can never be
maintained as the acts of separate and SOW
ereign States. and therefore are not and can
not be proclaimed as the supreme law,
which only can be ordained as the Constitu
ton provides it must be ordsined-by States
de jure and dc fGcto represented in the Fed
eral government ON the basis of sovereignty
and equality.
VII. That on behalf of the Democratic
party of the City of Philadelphia, the Exec
utive Committee hereby protests against the
frauds, violence, usurpatious and revolution
ery acts OF Congress IL forcing its usurpa-
tIons, under the name OF the so-called
amend nepts of the Constitution, on the
people of the United States.
VIII. That the committee hereby protest.
against the acts of Congress whereby the
Federal Judiciary has been corrupted, over
awed, and submerged to obey the direction
of this legislative branch of the government,
the better 10 enable it to destroy the Con
stitution OF the fathers of the republic and
establish q despotism IN its place.
IL. That the committee proclaims its alb
horrence of the fraud, force, and violence oy
which Congress- is usurping all the powers OF
the government and it deplores the weak
ness, folly, and Incompetence of him who
now occupies the executive mansion, where
Washington watched over the first expert
ment of constitutional government; where
Jefferson proclaimed the true principles by
which it could be successfully administered
and where jackson protected both the
constitution and tie union of the States-a
union the constitution only could creste-by
his patriotism and his frmness.
y. That as the enemies of the constitu-
ton, having failed to ''restore the Union,
rsestablish the government, and give the
people peace" nov declare that they are
unequal to the task, and seek to bring to
their aid An aid which the Democratic party
do not court-a race, which is only TO be, IN
fact, the instrument by which the enemies of
the constitution can maintain power at the
sacrifice of the constitutional government
established by the fathers-the Democratic
party ask the governing or white race In the
United States to save itself from the de
basement: of being ruled by the negro, and
thus forced to live under system of govern
merit which Poland, Greece, Ireland aud
Cuba would reject.
Whils we agree with the declar alton in
all that is said Of the corruption and abuses
of the Radical party, we do not consider il
a wise or q practical policy for the Demo
cratic party to make fight upon these
amendments, particularly as by silence We
have given an unwilling consent to the en-
forcement of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth
amendments, and the Fifteenth is but the
natural sequence of the two that precede it
The Radicals have used every means O
coercion to bring them about; and, while
it is true, the proceedings in each case have
been unconstitutional in that they did not
receive the voluntary ratification of three
fourths OF states, yet the public mind il
now made up to give them a tri i, and for the
Democratic party to make their acceptan ce
an issue, at this time, would be to invite a
certain defeat, and revive the Radical party
which is now virtually without single il
sue upon which to enter campaign. The
time has not yet arrived. The Radical:
have determined to try an experiment witt
the African race which no government sine
the world began, has ever dared to try-tba
is, invite them to take part in the formation
OF government
Democrats have protested, but now tina
1t Ia forced upon the people-even to thu
disgust OF the more national Republicans
they are willing to ace the thing tried. w
are confident that they have no desire to se