Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-05-04
The Negro Suffrage Amendment

On nearly every State occasion, Mr..
Grant has rendered himself ridiculous.
As President OF a great Republic be
has beeome the laughing stock of tho
world; but to our mind, no act of his
has had as much of that quality
which mixes pomposity with igno.
rance, as his late negro proclamation.
Look at IT, The idea of charactcrizing
the ratification as n "measure of
grandcr Importance than any since
the foundation of the government r
To dub the merest piece Of clap trap,
absurd as il is uncallcd for, with a
comparison so unwelcome, is enough
to make the bones of revolutionary
patriarchs rattle in their cotlins The
President does not let the fact go forth
that the Amendment thus declared to
be a part of the Constitution owes its
existence TO the pretended ratification
by the States OF Now York, Indiana
and Georgia, and the Southern States
which have been under duress since
the close of the war. The Radicals
may howl with delight, they may even
shall TO the Republicw r but for all
they are conscious that tho validity
Of the amendment is in doubt. 1t is,
in short, an infamous fraud, against
which a large majority Of the Amori-
can people protest-one they would
have utterly annihilated could they
have bad the opportunity. 1t was
never ratified by two-thirds of the
Statcsin the manner provided by the
Constitution, and is an infamy placed
upon be people by the usurpers who
arc rpidly destroying all that re.
mains 10 us of the original Confcdor-
ate Gotornmont, the sovereignty of
the Siites, and the rights of the peo.
pie.
Andyet this Amondmot, thus incor-
poratod into the Constitution by un.
constitutional and tyrannical means
will, We doubt not, bo enforced. The
blacks will be allowed to votein Penn.
sylvania this fall, and the opinions Of
the majority of the people of this
Commonwealth will be utterly disre-
garded.
The binding force Of this legislation
will long be doubted by good and
learned men, because its pretended
ratification has been irregular and
forced, and that in direct opposition
10 tho expressed will of the people
/ lt was conceived in fraud aud brought
forth in iniquity and oppression. II
/ haJuover received the consent of tho
pebble. 1t has been fixed like an in
cudbus upon their intelligence and
en- trprise, upon their right Of self
goprnment by the only weapon ~
raris use-tho bayonet--in the hands
of | military organization that over
rides all law and right, declares al
laws and customs null and void, anC
substitutes in their places the abso
luti aud tyrancal control Of one man
Military chicilain, under the guis,
of martial law.
What The result of the enforcement
ofthc Fifteenth Amendment on th,
political parties will be cannot nov
easily be told. Many believe that iI
the Northern States it will make
revolution in favor OF the Democracy
while in the South, rs soon as Oh,
bayonct is removed from the throat
OF the people, the Democratic party
will carry tho election beyond
doubt The probabilities arc that nc
gro suffrage and the persecution o
foreigners are the rocks upon whiel
{ the plundering, rotten, old ship o
Radioaism win founder and sink, an,
the polluted channel through which !
has run be ever afterwards avoided
and only be frcquentcd by the ghost
of the murdorers Of Mrs. Surratt an
the evil ones who would destroy ey
cry vcstigc of American liberty o
, greatness. .-AiicHfolcH Dem.