The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-02-02
THE VIRGINIA BILL.

Inc Bill LOT the ADMISSION OIL
as amended by the
has passed the House of
Representatives. 1t provides that
the State shall be entitled to rep
resentation in Congress provided
that the members of the Legislature
and all State officers shall take an
oath that they are not disqualified
under the 18th amendment, and
provided further that the Legisla-
ture shall never pass a law restrict
ing the right of suffrage on account
of race, color or previous condition.
1t has been supposed to be the
beauty of our political system that
the States under the Constitution
have equal rights, and that Con-
gress cannot impose conditions on
one that are not imposed on the
others. But under the Radical re-
gime no two States have been re-
admitted into the Union with the
same rights and the same privili-
ges. Tennessee was admitted with
the privilege of saying whether it
would have negro suffrage or not.
North Carolina and several other
Southern States were admitted on
condition of adopting negro suf-
frage. Mississippi and Texas are
required as a condition precedent,
to adopt the 18th amendment. =
Georgia after being promised adj
mission is remanded to her militia
ry condition because her Radical
Constitution does not permit ne
groes to hold Office. And now
Virginia has an oath imposed on
her officers from which all the 9th
er States are exempt, and is re-
quired to bind posterity by all in
violable contract under pain of
having her State government for
feited. Was there ever seen such
a tissue Of inconsistencies in the
history OF any other government
under the sum-
The oath to be administered to
the Virginia officers was intended
to throw out of the Legislature en-
ough members to give the Radl-
Gals majority and thus to enable
them to control the political power
in spite Of the recent overwhelming
Conservative victory. AS for the
other part of the onerous condi-
tons, they will last just as long as
the Radical party lasts and no Ion
ger. The true patriot may indulge
the hope that the end of their rule
is not far off. .
Soon after Mr.. Lincoln's election
he stated as his idea Of our Fede-
raj system that the States bore the
same relation to each other as the
counties of a State bear to, one an.
other. This idea has become ia
vorite one with the Republican
party of late years. It must now
be considered the settled policy of
the government, SO far as Radical
ism is concerned, that the central
power is supreme and that Con-
gress has the right to assume leg
islative control of the internal af-
fairs of the States, whether the
people Of the States will it or not.
Congress has destroyed State gov
ernments and set up others in their
places. 1t has imposed conditions
and restrictions on some States
that have not been imposed on
others. In short time an amend
ment to the Constitution will be
declared adopted (and if adopted it
will be only by fraud and violence)
laying down the qualifications of
voters in every State in the Union,
Notwithstanding the fact that one
half the States have rejected the
provisions of the amendment by a
a popular vote.
Time was when measures much
less outrageous than these were
thought to herald the downfall of
the Constitution and the inaugura-
ton OF a central despotic govern
ment. Great men gave warning of
the danger and managed to avert
it. The danger now is thousand
times greater, but we are rushing
on to destruction, not only without
taking warning, but the great ma
jority of the people view with sat-
isfaction the rapidity Of the down
ward movement.
THE GRAvE.-We, sit around the
fire-side, and the angel feared by us
all comes in, and one is taken from