The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-23
The watchful Washington correspondent of
the Baltimore Gazette writes:

The watchful Washington correspondent Of
the Baltimore Gazette writes:
The revolution which has been steadily
progressing" for the past nine years must
very shortly reach a decisive point. The de-
bate on the Mississippi bill has developed
officially the next move of the extreme wing
of the Radical faction. Your readers have
posing of The Southern States, the next step
would be to conquer" the Northern and
Western, and the public has been fully
posted as to the subterfuge which would be
invoked to rob the States OF all important local
legislation. Mr.. Howard, the other day, for
mally announced the programme. The clause
In the constitution ''requiring the General
publican form Of government" Is insisted upon
as comforting the power upon Congress ITO In
terpret Its meaning, and to be the sole judge
of what constitutes republican government"
One would naturally have supposed that this
mOnstrous doctrine could not have been made
more abomnable- it was reserved for Nr.
Morton, of Indiana, to add that republican
ism" as construed by Congress-, need not nee
essarily be the same In the different States
that is to say, that what Congress might deem
o Republican State Government In Massacllu-
setts, 1t had the power to say was not a Repub-
llcan State Government In Maryland. In q
word, that though your State Constitution and
that of the hot bed of Yankee contrivances,
were precisely alike, the one might, and the
other might not, be "rcpublicau in FORM"
I have esteemed it duty thus early to warn
us to Maryland, In order that, being forewarn-
ed, they may be forearmed. You will be re-
qnircd to place your public school system upon
the footing of That in this district. YOuswil
not be permitted, in the meantime, to adopt an
educational qualification like that or Massa-
chusctts-the two States, 1t Is contended,
stand in very different relations to the almighty
are but few (no negro OF any self-respect would
live there) to be affected by such dlsqualihca-
tion, while In Maryland the race, destitute of
the rudiments of education, are numerous
enough to promise Radical triumphs. Nor will
you be allowed to demand that the non-pay
ment of even q poll-taX, levied alike upon black
and white, shall operate as a disqualification
on the part of the delinquent All such taxes
will be required to be COLLECTED" prelimin-
ariIy, under penalties upon Slate officers, and
the "refusal Of judges" OF elections to receive
votes offered by such as do not pay the general
tax will be punished by fines and Imprisonment.
The bill introduced by Mr.. Morton ''to eng
force the Fifteenth amendment" Is but COM
menccment Of legislation looking to the humtl-
iatlon OF Maryland, Kentucky and Delaware.
1t provides that all citizens Of the United
previous condition Of serytude, who are other
wise qualified by law to vote, shall be entitled
to vote at all elections for president aRd men,
bcrs of Congress, and at all State, county,
township aud municipal elections held under
the authority of the United States, or Of any
State. In cases where the assessment or pay
ment of any tax Is a qualification of an elector,
the refusal or wlful neglect to assess or collect
such tax, is made punishable by fine not less
than five hundred dollars, and Imprisonment
for one month, and forfeiture of f1ve hundred
dollars additional for each offence. Judges Of
election, who shall refuse to receive the votes
ofsuch persons, are to be punished to the same
extent. The Circuit and district Courts of the
bfIrdjtna States are given Jurisdiction over all
7 know II MaS 1yettr thong tiG; oaiiG onS-.
still hoped, by many of our friends in Con-
grcss, that the extraordinary steps threatened,
II persisted In, must finally produce serious
divisions among Radical senators and MEN,
bers I have indulged these hopes, and eX-
pressed them several times lately. But what
Is to be expected from men who merely make
show of opposition to existing oppression
and proflgacy, for the purpose of enhancing
their price? Look at Dawes He has been
"gratlfed." Mr.. Carpenter made brave
speech against the doctrine Of Howard and
Morton He stlgmatizcd 1t as "enough to make
Webster turn In his grave; that 1t was q falla-
cy whose danger could not be over-cstimatcd."
Yet observe now the wary pOlLlclau proVluest
in advance, for a safe retreat. He remarked
(sIn conclusion') that 'he regretted to differ
with his Republican colleagues, and while he
would 60 reluctantly where the party strength
carried him, he would lmplore his Republican
colleagues not to insist upon conditions which
would never stand the test Of the constitu-
tion."
To render the above remarks more intelligi-
bic, l shall take the liberty Of quoting short
paragraph from the speech of Mr.. Morton on
Monday last, In response to the eloquent sap
pcal' of Mr. Carpenter:
sMr Morton believed that the party stood
squarcly upon the doctrine that the power to
bnild up implied the power TO preserve. He
denied the assumption upon which arguments
on the subject were generally based, that In
securing republican form Of government In
the States 1t was essential that the means
should be uniform in every case. Congress
was to be the Judge, not only of the means,
but of their method of application. In
State where the people could not read or
write, what better guarantee ofa republican
government than the general education of the
people
Significant enough!