Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-04-11
THE UNION AS IT IS.
The Reconstruction Policy Established
"En P~ermanence."
Congress Must Fix for the States the Def
milton Of Republican Government.
From the Baltlmore Gazette.l

From the Baltimore Gazette.l
WASHINGTON, April 6, IS7O.-It has
been so frequently fOreshadOwed in
these letters what the Radical leaders
claimed and intended to do in the di-
rectiOn of a centralized despOtism,
that it is with reluctance the matter
is again referred to. But the debate
on the Georgia bill has brought out
avOwals to which public attention
should be directed-if for the hun
dredth time. In his speech yester-
day, Sumner, who is the very embOd-
iment of the Radical sentiment in
Congress, and never fails finally to
carry his measures, proclaimed the
utter abolition of state authority in
the following unmistakable terms:
From this time forward the duty
Of the nation to guarantee a republic
can government to all its parts will
be constant and ever present, and this
duty is REINFORCED by all ueedfuI
powers. The guarantee is continuing
and perpetual, and it must be executed
at all hazards. In its execution Con-
gress must fix the definition of a re-
publican government. How often
have l said this; but l shall not fail to
repeat it so long a the occasion re-
-quires. To Congress belongs the duty
Of determining what is a republican
government, and then il must see
that such a government prevails in
every State. If in any State the ex-
isting government tails according to
the Just standard, or if it is in any
way menaced, then Congress must in
terfere to execute the sleepless guaran-
tee. And in this interference it NAV
act according to its discretion, deter
mining the occasion and the means
to be employed. 1t may act by re-
preston or by precautiOn, and it may
select any means proper for the pur-
pose"
1 know it will be said (as through
out all the series of encroachments
which have brought the authority of
the States to their present deplorable
pass) that there is in Congress a ''cOn-
sentative wing" of the Republican
party which it is always chopped"
will act as a check upon 1.-THE next"
aggressiOnl But the country has yet
to see a single instance in which this
wing has ever failed of being "edu-
Gated up" to the required point of the
extremists las they are called when
the "proper time" arrived.
10 ''ansWer" to Sumner, Mr.. Car
penter "a "cOnservaiVe'') sneeringly
said if the former could not find war
rant in the Constitution for his doc
trine applied to Georgia., he must
hunt for it sin the more general
ground Of the Declaration of indie
dependence, or in the sublime in
detinitenesS of e PIt1i6as UQum.
These are brave words, but
they are l0OrdS only! The Wisconsin
Senator had the assurance even to
pirate about " this being a G-OCernDlent
Of delegated pOCerS," and to declare
that he could find no authority in the
Constitution for the doctrines so dog
matically laid down by him of Mass
achusetts. Yet, assuming the "sub,
lime" lie that there is now a ku-
KlUX revolution in full blast in Geor-
gia, finally declared himself in favor
of keeping that State cut of the
UniOnN land under the merciless rule
Of a military satrap) "URtH order and
tranquility IeFe established Uithin her
borders" Where Mr.. Carpenter finds
authority for such action, except Gin
the sublime indefiniteness of f PJur-
bus UaBn," il would be difficult to
perceive. He cannot, Of course, find
it in the Constitution of the United
States, nor even in the Declaration of
Independence, for the negroes are in
full possession of the Government of
Georgia, and 1 take It that Congress
itself is estopped froEl denying that
such " form Of government is ''re-
publican" in the fullest sense of that
term.
1t is manifest that the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments, y sO-called, have but paved the
way Tor further and more astounding
exercises of arbitrary power. The
governing faction have, through their
agency and the acquiescence of the
people, reached a point which ena-
bles them to do what they please
without the trouble Of forcing the
State 10 ratify" such trumpery. 1t
is clear that the Fifteenth "Amend-
meat !" is at this moment no more a
part OF the fundamental law than if it
upon a simple act Of Congress.
This is sneeringly asserted by Radical
.eaders themselves. Yet it will be
enforced in every-State in the Union.
u Congress shall hereafter enact a
aw that the States shall provide a6e- ~
Iuate means for public education. and
hat the schools established sAail be
common to whites and blacks. and :
hat none others shall Be suDDOrted d.,
the public expense in defer q
,nce to the black taxpay6s and J
declare such act a part of the
law, as laid down In
Declaration of Independence.D
n the sublime indehnitenesss oil =
= Hurt6Hs CRo@s" or in the spread r
:agie,g or the tag, " or what not. !
hould like to know whether il would
be Grst as binding upon the States
nd just as quickly submitted To and
arried into effect by State legislation s
$ the 1anlous Fifteenth?1 Look al
suggestion Of the President ia his
pecIal message announcing the ~
OF the counterfeit 49, ~doP- y
avs: -lele. He
81 would ~
ress r. -Ierefore call O Con- .
take all the means within \
CIR constitutional powers to pro-
note and encourage popular educa. /
ion throughout the country; aadJA
pom the people everywhere to see to1 =
t that al who possess and exercise .
rights shall have 6heonAoF- :
unity to acquire the knowledge r
which VIII make thea share ia the {
government a blessing, and not a .
anger. BY such means only can the P
contemplated by this amend 2
aent to the Constitution be scared" y
TX" r.