Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-09

been prevented2 Yet the party was
gradually educated to embrace these very
ideas, and the men of the North who pro-
fessed opposition TO this policy quietly
submitted to its Inauguration. Congress
win now do things with impunity at
which the Whole country would have re
VOTED few years ago. When Congress
asserted its right to propose plan for the
reconstruction of the Southern States,
if that body had at the same time pro-
claimed its authority to dismantle
State that had complied with the re-
quirements of the reconstruction laws and
been formally admitted to representation
in Congress, and to remand such State to
territorial condition and TO declare its
officers simply provisional, is there man
who believes that the men who proclaim
ed this dogma could have been reelected
to Congress, even in the most Radical
districts of the Northl Yeti has been by
the gradual assumption and exercise of
these powers by Congress that the Repub-
lican party has been educated not alone to
tolerate but to defend such usurpations of
power. The perpetrators of the outrage
upon Georgia and its Legislature, find a
majority in Congress to sustain them.
The Judiciary Committee of The United
States Senate say there were Irregularities;
that the Military Satrap in command ofthe
State had no powerto unseat members of
the Legislature and put others in; that the
provisional Governor had without au-
thority deputisel man to organise the
House of Representatives in direct viola
ton of the law of Congress, but still the
committee 'feel justified in emitting to
recommend any further legislation on the
subject" The conduct of Congress to-
ward Virginia, in violation of the most
solemn pledges, is as indefensible as its
course toward Georgia These are but
steps in the Capitalization movement
which has for its object the making of
Congress the supreme power in the land.
The leading spirits in the scheme in the
Senate and House of Representatives are
gradually absorbing the power of the Ex
ecutive-so that he is already but passive
instrument in their hands-and they
clearly aim to monopolize also the func
tons of the Supreme Court of the United
States. Controlling the patronage of the
whole government, and debating the jG
dicial decisions, having at their beck and
command vast multitudes of benefciaries
and tools al over the country,
they hope and expect to insure
their reelection perpetually. Centrali-
cation is but another name for
a ring, composed of the Radical master
politicians, to whom the humber mem
bers pay fealty and receive their reward.
| It is Unsuitable, and must continue TO
grow in avarice and insolence, until it ex-
tends its baneful effects over all the States
of the Union or is broken up and forever
oyerthrown by an indignant people. When
the South is reduced to perfectly sub
missive and helpless state at the feet of
the centralizers, and her Legislatures do
only what they are ordered to from Wash
ington, then will come the turn of the
Northern States, and there the shoe will
pinch. From debating to Georgia and
Virginia, Texas and Mississippi, there viii
be but one step, and that not long one,
to issuing and executing mandates
upon the Legislatures of New York,
New Jersey or any ether Northern
Democratic State. The precedent of
turning out Democratic Representative
from Kentucky and installing a Radical
in his place (for no earthly reason except
that the former was accused with having
sympathized with the rebellion) may be
as properly followed in the case of
member elected from any Northern State.
Congress has fully as much power to do
| it in the one instance as in the other. If
the people of New York should, some
year, have all their Democratic Congress.
men sent back to them, and their seats
| given TO the Radical contestants they
would than appreciate the power and
tyranny of Capitalization. Butwe would
! have them find it out and combat it before
1t has made such progress. To explain
its evils and fix the attention of the
American people upon the immediate
necessity of overcoming this fatal princi-
pie should be the main duty of theOppo-
sition.
In this connection, and to show the
tendency and aims of Radicalism, we
append the following extracts from the
Anti-SlaUery Standard, through which
Wendell Phillips gives the cue for further
action by his party:
''But the farther we go in the work of
| reconstruction the more distinctly win it
be seen that it will be utterly impossible
to maintain and administer hereafter the
national government on the old constitu-
tiOnal Interpretation, and the past theory
of reserved State rights. We rejoice
therefore in the success of the
new amendments, and the timely,
Indispensable, enlarged scope of ma
tional authority given thereby to
deal adequately with refractory
States. But it is not merely that the
"Peculiar Institution" has been constitu-
tiunally prohibited. The |
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments,
and the Fifteenth (Which we assume will |
soon be ratified, amount TO much more
than this. They guarantee equal, civil
and political rights, irrespective of race |
or color, and confer upon Congress full |
power to enforce in all the States this CIV |
il and political equality and freedom. In
1860 Congress might not interfere con-
corning the negro in any Southern State,
except TO put down q slave instruction or
to send Fugitive Slave law commissioners |
on the track of the runaway. In 1870 |
Congress may interfere in any and every |
part of the South to such extent as is ne
cessary for the amplest protection of the
humblest negro in ali his civil |
rights, and presently, VIC trust,
in his political rights also.
Hitherto the public mind has been
largely occupied with the struggle 10 Sc
cure. these amendments-ncW grants of |