Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-08-26


81 b the term, dead issues" We presume
those who use them mean issues that they
consider settled by the judgment Of majority
Of the country, or by the stern logic of events.
They only mean that any further agitation Of
such questions can resulI1h no practical good
and has only tendency to distract and divide
aud to prevent that union necessary to other
reforms which they deem practical. As the
Democrats and Conservatives Of Congress, and
some Of the leading Democratic journals of
Che country, a. the New York World for in
stance, seem to be of opinion that the XVIII
Amendment l. dead issue, We have thought
it not amiss to present some Of the reasons
that influence their opinion The XVIII A
msndment 10 che Constitution Of the United
States has been passed by swo-thi,ds of both
Houses Of Congress, ratified BY three-fourths
cfall the State Legislatures, ssd proclaimed
BY The Executive Department, IN accordance
with long established ussgss, a. the supreme
Law Of the land. : It can only be repealed by
q, yote Of two-tbirds Of. both Houses of Con-
gsress and three-fourths n the State Legisla-
tulss. Mere majoritiss In both Houses Of
Congress. howevess s,..k6elming, are power
sNyssspeAs;.lsi ats tie eeeeea.e ef ..Re.l,
and it requires two-thirds Of both Houses to
do even that. Now the majority against Us
ID The lower House Of Congress Is two-thirds
end N Ne Senate more than three-fourths,
and these nsjorities were obtained, 10 great
measure, while negro suffrage was q promi-
nsut issue before the country. Now, when
can we reasonably hope OF expect to reverse
these majositiest il i possible to obtain
majority Of the Hosse Of Representatives this
year. although We confess We do not see any
strong probability Of it. But II Is not posi-
bic o obtain majority In the Senate Of the
United States before about 1874. If we are
correctly informed. So that, to say nothing
Of the shree-iourths Of the State Legislatures,
The prospect Of its repeal, unde' any circum-
stances. is very remote indeed.
But there is . great error prevalent with
some Is 70 the force and effect of the XVIII
Amendment. That error is in supposing that
all the negro suffrage in the United States
comes from the XVIII Amendment. Nothing
can be further from the truth, and we beg
leave to remind such that the XVIII Amend
.ssnt has no practical effect upon the question
efnssro sustaes anywhere except 10 The States
of Maryland. Kentucky aud Delaware. 1t
would not have the slightest practical effect
upon the snffrage:in any State in she Union
except those tbsse, il the XVIII Amendment
WAS repealed Tomorrow Every other South
ern State has universal suffrage engrafted in
their State Constitutions, and the Northern
States that have no such provision have no
negro votes Of aoy consequences. Cosntiag
Delaware . Que, the,e were fourteen old slave
Ststes, and of these, eisrsn have negro suf-
ftage by virtue of their own State Constitu-
tions, and most Of them were voting several
years before the adoption Of the XVIII Amend
nient. Now what evidence have we that the
people Of these eleven States have any inten-
lion Of attempting to abolish negro suffrage
We base none whatever; but we have evil
dsncs exactly 70 the contrary. Take the case
Of Virginia, one Of the last to vote on that
subject. The Democrats and Conservatives,
almost to man, sustained Governor Walker
aud that clause of their State Constitution
giving soiversal suffrage, and 10 the irst cleo
ton there were several colored Democrats re-
turned to the Kegislasuse Of Virginia. We
have looked into the sction 81 sal The South
EN- States Ind do not fudf party 10 any Of
them organized upon he principle Of opposi-
ton 10 universal suffrage. Ths Hon. D. W.
voorhees,. WHO D,obsbly bas not hty colored
votes in bh wkoIs district, isseported 70 Asvs
said that be stdoes not want the eoored vote. :
But we hear Of no s1sk dsclasasiOn from Hon.
RM. B. Young, . gallant CoDlsdsssss Cen
sfl, Who served during the whole war, and
wboswas elected from district in the State
ofGeofsia where the colored voters had, as we
are ipfofnsc. 40 actual majority. 3
The Democratic and Conservative party is