The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-03-05
Opposed to the Fifteenth Amendment.

Ben Harris, the bald Eagle of St.
Mary's," is out in a letter published in the
Beacon, counselling resistance to the Fiji
teenth Amendment. In the course of his
advisory letter, Ben gives the following
remedy:
What then is to he done is the question
which every son of our behaved State should
put to himself. For one, answer the
question by declaring that the lasting in
terest of the State, her honor and her
freedom demand any course rather than
acquiescence OF her part in the iniquiteus
proceeding. In the first place, | would
suggest such an amendment of our Registry
laws to require that every Register of voters
shall take an oath thai he will not obey the
requirements of the Fifteenth Amendment
i'll other words. that he will place upon the
registry rs voters none but white men.
The Democratic organs of the State,
"hewever," don't agree with Ben in tack
ling the Federal government. They have
had a taste of Uncle Sans power and de-
sire no more of the same. They have faint
hopes of Judge Chase and the Supreme
Court; the browning fete of the former
havn: baen to declare his own offspring,
the greenbacks, illcgitimate. But the
journals turn more hopefully to the colored
mantle Democracy never cease hoping
for success through aid from that source
and advise the policy of coaxinS as many
as possible to vote their ticket. The Dem
scracy made pedestal of the black man
a long time from which to reach power,
now they think Of converting him into a
ladder for the same purpose.
-" Occasional" Of the Press, alias John
W. Forney, in one of his characteristic let
tiers thus pertinently states the case of the
Fifteenth Amendment. Every reader can
not fail to recognize the justice and truth
fulncss of the Pc It made:
The seven States voting in the negative
are New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ken
lucky, California, Oregon, and Tennessee.
AS there is some discussion in the Demo-
cratic papers about the votes of some of the
States that have ratified the great Amend
ment. the chief point being that they rati-
fled under duress, it may be well to bear in
mind the fact that if all the men who took
part in the rebellion in Maryland, Della
ware, and Kentucky had been compelled
to wait till they had earned the right to
control the States they toiled to destroy.
and if the Legislature of Tennessee had not
deliberately violated the pledges upon
which it was eected-as these pledges were
given by the Republican supporters, Gov.
~flx 81, . e., -,
new article would have been thirty -four al
least. 1t is however, a subject for debate
whether New Jersey was not made Demo
cratic last year by votes sent in from New
York city, and whether Oregon and Cali
fornia would not be Republican if the emf
grants from the exploded Confederacy had
not reinforced the Demsci attic column on
the Pacific Coast. Whatever may be said
nf the ratifying States, it is indisputabl.
that their Legislatures were chosen by men
who never bore arms against the country.
and who wen the right to remodel the
Government in the spirit of liberty by Their
loyalty, bravery, and sacrifices for tn,
country. 1t is among the finest evidences
of magnanimity Of the conquerer tina,
States and men that have justly forfeited
all claim to citizenship should have an equal
voice in the reconstruction of tie Republi.
with those who had never wavered in tidel
ity to their sacred obligations to the coun
try.
Let us net forget this thought as VIC hear
the Democrats protesting against the in
justice Of this splendid confirmation of tn.
work of a patriotic Congress. Nor yet
that if Jefferson Davis had succeeded in hi
scheme, his new constitution would snl,
have been ratified by States consenting t.
accept slavery as the cornerstone Of "tht
Confcderacy."