The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-09-07

Senator Morton and Speaker Blaine who
are regarded as the leaders of the Admin
istration party. They say, in substance,
because the Democratic party opp0s
military reconstruction and voted against
those amendments in Congress and the
state Legislatures, it intends, when il
comes into power-and come it will-to
disregard those amendments and set them
aside. In saving this, they assert What
they cannot know To be true and they as
sert what We know cannot be true. Long
before Mr.. NalIaudigham said anything
upon the subj CT, the address Of the Dem.
Oc'atic members of Congress declared the
contrary 1--WE earnestly entreat our
fellow citiZens in all parts of the Union to
spare no efforts to maintain peace and
order; to carefully protect the rights OF
every citizen; 10 preserve kindly relations
among all men, and TO dlscOuntenauce and
discourage any violation OF the rights OF
any portion OF the people secured under
the Constitution, or by any of the amend
ments" As 10 Mr. Vallandigham, it might
have been "A new departure, but to Demo
cratic members of Congress, the leaders OF
the party, 1t was no new departure. How
could the Democratic party disregard OF
set aside these amendments, if they would :
But three ways can be conceived, or have
ever been suggested:
First, by obtaining a decision of the
Supreme Court declaring them void. The
present construction OF that court makes
he thing impossible, and no Democrat
would propose to reconstruct the Supreme
Court to reverse its DECISION They honor
the Judiciary too much to do that. Be
sides it is almost certain that upon all
I;n
the results of elections, the judiciary
would feel bound to accept and follow the
declarations OF the political power Con.
gress and the Ex -cu'ive thought the
Supreme Court couN neither take judicial
notice OF events depending upon elections
except as they are declared, nor frame an
issue 10 try the question of fact whether
Constitutional amendment has or has
not been ratified By the Legislatures OF
three-tOurths Of all the States, after the
same has been proclaimed duly Ratified by
the proper officer under the forms Of law.
Second, 10y proposing new amendment
to set them aside directly. This would be
a legitimate mode, but is wholly impractic-
able. Beyond question, more than one
fourth of the States would vote against il,
and three-fOurths are r quirCd to carry it.
FDe attempt to do SO would renew the
agitation of the negro question in another
form, but could bring no practical result.
Besides, all parties, North and South, are
unwilling to open that question. The
negro is free, and none would enSlave
him, and negro suffrage has become liked
fact, thing accomplished.
Third, the only other possible mode is
the military one of using the army to CON
troll elections and to change the Constitu-
ton. Radicals like Senator Morton
might consistently adopt this mode, for
they do not hesitate TO put the army above
the Constitution and civil law in order TO
control or decide elections; but no man
who still cheIishes the doctrines of the
old Democratic-republiaan school of JEFF
fersOn and of Jackson would dare to use
the standing army for any such purpose.
Besides, the attempt 10 take away negro
suffrage by force would lead TO a bloody
struggle-prObably to civil war-and
without doing any good would involve
greater evils than now exist
| should not have dWelt upon this sub
iect 50 long but for the constant efforts of
our Radi al opponents to plaCe us in a
false position ana TO charge Us with the
purpose of dealing with the Constitution
as they themselves have done, viz: To re-
civil strife
Ana now, gentlemen, let me inquire,
What are the issues and duties OF the
present hour? First, in relation to these
amendments, we cannot expect decision
of the Supreme Court to annul them; we
do not propose new amendment to set
them aside, aud least of all by the sword.
Bnt the question arises. How Will YOU
remedy the unbearable evils which now
rest upon the Southern States? You
know the acknowledgements of hundreds
of thousands of the most intelligent whites
and the universal suffrage of the blacks
led by adventmers of the standing army
has subjected the people 10 the worst form
of government, and robbed, burdened, and
Inundated them beyond description. In the
language of the Democratic Congressional
address: " Our hopes for redress are in
the calm, good sense of the sober second
thought OF the American people. We call
upon them To be true to themselves and to
their past, and, disragarding party name
and minor differences, to insist upon a de,
cent qualification of power; the restriction
Of Federal power within its just and
proper limits, leaving to the States that
control of the domestic affairs that Is es
sential to their happiness, tranquility and
good government" VIII you ignore that
and leave them without remedy? No,
gentlemen; but the remedy We propose is
one to cure and not to aggravate the dis.
ease-to appeal to the reason and return
ing sense, the justice, magnanimitv and
tTaternal feeling of the North and South in
favor of amnesty. In this appeal large
numbers-thousands upon thousands
of liberal Republicans, like Brown and
SchuIZ, of Missouri. have already Joined
The negroes themselves az the South VIII
join IL demanding amnesty for their late
masters. The example of Missouri
cannot long be resisted. The Chloe.
laws and Cherokees, in Their
treaties OF peace six years ago, gave
universal amnesty, and their example
should shame Christian white men out OF
policy resting on uafeigned hate or I'm.
manly fear. The sentiment must become
really universal amnesty, and two thirds
OF Congress will vote for the bill. Al
though late in coming, ii Will tend 10 re.
store traternal feeling. 1t will certainly
restore intelligence and character at the
South; give 1t voice once more in the
management of its local affairs, ard re.
store TO those States what they have not
had for years-a republican form OF gov,
erument.
Gentlemen, among the other important
issue Of the present the greatest is this
Whether our government is TO be in sub,
stance, if not in form, revolutionzed
whe her the Federal government is to re-
main as our fathers made it, based upon a
written Constitution, limiting and defn-
ing It's powers and reserving the mass OF
powers not delegated to the several States
and TO the people, or whether it is to be
come q government of unlimited and Cen
traizcd power, in a Word, whether the
United States shall continue to be a Union
under the Constitution or become a CEN
trallzsd desputisU1 At Washington, to be
governed by the secret resolves of a eau
Gus and by the President at the head of
the army Our faithful representative at
Washington says: Under the pretence
Of passing LAYS TO enforce the Fourteenth
Amendment, and for other purposes,
Congress has conferred the most desp ltic
powers upon the executive, ana provided
an official machinery by which the liber-
ties of the people are mcnaced snd the sa-
cred rights oflOcal self government in the
States ignored, if not tyrannically over
thrown. modelled by the sedition laws so
odious III history" They are at varience