Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-02-24
RE, OBSTRUCTION INTnESEN
ATE.
Tilt Between Morton and Blair
What the Radical Party Promis-
etl and What IL Performed.

!
| fifteenth amendment was taken up Tor
the porpose of allowing Mr., Morton
Rad. Ind. TO address the Senate upon
the question therein presented. The
latter part Of the morning hour being
awarded him for that purpose, Mr.,
Morton then argued to show the right
and powerofC Congress TO reqnireguaran
tees from the late rebel States as con
Sitions precedent TO representation IN
the government that these conditions
had taken the form of constitutional
amendments. aud having been several
ly accepted by those States u Was ah
surd for other States now TO question
the validity OF those amendments lie
had that the Democratic party, 10y It's
attempted repudiation Of those amends
menis aud laws of Congress enforcing
them, was committed 10 nulliheatlnn
and suhversion ofexisting laws, reint'
ing the assumptions upon which ne
said the Democratic opposition to the
amendment was grounded-that the
ratification by the late rebel States Was
by coercion and duress. and that their
right to representation was absolute,
and unaffected by participation IN the
rebellion. He held that the existence
of the right 10 impose conditions Inns
piled the power 10 exact compliance
with them. The ratification was not
compulsory, for il was len Optional
with those States either 10 be restored
to their former places in the govern
ment or remain in the condition IN
which they had voluntary placed
themselves. Inducements for the per
formance of duty were as necessary IN
cases of States as Of individuals. The
argument that the assent Of the rebel
States was coereed implied that those
States lost no rights by going into re-
bellion, which Mr. Morton denied. Ia.
answer 10 the allegation that the railfi'
cation of the iiileenth amendment by
the Indiana Senate was illegal because
ofthe absence Of a constitutional quo
rum at the time, he said the question
bad been decided by the Indiana Su'
preme Court upon On appropriation
bill passed the same day, the court hold
ing that il had no power TO go behind
the enrolment ofthe bill. In that con-
troversy the Democrats held that a
quorum required two>thirds of all the
members elected, while the Republicans
maintained that two-thirds Of those
present was meant. The fifteenth
amendment received % votes in the
Senate and Sc in the House, which was
clear majority of all the members
elected. These resolutions purporting
10 rescind the assent of the State were
mere harmless nullity aud were de
serving Of no consideration except for
their political significance in indicat-
ing the spirit of the Democracy They
breathed the doctrines of notification
and secession and did not represent the
sentiment of the people Of Indiana,
which was Republican. Il was we'll
for the country 10 know the issue made
by the Democratic party, which did
not mean to accept any of the results
Of the war, or to recognize the recon-
structlon acts on the fourteenth or tf-
teenth amendments. but would, if!hey
had the power, nullify them all. As
corroborative OF his charge that the
programme of the Democratic party
was 10 overthrow and subvert the laws
of the land, he cited rs significant the
fact that the Democratic members OF
the House Of Representatives. at the
last session, voted solidly against the
resolution asserting the fourteenth and
6tleenth amendments. Other illusira-
lions were 10 be found in the nullifica-
ton by Kentucky Of an important pro
vision of the fourteenth amendment.
and also of the civil rights bill, in re
fusing to colored men the right to les-
tify in her courts IN cases in which a
white psrson is a party in recent de-
cision Of the Supreme Court of Cali-
'ornia, practically affirming the States
rights dogma, and in n message of the
Governor of that State denying the
validity Of the constitutional amend
ment.
Mr. Cassely (Dem.. Gal. said that
the message referred 10 was written he
fore the ratification became an accom-
plished fact.
Mr.. Morton thought the fact ms TO
time immaterial. as the message denied
the power of Congress to propose an
amendment Of that kind, and denied
the possibility Of iS becoming u part
of the Constitution ofthe United States,
though ratified by ever 50 many States.
The California Legislature had also
declared the fifteenth amendment as
nullity, and not binding upon the
people of that StGte. Mr Morton
proceeded TO comment upon the gravl-
ty of the issue thus presented, as involv-
ing the very safety Of the Union.
Mr.. Blair said he thought the Sena.
tor from Indiana Norton had fitly
represented the administration in the
bold, outspoken. contemptuens manner
in which he had spoken Of representa-
tive government. Last summer it was
rumored that the Senator had been
appointed to n high mission, and that
after accepting the Office he had chang.
ed his mind about il in consequence Of
the Democratic majority at the elec-
ton in his State. avowedly to pFeyent
Democrat coming here in his place
10 represent his State.
DIR. Morton (interrupting)-To mis-.
represent her.
Mr.. Blair-(repeating with en-
phasis Zone who would represent
her." The State of Indiana having
elected Democratic Legislature
would have the right to repfescnt by u
Democrat whenever n vacancy occur
rad in her senatorial representation.
Had the gentleman (Morton) gone
abroad, he would have learned there
that when popular sentiment cOndep-
ned any man or measure, the ministry
at once laid down their arms but in
hrs (Morton's) case that seemed to be
made the very reason for holding on
TO office. Following that Senator's
example. he Blair proposed to state
some matters connected with the hiss
tory of The ratification Of The plteenth
amandmanf He then arTaipned the