Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-07-07


the amendments, then nothing is settled.
What we mean is, that these amendments
are the logical results of great civil
war, which brushed from our atmosphere
all taint Of slavery, secession, and Cal
hounism; that they shall have their full
operation according to the plain mean
ing of English words, aud that Congress
shall from time to time pass laws to en-
force them and that the President shall
execute these laws fully and efficiently,
subject only to the judicial power of the
courts of the United States. If that is
what they mean by the New Depart
ure," it is all right; if not, it is mere
political trick, too shallow to mislead or
deceive any one.
HOW THE AMENDMENTS ARE To BE NULL.
| FLED.
Again, what do they mean by their
fifth resolution Is it the mere naked
axiom that acts passed by Congress are
subject TO repeal? But the context
shows that they mean a repeal of all the
acts passed to enforce the amendments.
The amendments, without the appropri-
ate legislation, are merely dogmas, with
out inherent power of enforcement. The
ten commandments are laws of the high
est sanction, but what are they worth
without penalties and punishments {?
What good does it do to say, "Thou
shalt not murder" unless the law comes
in and says, If thou dost murder, thou
shalt surely be put to death or be i'm
prisoned p What use is it to say that
all men shall have equal political and
civil rights, unless the law Furnishes vi
olation of these rights? What does
this "New Departure" mean, except to
say, "We recognize the amendments, but
we will repeal the laws that enforce
them?" We had many rights secured
by the Constitution as it was, that were
plainly and openly nullifed The citi-
zens of any one of the States had all
the privileges and immunities of citizens
in the several States, and yet for years a
citizen of the North could not and did
not enjoy his rights in the South Judge
Hoar, of Massachusetts,, was expelled
from South Carolina for the mere effort
/ +o orNaal to .ha copr+S of Cnrtb ~ ro1;no
for protection from illegal Imprisonment
of citizen of Massachusetts, The dem
ocratic party by what they call "strict
construction" and by their refusal to
pass appropriate laws, stripped the Con-
sIitution of half its vitality. Do they
wish, in the same way, to emasculate
these amendments Does any sensible
Fman believe that democratic Congress
could, or would, pass any law to enforce
any of these amendments Every eff
fort of ours to enforce them has been
met by the most violent parliamentary op-
position, the laws have been resisted by
organized violence. Now they tell us
they will repeal the laws, and yet they
recognize theamendments. They believe
in the Maine liquor law, but are opposed
to its enforcement The " New Depart
ure " sis good enough Morgan until af-
ter the election" and their platform is
loose enough for all to creep through,
and follow their old course of hate, per-
secution and violence.
REBELLION STILL RAMPANTIN THE SOUTH.
While these tricks are played upon us
here, the mass of the democratic voters
in the South are waiting and watching,
not "over the border" but in the heart
of our country, to restore the Lost Couse'
and to upset all that we have gained the
last ten years. 1t is only necessary to
read the democratic journals, both in
Ohio and other States, to show that this
"New Departure" is only TO shield them
selves behind some jugglery about the
construction of the amendments and the
mode of their enforcement. The essen
tial notifications made in the conven-
ton of the Dayton resolutions gives col
or to this idea, and the whole as they
stand in the platform look like bad
mixing of opposing ideas. They feel
that the public voice demanded that
these amendments must be ratified and
and endorsed by their party, and yet
they did not want to do it. They did it
With an "if" and damn" and "slap"
with several loop-holes of escape, with
many antidotes, and in bad temper gen.
orally. The dose was Objectionable to
many, but they took it, and have not felt
we'll since, and now nothing more could
be more ludicrous in political strategy,
if it were not dangerous to trust the DEM
ocratic party with the enforcement of
these eamendments. Better give the lamb
to the wolf than either the blacks of the
South or the loyal people of the South to
the democratic party of either the North
or South.
4
If we have erred, it has been in under