The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-03-01
Senator Frank Blair's First Speech III
"TalkS Like q Man."

"Talks Like q Man."
In the United States Senate, We'd
hesday, after Mr. Morton had conclu
ded-
Mr.. Blair said the Senator from
Indiana fitly represents she Admins
tration in tho open aud bold manner
in which he expresses his contempt for
representative government. Last
summer it was said that the Senator
was to take n high Office under the
Administrations bat after the election
and the Democrats carried that State.
the Senator concluded not to accept
the Office for the avowed purpose, a.
was said, of preventing Democrat
from being seat here to represent the
State. [Mr. Norton Misrcprcscnt
the State. He (Mr. Blair) would
not Use 80 harsh term, aud say the
Senator misrepresented the people Of
Indians, aud kert his seat here to pre-
ventthem from seudiug one here who
did more nearly represent them.
In the Chicago platform the Hcrub-
blican party promised tho people
fifteenth amendment was entirely in
the control Of the States. They car.
ried the election on this promise, and
yet, when Congress came together, it
immediately proposed this amend
mcnt and voted down proposition to
submit it to the Legislatures to be
thereafter elected, and the Senators
and Representatives. from the State of
Mis.onr; Ka sas, Michigan, New Yo k
and Ono, voted for the amcudmsnt,
although tho people of those States
had voted down the negro suffrage at
tho previous election by immense ma
jorities, and the Legislatures of some
Of these States -elccte1 at the
same time-rati6ed this amendment.
In his own State of Missouri, where
the people had voted it down by thir"
ty thousand majority, the Legislature
adopted one-half of the amendment
on a telegram. Tac vast body of che
people of the North were opposed to
this thing, and it was forced upon them
by perfdy and fraud, and yet we are
to be called revolutionists when wo ex.
pose it, If this is the way that amend.
ments are to be put through, what
amendment cannot be put through by
the aid of these carpct-bag States and
the frauds which may be practiced I
What is to prevent the adoption of
an amendment making the President
and tho Senate hold office for life
Mr.. Morton asked whether the
Democratic party had not gone into
the presidential election Of 1868 on
the issue that tho reconstruction acts
were null and void, and was 1t not
overwhelmingly beaten on that issue :?
Mr.. Blair said it had gone in on
that issue, aud, in his opinion it had
been beaten because some Of its me M
bers had lodged on this question.
Congress, in its reconstruction acts,
went outside Of tho Constitution,
and when it did that its laws were
of no force--it was no more
than mob---no more than q
mere debating oocicty. He did not
believe there was single paragraph
in the Constitution that was not viola
ted by these reconstruction acts. You
could not iod one single sentence Of
these denominations that was not vio.
!atiun of tho constitution and you
gentlemen, know it. The unparalleled
occurrence Of Congress taking ava,
the right of appeal to the Supreme
Court to prevent decision in the
McArdle case proved that they knew
that they violated the Constitution.
Ifthn rebels violated the Constitu-
tion, as they undoubtedly did, they
should have been punished by tho
Constitution, aud going outside Of the
Constitution to punish them made
Congress as guilty ns they. And he
(Mr. Blair) thought that the President
should have refused to execute thts,
acts which he knew to be unconstitu
tional. The Democratic Convention
Of two years ago did not proclaim for
the frat time that the President must
himselfjudge Of tho Constitutionality
Of law. Thomas Jefferson had pros
claimed that doctrine, and Andrew
jackson had reiterated it /; and if one
A. l. 49,. t. 4