The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-10-01
The New Departure In Alabama.

scheme Of compromise. II our neighbors IL
the former Of those States found themselveI
in the position Of citizens Of this State they
might, perhaps, falter little before taking
such . decided stand. II their public deb
had increased by thirty Of forty millions
in three years of through carpet-bag con.
troll; if o total State bankruptcy doomed
up for them in the immediate future unless
Radical supremacy at Washington should
cut short, they too, might feel like striving
somewhat to reconcile principle with poll
cy. We, of this State, have no intention
of sacrificing principle or of even stretch
ing it's infexible code for the sake of relief
no matter how much longed for, but it Is
surprising how differently men can look at
we'll known principle, how critically
they can search it for an elastic spot when
it stands rigidly, and apparently immove
ably, in the way of their hopes.
1t would probably be . moot excellent
thing for Us to be able to compromise with
moderate Republicans on the question OF
the recent amendments. It is thought that
with those stumbling blocks out of its
way Democracy would sweep in triumph
over the North and West, giving us at the
next election a national government which
would permit our State to brush away the
vermin that are devouring her while her
hands are tied behind her back. But the
question comes up, have we, as patriots
and honest men right to make the con-
cession required One of the ablest oppo-
ts of mic - 10 Of y,
influential organs of thought in the South,
is the Mobile Register, equally well known
for its integrity and ability. We can not
do better towards stating the current OBJ
jections to the new policy than by quoting
passage from Il recent editorial of that
journal, in which we fnd them summed
up as follows:
1t is not, then, from mere opposition to the
substance of the alleged Amendments, that the
great body of the Democrats and Conserva.
tives refuse to endorse the Now Departure. If
the Amendments could be swept away to-mor-
row, it is not likely that the States Ito whom
those powers properly pertain) would exercise
their right to abolish the now established
principles of the XIIIth and XVIII Amendments
10 the XIIIth there would probably be no op-
position at ali-even as o constitutional
amendment. The other two are Questionable
the AlVth for some of it's Ubiquitous pro-
visions; the XVIII, because it relates to sub
ject that ought to be entirely within the con-
troll Of the several States and both, because
they have never been legally and constitution
ally adopted. To-adniG tue contrary, believ
ing as ice believe, would be simply impossible,
because it would be untrue.
Thus it seems that the chief and unsur-
mountable objection to these amendment s
is not 30 much to the policy which they
embody as to the fact that the policy has
been made q national one. We of the
South adopt emancipation. We might also
pass over negro suffrage, considering that
we may be gamers in national representa-
ton thereby. We might be willing to leave
these amendments where they are, and let
them sleep forever, SO far as their own
operation is concerned. But we can never
admit that they were properly adopted, or
that, if they were, the Constitution ought
to regulate questions of that kind. In
other words, the policy of the amendments
may be very good one, but, if so, it
ought to be embodied in the Constitution
Of each State, not in that of the Union.
This evidently resolves itself into two
Of which the FIRST is that the
amendments in question were not adopted
in such @ manner as to make them really
parts of the Constitution. But We think
that we may safely and honorably dispose
of this difficulty by leaving it to the Su-
preme Court of the United States. 1t is
fairly question of law, not a party one.
The second objection is very grave one.
1t is simply this: Shall the right of suf-
frage be regulated by the State or by the
Union7
Democracy has always commended for
this power in the State and probably al
ways will insist upon that doctrine. 1t
can hardly yield that point and preserve
it's identity. The control Of suffrage lie the
living principle of States rights, for with
out that it is difficult to see what they are,
and the great principle OF States rights,
as opposed to Capitalization, has always
been the grand guiding characteristic of
Democracy in this country. Democracy
can exist perfectly well in some situations
without States rights, but it would not be
lam