The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-07-26
TIE New MISUNDERSTANDING Augus'a

THE NEW wAHRNDMENTs.-The Augus'a
Constttus;onaliss eeys:,,
T. to beregretts1, however. that the
Dslnooratic iStata Conventidn ofhA1aty-
lan,Gdid not defide its position as,to tie
validity Of the new amendments. Lis
time there should be "a Spnablidation.pf .pf
Southern opinion on this subject. There
are three sets OF opinions among us:
/. The opinion" that the. fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments are nullitiea,
and should he 80 treated, as also ali the
Oongressiohat Acts passed to enforcs
them. uhenever the Democratic party
opmes into power. "Unoonstitutional
aetb4 and everything that rests upon
them, are not laws. They are nothing
hnt nulities. So Mr.. Jefferson and the
Democracy. in 1900. declared the allen
Aud .ssdition laws to be-" We<Quote
from Mr. A. 81. Stephens.
2. Those #ho recognize the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments as do facto
parts OF the Constitution, declared 30
under the forms,, OF law providing for
amendments, and only to be got rid Of in
tho same way. They are valid to all in
tents and purposes until formally re-
pealed. -i
They ''were carried by brute force, and
ny 1xAuU6 uROA VIC PuDIlO Will, 6O RlbEiuR
as to take from their authors all claim to
our respect. But We cannot deny that
they have actually become q part of the
Constitution nor can weavoid that fact,
nor get behind it. by showing the cor
rupt misoohdaot OF the men who CON
tTolled Congress and mastered the State
Legislatures. Whosoever swears to sun.
port the Constitution must perform all
that Is .'npminated In the bond" .'Any
change which experience aud reason
shall prove to be desirable must be made
i the prescribed way, and not By revo.
lutionary aud disorderly menps." We
quote. from the Pennsylvania State
Democratic Address. We give to this
oqr adhesion, ms the true and only safe
'copEse. ''a"
8, Those who not only accept the new
Amendment as valid parts OF. the Con.
iatttution. but oppose all agitation now,
or hereafter, for their ,repeal-who ao-
cept; the usnr,inhoFy Acts OF Congress
khoWn ns tue Reconstrnction Acts, as q
Anal settlement Of the questions they
dispose ct. not, 10 be repealed, con
demned or discussed, bat 50 be treated
aa dead isaues This is she new depart
ure platform. So we interpret the se-
cond resolution of the series adopted in
Ohio. which is as followa: I.r7' +.
THAT waving oil differences of OPT
nfon as to tho extraordinary means by
which they we're brought about, We 40.
cept the natural aud Legitimate results
OF the war, 80 far "a wBged for its
oatenasbfe purpose. to maintain the
Uni9n ala the aohs:.;.s:;ons,.:;Shts end
powers Of the Federal Government, in.
Guiding tho 4 ae several amendments
de facto to the institution recently de-
olared adopted, es settlements, in fact,
of all the issues ofsthe war, and to &c.
quiesoe in the same us no lcnger issuea
before the country" ~.
|, This; js fnality to which the States
most affected by the naturnl aud legiti-
mate results of the war are not prepared
to subscribe. On the pretext of their
being nnt1rhl aud Legitimate results, the
States are songht to be ousted of their
rlghtfnl jurisdietion OF theig own ,eleo
ipDs and bRllot-boxes. On like ,pfetext
C6ngress has assumed the right to pass
disability Acts, test oaths aud bile Q!
attainder-to destroy the Independence
and preroga.;-es ef'.he Supreme Court
70 nullify the privilege OF, the writ of
ha6eas corpus-to deprive the citisens OF
the so-calied reconstructed States oil
hear'S every guarantee embraced In the
| fir't i'.i anendments to the Constitution
OF the United States. The President
has DaeD endowed with almost supreme
military power over them--the Liberty 81
the citizen subjected to his arbitrary will
IND the States themselves converted ints
military satrapies, and subjected to ths
rapsoity OF plundering oarpet-baggere
and ecallawags. who hold their places by
bayohet elections aud stuffed, ballot.
boxes. When the true people of those
States have occasion to announce plat
form of issues they are willing to adop,
in o national contest, they will accept
no such results '''as natural aud legiti.
mate. !" sol
/ "Repnblicans Of the South! yon have
a desperate struggle just ahead, aud you
cannot win unless you send thesB villains
to the;rear, You cannot rely on their
modesty or their sense Of decenoy; they
will push themselves forward into the
most conspicuous posts, no matter a,
what peril and mischief to your cause,
nhless you aternly say, Go. baok. thieveal
You cannot afford to be- delicate with
mem who do not know what delicacy