New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-20
HIS TIE EEFUBlIC 4 RIGHT 70 DEFEND

HIS TIE REPUBLIC 4 RIGHT 10 DEFEND
us OBN LIFE?
The Federal Constitution, which originally
threw its protecting shield over Slavery ard
human degradation to level with brute chat
telhood, has been transformed, by the three
Amendments last adopted, into essential and
benefccJt conformity with those q at princ-
ples Of Human Equality embodied in the pre-
amLle to our fathers Declaration Of Indcpcud-
ence. He who sUears fidelity 90 that Coustt-
tuition swears that he win respect ard uphold
such Equality of Political Rights, at least
until the Constitution shall in this respect
have been radically changed again. The OK
ist;ng political contest is a struggle between
those who mean to maintain "thc Ccnstlin-
" ton as It is" and those who secl. by yio-
lcnce and fraud TO subyort it.
Now IS heretofore, the citadel Of oppression
and wrong is IN cNaccerGtion of State Rights.
According to The World and Tie Ercaiag Post,
the enemies Of Equal Rights and the Constu-
ton which upholds them have only to get pos
session OF the machinery of a State, and they
may rob, main, burn, and slay loyal Unionists
with perfect impunity. The Nation has no
light To protect It's faithful citizens; The State
connives at and facilitates their enemies
crimes: so they have no choice but death OF an
ignominious submission while those enemies
consummate their ncfariOus designs. we pro-
test that this is consistent neither with the
spirit nor the letter of that grand Charter OF
our National existence which expressly says:
Art Via. "Tms Constitution, and the laws which
SHAH be made in pursuance thereof shall be the SUI
preme law Of the land, and the judges Ia every state
shall be bound thereby anything in the Constitution or
laws Of any state to the contrary notwithstanding"
"AMENDMENT XVII. The right Of citizens Of The
United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any state on account OF
race color OF previous condition Of seryitudo.
"62 Congress- shall hare poorer u egOrce HS article by
appropriate legislation"
That there is a widespread and fOrmida-
he conspiracy to subyert these vital COnstitu-
tional guarantees by violence, terrorism and
blOodshed. ia as certain as sunrise. The
active agents of this conspiracy are in part
the midnight raiders commonly known as
Ku-Klux, by whom a murderer was recently
liberated from Jail in the very presence Of the
kentucky Legislatne at Frankfort, by whom
the late murders and arsOns at Meridian, Miss,
were pcrpetrated, and her Mayor driven into
ovfle without even n charge that he had done
wrong bnt simply that the Ku-KluX might
FL his place with man after their own heart;
and IL is III full view Of these and many kin
dreI crimes that THE EceniHg Post com
mcnds--
"rhe simple exercise Of ,orbearance and kindness re-
s,ecting the local independence OF The community and
throwing upon 20 the entire responsibility for it, own I'M
tr conGt on, while doingaI that can be done, without
attaching this Independence to dGase intelligence and
,...rf,tisrf among i'a members.
"T,i tins remedy Tor local disorders which the Coust-
ttip of the United States cOutcmuates ana This alone.
uafou ia one I'm all its relations 10 foreign nation,
arowih o. trade and Of the national spirit. our
,..9uon history eugthcus, makes its unity more and
more close and solid Tho moral power q" The whole ma
t,n over each Of its constituent communities u immense
fr good, and, If this is properly eAef'cl' u '''oine' ln
ma that soeial disorder should last long anywhere.
natural condition Of a body through which healthy
iool is c.r,4 q, freely ana vho.e leading membcra
are IN vigorous activity Is one Of hclIih ani tho local