Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-07-06
PARTY ISSUES.

lican Ratification Meeting at Columbus,
Ohio:
The matters involved in this election not
only reach to every department of our
State Government but will affect the ap-
portionment of our State and the revision
of our Constitution. 1t will affect you in
the national councils, and will be deci-
sive sign to the great presidential contest of
1872 It is therefore matter of pride and
satisfaction to see the Republican party OF
Ohio, with its glorious history and proud
record, enter into this canvass with tick
ct worth its support, with its principles
sanctified by great success, ready to enter
upon new reforms, and able to carry them
out.
And we enter upon our canvass with
one satisfaction that does not often fall to
the fate of party. We have the lndorse-
ment and approval of our political adver-
saries. We have administered the Gov
ernment of the United States and of this
State for now ten years. We have had
many contests, in war and in peace-con-
tests involving great changes in our gov
ernment-contests political and admlnls-
trative We have realized the original
idea of the founders of our government
central government, supreme in its linn
tied powers, surrounded and supported by
thirty seven local State governments-and
all now move along in harmony. we nave
emancipated four millions of slaves. We
have secured, by the highest constitutional
sanctions, the liberty and equality of all
citizens before the law We have admin
istered our internal affairs so that our credit
is untarnished, our industry is prosperous,
our Territories are forming into States,
new railroads are building, old disputes are
dying away, and nothing is needed on the
>e khn hut t,n fof nI,
forcement OF the Constitution and laws
for the protection of persons and proper
ty We have so managed our internal
affairs, and so borne ourselves with foreign
nations, that we have now no dispute or
controversy with any nation of the world,
and our strength and power have been SO
demonstrated that we need not fear that
any nation will desire contest with us.
The theory and principle of republican
government is SO strengthened by our ex-
ample as everywhere to enlarge the pow
ers entrusted to the people. Even the
poor negro-emancipated by our laws,
and clothed with political power-is re-
cognized by our old Democratic adversaries
as man and brother.
| congratulate you, that we have now,
in Ohio at least, the formal approval of
the great distinguishing measures of Re-
publican policy, by the recent convention
of Democratic politicians here in Colum-
bus. They tell us that they recognize as
accomplished facts the three amendments
to the Constitution, and they pledge them
selves to the full and faithful enforcement
of the Constitution as it now is, so as to
secure equal rights to all persons under it,
without distinction of race, color, or con-
dition. So far well. 1t is great matter
to secure even formal acquiescencein con-
stitutional changes, especially when they
involve the rights of millions of people,
and when they have been so steadily Op-
posed in all stages by the Democratic
party, North and South. They were the
issues of the war. They were mainly the
issues of the last presidential campaign.
Opposition to them was the starch-the
uniting element of the Democratic party.
Where would they have been without the
hate of the negro? What bond holds the
mass of the people of the South to the
Democratic party but negrophobia. Where
will Keltdcky be without this tie? Her
old affiniti es were not with the Democratic
party. Where will be that great mass OF
honest but mistaken men, who feared the
eff ct upon our institutions of the citizen
ship of emancipated slaves? Where will
be that other class of Democrats, whose
only political idea was founded upon pre-
judice against and hate of negroes, and
who, in the mobs of New York, and in Or
ganized mobs of the South, hunted down,
whipped and murdered negroes to prevent
them from exercising other civil or politi-
cal rights, and who whipped, scourged
and murdered white men and women, too,
for educating and being friends of the
negro race? What will jeff Davis say,
who, though his life was fairly forfeited
by his treason, yet commands influence
over more votes in the South than we
have Democrats in Ohio? What will the
large minority of Ohio Democrats say
who protested in the convention against
acquiescing in the amendments? Still, in
spite of all this uncertainty, it is a glori-
Gus fact, of which every Republican may
feel proud, that a majority of the Demo
Gratis OF Ohio acquiesce in the great meas
ures we have brought about promise obe-
dience to them and enforcement of them,
and beg of us no longer to consider them
as political issues before the country.
We would have greater cause for rejoic-
ing if we did not see so many reasons for
regarding this new departure as Trojan
horse-a new device of the enemy to steal
into our camp and betray our cause What
do they mean by denouncing the extraor-
dinary means by which the amendments
were brought about? The only means by
WAiCA tuC diuCuOulcuGS COulu UG duODCGQ
was by vote of two thirds of each house
of Congress, ratified by three-fourths OF
the States. Was this consent given? Ii
30, the amendments are the supreme law
Do they dispute the fact? IF not, WHY
this back handed lick at what they ratify
and agree to enforce? Again: What dc
they mean by vigorously applying the
Democratic rule of strict construction tc
the amendments Does this conceal some
covert purpose to defeat them? Is this 8
new Kentucky resolution of '9S, contain
ing the heresy of Secession and Nullifica
ton? The 18th amendment is, mainly
only the true Interpretation of the old
constitution, but the vital principles and
guarantees of the old constitution were
nullifled by strict construction, or rather
by false construction. Hence the necessity
of the 18th amendment, which defines who
are citizens, what are the rights of a citi
zen, and specifically gives Congress tn,
power to enforce them by appropriat.
legislation. If Calhoun's doctrine of stric
construction is to be revived to defeat tn,
amendments, then nothing is settled
What we mean is, that these amendment
are the logical results of great civil war
which brushed from our atmosphere al
faint of slavery, secession, and Calhoun
ism; that they shall have their full opera
JUL aCCoiOliS W GAo pldlu uedulnS
English words, and that Congress shall
from time to time, pass laws to enforc
them; and that the President shall execut
these laws fully and efficiently, subject onl,
to the judicial power of The Courts of th
United States. If that is what they meal
by the new departure, it is all right. ]
not, it is mere political trick, too shallo1
to mislead or deceive any one.
Again: What do they mean by thei
fifth resolution? Is it the mere make
axiom that acts passed by Congress az
subject to repeal? If so, why pompousl
utter what all admit. But the contez
shows that they mean a repeal of all th
acts passed to enforce the amendment
The amendments without the appropriat
legislation, are mere dogmas without il
herent power of enforcement. The tie
commandments are laws of the highes