Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-27

which he now pretends the North
ern States have a right to
exact. would have been demanded at
q far earlier period. His aiter-thOught
is nothing at best but a contemplate
sophistry, with which interruptions
men seek to hide the preparation Of
their usurpations. If his argument is
sound at this day, it proves too much'
and that the school bill, denial Of the
hGbeas corpus, and the superiority OF
the military to the civil power, are
principles and practices which may
be carried out next year, or ten years
hence. on the ground Of necessity, war
power, and the safety and preserva-
ton of the Union. There is no limit
as to the subject or the time within
which the constitutional prohibitions
NAV be set aside on these false pre-
fences. And his argument has this
distinguished ingenuity and merit,
that it covers completely the whole
wide ground Of unlimited despotism.
If tits to be accepted as the doctrine
of 1871. the authority Of the COnstitu-
ton and the Republican system is
no more forever.
But he says " the rebel States were
in no wise compelled to ratify the
amendment -they could ratify them
and be restored, or refuse to ratiiy
them and remain in the con-
dition in which they had placed
themselves" Certainly, all this they
could do if not coerced by the bayonet,
as in fact they were. But what
then? States which had not escaped
from the Union would be thrust out
bv 1t in spite OF the war to preserve
the Union! And so Mr.. MortOn's
theory would be more potent than the
army, States would become terrific
ries without the rights of territories,
and all the U~niOn-lOving and non
rebel citizens they contained would
be deprived Of the protection OF the
Constitution, and all Republican
RIGHTS would t~hencefOrth be confined
to the conquering States. Would this
then be the Republic Of u fathers,
a democracy, or a de5pOtism in which
might makes right? Messrs. Morton
& Co. may have willed this OF any
| thing else indispensable to the CONVEX
! sion of the Government into a despO-
tfsm of the stronger States over the
weaker. But this they can only &C
complish by such an overthrow Of the
| Constitution as subverts republican in
! sttutions, which have been the boast
of a people claiming to be free for
nearly a hundred years.
But again, he says the section Of
the act of Congress passed in ISIS
makes the Secretary of State "a judi
| cisI officer to determine and decide
uDon the official evidence Of the rat-
| icatiOn of an amendment to the Con-
| stitution." and that therefore his
proclamation is final, and from his de
! cision there is no appeal. This is his
red tape and technical argument
to show that an amendment
conceived in sin, brought forth
in iniquity, and matured in fraud,
force and crime, shall stand as a part
of the organic law Of the land. 1t is
the doctrine of accomplished tact'
bv which no Wreng is TO be ~redressed
and no crime avenged. The procla-
nation by the Secretary of State OF
the lie that three-fOurths Of the States
and people of the Union have vOlun-
| tariIv ratified an amendment, which
at least a full m0iety of them abhOr,
is to chain down a free people to a
| deprivation Of rights Wruug by force
from the British King, and which
they fondly dreamed they had Sc
cured TO themselves in perpetuity by
the solemn and unanimous enactment
of a written Constitution. Such is the
moIe.eved argument and brazen ef-
frouterv Of Radical craftsmanship,
bv which Morton has established his
claim to be denominated the prince
Of pettifoggers by reason Of his skill
as the prince Of rOgues, W. suppose
it was Tor this reason that he was put
forward as the mOUth-piece Of the
-enate to answer a resolution OF the
legislature of his own State, which
has the right to instruct him as q
Senator, and which represents a people
he knows he himself only misrepre
sents.
The remaining argument OF Mr.
Morton, in answer to the expressed
determinations Of Indiana, Oregon
California, New York and other States
on this subject, is that amendment.
80 vital to the safety Of the nation, anC
to the liberty and happiness Of nearly
five millions Of people, adopted undei
circumstances so solemn and so trang'
in the worlds history" (as was the
Fifteenth Amendment "cannOt b'
nulIiRed but by a struggle which vii
shake our government to its founda
tons" That is a prodigious result
of a false proclamation as to fact by
the Secretary of State. If the way i
40 easv 10 a s~ubversion Of the viii o
the people as that a few usurpers car
hind them to a surrender of cOnstitu
tiopaI rights, we should say it wa
time they took the matter in hand
even at a cost, if necessary, which
should shake the corrupt government
at Washington not only from its ioun
dations but forever out Of the reacl
and possession of power in this land
He aIudes, in conclusion, to the "reigr
a of violence in the South, which i
better known at Washington thar
Memphis, to the "bloOdy persecution
of men for opinions sake" which can,
not be located with proof in any
Southern county, and to the "Ominoui
cloud Of nuIlihcatiOn which makes The
political horizon black" as his cOgen.
reasons for the inquiry whether=th'
emission Of the Republican party ha.
baep performed" We hope not yet
When that is true, we shall no NOR,
have even a broken Constitution. Tn,
Constitution will be wholly over
" az mo hava yraf conf