The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-31

that, Besides, IL Is aln0sb CERTAIN ehao
upon all such political questions depend
ing upon the results OF elections the Ju-
dietary would feel bound to accept ana loI-
low the declarations OF the pollticai power.
Congress and the Executive thought the
SnnTeme Court could neither take Judicial
notice of events depending upon the cleo
'tions except as they are declared, nor frame
an issue to try the question OF TACT Whetner
a constitutional amendment has or mas not
heen ratified by the Legislatures of three
fo,Irths of all the States after the same has
been proclaimed duly ratified by the proper
officer under the forms OF law. Second, by
nronosinu new amendment to set them
aside directly. This would be legitimate
mode, but is wholly impractlcable. Be
yond question, more than onc'thlfa Oh inc
States would vote against IL, anu three-
fourths are required to carry IL. Inc al
tempt to do so would renew tue aslCatalot
of the negro question i'll another form, but
could bring no practical result. Besides,
ALI parties, north and south, are unwilling
to omen that question. The negro is free,
and none would enslaVe him, and negro
suffrage has become fixed lact--a thing
accomplished. Third, the only other pos
s,bIc mode is the military one OF using tDe
army 10 control elections and 10 chapSe Tue
Constitution.
Radicals like Senator Morton might con-
sistently adopt this mode, for they 40 DOT
hesitate to put the army above the consul
tuition and civil law in order TO control or
decide elections but no man Who.sllll cher-
ishes the doctrines Of the old Democratlc-
Republican school Of Jefferson and Of Jack
son would dare TO use the stanoinS army loI
any such purpose. Besides inc it'lenpt ~
like away negro suffrage by force would
lead 10 u bloody struggle-probably to civil
war-and without doing any good would
involve greater evils than now exist.
should not have dwet upon This SUBJECT
SO long but for the constant efforts oil our
Radical opponents To place us III Il false po-
sitiou and TO charge lis with the purpose OF:
dealing with the Constitution us They them
selves have done, viz: TO reconstruct 1t by
The sword and to renew civil strife. and
now, gentlemen, let me inquire, What are
the issues and duties Of the present hour!
|. In relation TO these amendments we cam
not expect a decision OF the supreme Court
TO annul them; we do not propose new
amendment to set them aside, and least Oh
ali by the sword. But the question arises,
How will you remedy the uneeaTabic
evils which now rest upon the southern
States? You know the alslranchiscment OF
hundreds of thousands of tie most intelll-
cent whites, and the universal suffrage OF
the blacks, led by advcntllrers OF the stand
ing army, has subjected the people to the
worst form OF government, and roDheu,
burCicncd, and Inundated them beyond
deScription. In the language OF the
Democratic Congressional address: Our
hopes for redress are III The calm, sood
sense Of the sober second. Thought OF The
American people. We call upon them to
be true to themselves and to their past,
linz m tn
differences, TO insist upon i; decent quallii-
cation of powcr--the restriction of Federal
power within its just and proper limits
leaving to the States that control OF the
domestic affairs that is essential to their
happiness, tranquility, and good govern
mcnt." will you ignore that, and leave
! them without remedy? No, gentlemen !;
but the remedy we propose is one to cure,
! and not to aggravate the disease-to appeal
to the reason and returning sense, the JUS
, tice, magnanimity, and fraternal feeling OF
the North and South in favor OF amnesty.
In this appeal large numbers-thousands
upon thousands-of liberal Republicans,
like Brown and Schurz, OF Missouri, have
ALREADY Joined. The negroes themselves at
the South will join in demanding amnesty
, tor their late masters. The example OF
Missouri cannot long be resisted. The
Choctaws and Cherokees, in their treaties
OF peace six years ago, gave universal am
neSty, and their example should shame
Christian white men out of ii policy resting
on unteigned hate or unmanly fear. Ihe
sentiment must become really universal
amnesty, and two, thirds Of Congress will
vote for the bill. Although late in coming,
it will tend to restore fraternal feeling. II
will certainly restore intelligence and char
! acter at the South; give tia voice once more
in the management of its local affairs, and
restore to those States what they have not
had for years-a republican form of Gov
eminent.
! Gentlemen, among the other important
issues of the present the greatest Is,
Whether our Government is to be in
substancc-if not in form-revolution-
lied; whether the Federal Government is
to remain as our fathers made it. based
upon written constitution, limiting and
defining Its powers, and reserving the mass
OF powers not delegated to the several
States and to the people; or whether it is
to become government OF unlimited and
centralized power; in word, whether
the United States shall continue to be O
! Union under the Constitution or become a
centralized desp0tism at Washington,t to be
governed by the secret resolves of caucus,
and by the President ut the head OF the
army? Our faithful representative at Wash
z lngtOn says: Under the pretence OF pass
, ing laws to enforce the fourteenth amend
ment, and for other purposes, Congress has
conferred the most despotic powers upon
the Executive, and provided an official ma
chinery by which the liberties of the people
are menaced ana the sacred rights of local
selt-goYernment in the States ignored, il
not tyranically overthrown, modelled by
! the sediLion laws, SO odiuus in history"
They are ut variance with all the Sanctified
theories of our Institutions, and the con-
struction given by these Radical interpret
ers to the fourteenth amendment is, to use
the language of an eminent Senator-Mr.
Trumbull, OF Illinois -" annlhilator of
States"
Under the last enforcement bill the Elk.
ecutFve may, i'll bis discretion, thrust aside
Inc government Of any State, suspend the
writ OF hGbcaS corpus, arrest its Governor,
imprlson or disperse its Legislature, silence
us JUDGES, and trample down its people
under the armed heel of his troops. Moth
Ing is lett to the citizens or State which can
any longer be called right. All is changed
into mere suffrance. As sure as we live
this Is the great issue and danger upon lis
now. Everybody feels that revolution is
going on in that direction. The yery
ground is giving way under our feet. Radl-
Gals admit ID; some ayow and justify il.
and some of the best friends of Republican
government fear that the revolution has
ali Atr ryana IN FAR tn IN .eeactad Dot