The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-03-02

this way it has carried out reconstruction
acts and constitutional amendments, and
intends to perpetuate its power in defiance
of the popular will
The danger which now menaces the lib
critics Of the people could never have oc-
CURED If by refusing to execute its revolu- j
tionary programme the people could have
been called on to decide between the Con. 5
gress and the President. There would /
have been no delay by adjourning the
question over for the popular umpirage in
the settlement Of the questions at issue,
and the only difference would be that the
questions would have been fairly present.
ed to and decided by the proper tribunal,
with no possible danger to the public
peace IN the meantime
This view pr jceeds upon and acc6rds or
with the theory that the people-not the
Congress, or the President, are the courts
are to govern. Radicalism proceeds
upon the reverse of this. None of the
measures of reconstruction, so called,
would have been adopted if they had
been submitted to the people in this man
ner. They have been forced in, seTiatiDa,
by fraud, oy denying perslstently that it
was the purpose to impose such measures
upon the country, and using the power
obtained by such denials to press upon
the country the very measures disavowed
before the people. The constitutional
amendments have been obtained by coer-
cion in the south, and IN defiance of the
known will of the people of the North.
This, sir, is simply and without any
conceaiment, my view Of the theory of
our government. That Congress has
been usurping the powers which belong to
the President and to the other coordinate
4 80 . he
particle of doubt. The overwhelming
majority obtained by the Republicans in
Congress during the rebellion and after
ward, by bringing unauthorized persons
into Congress to increase that majority
has sent them headlong upon their career
and they have been and are grasping at
every power which was placed by our an
cestors in the hands of the President and
the courts. Our fathers defined and divi-
ded the powers of the Government, to pre-
vent all power being grasped and concen-
trated in the hands of any one of the diff
erent branches of Government. believe
that the reckless legislation of which the
Republican party have been guilty, are
fagitious violations of the Constitution ;
and in it the gentlemen has been leader,
though he did not pegiR early to lead in
this direction. He began, if | am not mista-
ken, with the same views of reconstruction
as those now held by the Democratic party
| But having been converted to this doc
trine, he has out-Heroded Herod, and,
with the proverbial zeal of a new convert,
has gone further than any one else, and
signalized himself by the boldness and au-
dacity of his assaults upon the Constitu-
ton. What is there In our government
now that we can recognize as the govern
/ ,o6 4
fathers? / member reading one of the
first contested election cases which oe-
/ CURED in Congress. 1t was the case of
Mr.. Preston, of western Virginia, and he
/ was expelled from his seat because his
brother marched company of troops
through the streets of the town on the
day of election, such was the jealousy
| with which even the appearance of en-
ploying force IN our elections was regard
ed by our ancestors. Now an election Is
not valid unless it is superintended by the
bayonet of the regular army. Our army
moves wherever there is an election.
They no longer make war upon the camps
of the enc mics of the Government, but
they make war upon the political oppo-
nents of the Administration, and charge
upon the ballot-boxes and the polls
Mr.. President, was perfectly well
aware that this practice, although it COM
menced at the South, would not end
there. The party in power commenced
using the bayonet to set up the carpet
baggers in the Southern States, in the re-
constructed States. Although those
States were at peace, and desired peace
more than any other part of our country,
still they were not allowed to hold an
election without the presence of the army.
knew very well that when the Republi-
can psrty had accustomed the people oi
this country to hold elections under the
superintendance of military officers and
armed troops, it would not be great
while before the political necessity ol
the party would extend that practice into
the Northern States; and from having
originated in the South, IN those States
which had been in rebellion, IL has re-
Gently gone into the States which furnish
ed the most powerful aid and the largest
number of men to overthrow the rebel
lion.
Mr.. Morton. VIII the Senator allow
me to ask him q question:
NJ, Blair Certainly.
Mr.. Morton. l ask the Senator wheth-
er he regards the fifteenth amendment as
having been adopted, and as now being a
|
Mr.. Blair. 1 should think the gentle.
man ought to have got my opinion Of the
fifteenth amendment by this time
Laughter I think that the ratification
of my own State, for instance, was in le.
gal form, although the ratification was OBJ,
tanned by the most infamous perfdy
General Grant carried the State of Mis-
soun by twenty five thousand majority
l OF ha a1a Ah.o.,, ey,4f
rage amendment to the Constitution was
voted down by thirty thousand majority
and not one-half of the people of Missouri
were allowed to vote The majority il
the State of Missouri against that
, amendment was known to the Senator
who sat upon this floor and the represen,
tatives who sat in the other House to bt
: probably two-thirds of the entire popula-
: ton of the State and yet, without AM
f sort OF consideration or regard for tht
: will of that immense and Overwhelming
majority, the Senators and Representa-
= tives of the State and the members of III,
q Legislature hurried to give effect and vi
: tality to this fifteenth amendment.
/ The very gentlemen who claim tha
e the ballot is necessary to protect the ne
e gro, who attach such immense impor
g tance to the ballot has been exercised b,
4 their own constituents adverse to thei
0 wishes and party interests, disregard it a
3 if it were no more than waste paper
9 That shows the real opinion of those gen
a tlemen in regard to the suffrage. Hov
{ much protection did the suffrage affor
: the people of Missouri, Ohio, Kansas
o Michigan, New York, Connecticut, an
o other Northern States also, that voted b,
e immense majorities against the perfd'
0 and misrepresentation of their Represen
2 tatives in Congress and the State Legisla
= lures which has saddled them with th
n fifteenth amendment, and which the Sena
tor from Indiana well says became a "po
= litical necessity to his parry at this cri
: sis.
It have enumerated already other State
= and do not wish to call the roll agai
B. 10 show the gentlemen from Indiana Wha
q my opinion of the adoption of the ffteent
J. amendment is. l do not controYert tb
fact that even the fraud which was sue
e cessfully practiced IN his own State hs