The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-07-20

ence over more votes in the South
than we have Democrats in Ohio?
What will the large majority of
Ohio Democrats say who protested
in the Convention against acquiesc-
ing in the amendments? Still, in
spite of all this uncertainty, it is a
glorious fact, of which every Repub-
lican may feel proud, that a major
ity of the Democrats of Ohio acqui-
esce in the great measures we have
brought about-promise obedience
to them and enforcement of them,
and beg of US no longer to consider
them as political issues before the
country.
We would have great cause for re-
joicing if we did not see so many
reasons for regarding this new de-
parture as a Trojan Horse-a new
device of the enemy to steal into our
camp and betray our cause. What
do they mean by denouncing the
extraordinary means by which the
amendments were brought about ?
The only means by which the
amendments could be adopted was
by a vote of two-thirds of each
House of Congress, ratified by three
fourths of the States. Was this con-
sent given ? If so, the amendments
are the supreme law. Do they dis
.pute the fact? If not, why this
back.handed lick at what they rat
ify and agree to enforce? Again :
what do they mean by vigorously
applying the Democratic rule OF
strict construction to the amend
ments? ? Does this conceal some
covert purpose to defeat them? Is
this a new Kentucky Resolution of
'98, containing the heresy of Seces-
sion and Modification ? The XIVth
Amendment is, mainly, only the
true Interpretation of the old Consti-
tuition, but the vital principles and
guarantees of the old Constitution
were nullified by strict construction,
or rather by false construction.
Hence the necessity of the XIVth
Amendment, which defines who are
citizens, what are the rights of cit
izen, and specifically gives Congress
the power to enforce them by appro-
pirate legislation. If Calhoun's doc
trine of strict construction is to be
revived to defeat the amendments,
then nothing is settled. What we
mean is, that these amendments are
the logical results of a great civil
war which brushed from our atmos-
phere all faint of slavery, secession
and Calhounism that they shall
have their full operation according
to the plain meaning of English
words, and that Congress shall, from
time to time, pass laws to enforce
them and that the President shall
execute these laws fully and eff
GENTLY, subject only to the judicial
power of the Courts of the United
States. If that is what they mean
by the New Departure, it is all
right. If not, it is a mere political
trick, too shallow to misIead or de-
ceive any one.
Again: What do they mean by
their fifth resolution? Is it the very
naked axiom that acts passed by
Congress are subject to repeal? If
so, why pompously utter what all
admit ? But the context shows that
they mean a repeal of all the acts
passed to enforce the amendments.
The amendments without apprOpri-
ate legislation, are mere dOgmas
without inherent power of enforce
ment. The Ten Commandments
are laws of the highest sanction, but
what are they worth without penal
ties and punishments What good
does it do to say, Thou shalt not
murder, unless the law comes in and
says, If thou dost murder, thou
shalt surely be put to death or i'm
prisoned {? What use is it to say
that all men shall have equal politi-
cal and civil rights, unless the law
furnishes a violation of those rights
What does this new departure
mean, except to say, we recognize
the amendments, but we will repeal
the laws that enforce them? We
had many rights secured by the
Constitution as it was that were
plainly and openly nullifed. The
citizens of any one of the States
had all the privileges and immuni'
ties of citizens in the several States,
and yet for years a citizen of the
North could not and did not enjoy
his rights in the South.
Judge Hoar, of Massachusetts, was
expelled from South Carolina for
the mere effort to appeal to the
courts of South Carolina for protec,
ton from illegal imprisonment of {
citizen of Massachusetts. The Dem
ocratic party, by what they cal
strict construction and by their re-
fusaI to pass appropriate laws, strip
ped the Constitution of half its vital
ity. Do they wish in the same way
to emasculate these amendments
Does any sensible man believe thai
a Democratic Congress could Oh
would pass any law to enforce any
of these amendments? Every effort
of ours to enforce them has beer
met by the most violent parliamen.
tary opposition and the laws have
been resisted by organized violence
Now they tell US they will repeal