The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-07-14
Ghs columbian.
BLOOMSBURG, PA.
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY IA, 1871.
The Amendments In Controversy.


particular time. The course of these
men, too, is in open defiance ofthe pro-
fession made in their own resolution !:
that they "deprecate" such discussion.
The objection that we have to the
principle of the amendments is
LIST. They surrender to the Federal
government the power to regulate the
elective franchise within the States, to
determine the qualifications of the
voters, to send the standing army into
the States TO control the elections, to
supervise tho elections and the returns
thereof by federal officers appointed by
oflice.holders from other States, who
may have neither sympathy or regard
for our people or knowledge of them,
and whose wrong action cannot be pun
ished or restrained by our laws. AS the
voting power is the political power of
the State, all political power, which
rightfully belongs to the States, is sur
rendered TO the few persons who con-
troll the Federal Executive power at
Washington.
2d. The amendments surrender the
principle that this Is government of
white people, and they compel an equal
ity Of all, white, black, yellow, copper
or any other shade, which will extend
TO the jury.box, to Office, to domestic
and all other relations of life, and will
thus degrade the whole people by mon
grelizing them.
The foregoing is but the faint outline
OF some ofthe grave and cogent reasons
against the principle involved in the
Amendments. Now the question arises,
WERE THEY ADOPTED? We say NO.
The Constitution plainly requires that
to make any amendment the PROPOSE
tion must be adopted by vote of"two.
thirds Of both Houses" In this case
only the vote oftwo. thirds of fragmen-
tary and revolutionary rump Congress
was obtained-not as many votes as
two thirds of Congress. This rump
majority was obtained by excluding
ten whole States from representation
altogether, and by ousting members of
both branches who had been duly elect
cd and admitting men to the same seats
who had been rejected by the people of
their districts, and In some instances by
overwhelming majorities. The amend
ments were, therefore, proposed in a
manner that was contrary to law, in
defiance of the principles of the govern
ment and violative of the plain declar-
ations of the Constitution, and are con-
sequently fraudulent, void, and without
legal or decent existence. After being
thus proposed they were submitted for
adoption to States whose existence in
the Union was denied by the very Con-
gress that proposed the amendments,
whose substantial citizens, bona fide
white residents, were denied suffrage or
any voice In regard to such proposed
amendments, while their elective pow
or was conferred upon negroes and
others not citizens or justly entitled to
vote. Without the concurrence ofStates
thus constituted it is not pretended that
these amendments were adopted-.States
not in the Union, whose white people
were denied the sovereign prerogative
which was conferred upon an alien infer
ior race who had never been recognized
as citizens under the Constitution, and
upon immigrant scoundrels who had no
proper residence within their boundar-
les.
Such fiendish force and fraud was
never before attempted to be palmed
upon free people, and never can be
while the people are regardful of just
rights and have courage to maintain
them.
In the face of the fact, too, that the
Constitution of Pennsylvania provides
that the elective franchise of that State
shall be confined to "wHITE FREEMEN"
and that it shall not be altered except
by the votes of the people, majority OF
the Legislature of that State in palpa-
bic disregard of their oaths, "ratified"
the amendments and thus pretended to
alter the Constitution of this State
without the consent of the people.
For these reasons the amendments
have no legal effect, and are only SUBJ
mitted to under protest rather than
come in collision with the United States
army, calmly awaiting their rectitica-
tion by the people at the polls. The
way to get rid of them is to elect ma
jority to Congress that will declare
them void. If that should not be suffi-
cient to get rid of them, appeal to the
Supreme Court, and if that body de-
cides in partizan spirit adopt the sug-
gestion Of JEFFERSON in similar case
and add a sufficient number of Judges
to the Court to secure a proper decision.
Another mode of Kidding the country
OF the fraud would be to call National
Convention by law, to be composed OF
delegates elected by the people, for the
express purpose of deciding upon the
validity of these amendments If neces
sary or to make others. The people
have power over this whole subject
for from them all poicer emanates Th'
people hare a right to alter or a6oAs'
their form of government achenerer MeS
please, or anything appertaining to it
There is our platform-and there w
will stand. We repeat we have no dc
sire to discuss the subject at this time
but we and those who believe with u
(nine-tenths of the party are compelle
TO it by the course of those who adVc
cate the "new departure" and VIII
make 1t an issue in their various AM
absurd attempts to justify themselves
Until the election is over We are will
ing to say "out. damned spot" If 1t
advocates will let 1t rest until then
But we cannot stand by and tamel.
permit the Democratic party to be com
mitted to the "new departure" withou
affirm and unyielding protest.
Prohibition State Convention.
The liquor prohlbitionists have calle
a convention to assemble at Harrisbur
on Wednesday, August 9th. 1871, Il