The Portland daily press., 1871-06-26

ent given? II so, the Amendments are tne
supreme law. Do they dispute the fact u
lot, why this "back-banded Hex" az wnat
hey ratify and agree to ENFORCE again,
what do they mean by vigorously applying
he Democratic rule OF strict construction to |
he Amendments?" Does this conceal some |
covert nIrpose to defeat them? Is this new |
Kentnckv resolution of '9S, containing the
heresv of Secession and Notification? The.
14th Amendment is mainly only the true III
of the old Constitution; but the
vital principles and guarantees of the old
were nullified by "strict con-
or rather by false construction;
hence the necessity Of the 14th Amendment,
which defines who are citizens. what are the
rights of citizen, and specifically gives Con-
gress the power to enforce them by appropro-
pirate legislation. If Calhoun's doctrine of
'strict construction" is to be revived, to de-
feat the Amendments, then nothing is settled.
What we mean is, that these Amendment are
the logical results of great civil war, when
brushed from our atmosphere all laiht OF
slavery, secession, and CalhOunism; that they
shall have their full operation according 10
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 efficiently. sub
ject only to the judicial power OF the courts OF
mean by the "New Departure" it is all right;
if not, it is mere political trick, too shallow
to misead or deceive any one.
HOW THE AMENDMENTS ARE TO BE NULL
q 4 FLED. af fti-a
Again, what do they mean by their fifth
resolution Is it the mere 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 re-
peal of all the acts passed to enforce the
amendments. The amendments, without the
appropriate legislation, are mere dogmas,
without inherent power of enforcement. The
ten commandments are laws of the highest
sanction, but what are they worth without
penalties and punishments What good does
it do to say, "Thou shalt not MURDER" unless
the law comes in and says, "If thou doest
murder, thou shalt surely be put to death or
be imprisonedw What use is it to say that
all men shall have equal political and civil
rights, unless the law Furnishes violation of
these rights? What does this "new departure"
mean, except TO say, "We recognize the
amendments, but we will repeal the laws that
enforce them?" We ihad many rights secur-
ed 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 immunities Of citizens in the several
States, and yet for years a citizen of the
North 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
protection from illegal imprisonment of cit
izen of Massachusetts. The Democratic par
ty by what they call "strict construction" and
by their refusal to pass appropriate laws
stripped the Constitution of half its vitality
Do they wish, in the same way, to emascu-
late these amendments? Does any sensible
man believe that Democratic Congress-
could, or would, pass any law to enforce any
of these amendments? Every effort of ours
to enforce them has been met by the most vi
olent parliamentary opposition the laws have
they tell us they will repeal the laws, and vet
they recognize the amendments. They be.
leve in the Maine Liquor law, but are op-
posed to its enforcement. The new depart
ure sis good enough Morgan until after the
election" and their platform is loose enough
for all to creep through, and follow their old
course of hate, persecution, and violence.
REBELLION STILL RAMPANT IN THE SOUTH
While these tricks are played upon us here
the mass of Democratic voters in the South
are waiting and watching, not cover the Dor
der" but in the heart of our country, to re
store the "Lost Cause" and to upset all that
we have 0ined the last ten years. 1t IS only
necessary TO read the Democratic Journals
both in Ohio and in other States, TO show
that this "New Departure" is only to shield
themselves behind some jugglery about the
construction of the amendments and the
mode of their enforcement. The essential
notifications made in the convention of the
Dayton resolutions gives color to this idea.
and the whole, as they stand in the platform
look like bad mixing of opposing ideas
They felt that the public voice demanded that
these amendments must be ratified and in
dOrsed by their party, and yet they did not
want to do it. They did it with an off" and
"damn," and "slap," and with several loon
holes of escape, with mauy antidotes, and in
bad temper generally. The dose was obiec-
tionable to many, but they took it, and have
not felt well since, and now nothing could be
more ludlcrous in political strategy, if it were
not dangerous to trus: the Democratic party
with the enforcement of these amendments
Better give the lamb to the wolf than either
the blacks OF the South or the loyal people oil
the South to the Democratic party of either
the North or South. The Democratic marty
OF the North would be powerless to execute
their pledge. The same men who broke that
party at Charleston; the same men who
sacrificed Douglas: the same men who. oou-
cred our land with the graves of patriot sol
diers, would, by virtue Of their majority, seize
the power OF the Democratic organization,
and where then would be the Amendments.
or the protection of loyal people, white or
black, or the public honor as represented by
the pension list and the public creditors :?
From the logic of afinities and the associa-
ton of names and events, it is evident that
no sincere movement to enforce the Amend
ments can ever be executed by the Demo-
cratic party. The noisy crowds that hail with
enthusiasm the reasonable utterances of
JEFF. Davis; the bands of midnight Demo-
cratic outlaws who made night hideous in the
South by murder and nameless crimes, with
out danger or fear Of punishment, clearly show
that the Democratic party of the South can
not yet be trusted. with political power
while the uncertain, evasiye, and divided
voice OF the Democratic party of the North,
with policy pulling one way and principle an
other-with the politicians preaching the new
gospel OF "new departure" and the in
stincts and prejudices of the masses still op-
p0sed-with its spoken utterances, like Del
phic oracles, paltering in double sense-in
such condition, the Democratic party of the
North is utterly unfit to assume any respon-
slbility in the government except its old role
OF fault-finding, of opposing what we do, of
proposing nothing, of voting against every-
thing, even the English Treaty, in hopes that
something will turn up.
s CAN THE DEMOCRATS BE TRUSTED?
Test the Democratic party by what it has
done. where it has been in power recently.
What good did its temporary majority in the
Legislature of Ohio do the people Of Ohio ?
1t pledged reform, and yet increased the State
expenditures in everV branch of the service