Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-18
The Live Issue.


Frank Blair has written a letter |
to the Montgomery (Ala) Mail up
on the dead issue" controversy IN |
the South. He remarks thst the |
question whether the reconstruction |
amendments to the constitution are |
wand or not = OF no coneequence.-
1t does not affect the ability of the |
Democrats "to put the government |
in the hands of the people"-that is
the white people-"whether those
amendments are valid or invalid"
In other words, says Mr. Blair, put |
the Democrats in power, and they |
will overturn these amendments and |
the reconstruction me aeures, without
regard to the method Of their adop-
ton. If they are valid amendments
and legal measures, they shall be re
pealed if they are invalid and lille.
gal, we Democrats will not need to
repeal them-we will not respect
them. This is the great, the par
amount, the overwhelming question
of the hour, says Mr.. Blair, "to en-
gage the public mind in the discus
sion of economic and civil service
measures and TO belittle the man
who so lately brought that Senate to
his feet which had his predecessor
pleading at their bar, is to cry
peace when there is no peace and
so contribute to betray their coun-
try.
The people must see this and do
see it, he continues, in spite Of the
talk of certain Democrats about a
Policy, rs if issues were matters Of
fact, which they can no more con
troll than they can control the advent
OF the seasons.
The abolition of negro suffrage is
not the object OF those who assai
reconstruction, continues Mr.. Blair.
They are opposed 10 the constitutions
al amendments, it is true, one of
which establishes negro suffrage, but
as the object Of these amendments
was to secure the Radicals possession
Of the South, the Fifteenth Amend
ment will be of no practical value as
soon as the Democrats obtain power.
1t will not be revoked, says Mr..
Blair, significantly, unless after q
fair trial, it is Sho1on to be necessary
for a good government" In other
words, the disfl anchisement Of the
negroes will be a matter Of policy
: If they behave themselves and alb
stain from voting, or vote the Dem
ocratic ticket, they will not be mo-
Tested but if they persist in adher-
ing to Radicalism, and show that
they will defeat the Democratic par.
ty whenever they have the oppor.
tunity, then the interests Of good
government" will require that they
;; be dispossessed of the ballot.
This, then, in Mr.. Blair's opinion
is the vital issue of the day. 1t ii
not the tariff, not civil service re
form, not San Domingo, but the un
? doing of the reconstruction measures
! in any event. 1t is of no conse
. ouence whether they be part o
i the Constitution or not. If the,
> are valid amendments, then the.
J, must be repealed, together with tn
legislation for enforcing them.
e they are invalid, their repeal is of n
D. consequence. 1t is the idea, the v
L cious principle which lies benin
g them, that must be repudiated an
d overthrown. The government {
Q the southern states must be put i
r the hands of the people-that is, tn
white people, the former class whic
ruled them. LII the negroes will cor
sent to this, they will be allowed t
vote if they refuse they shall be dis
franchised. The New York Worl
/" say that this manly, forcible letter
n contains much from which no Dem
q ocrat can dissent"