The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-18
1,e Speech of the Day.

hn
i". ,. an wednesday last, when may =.
s"ms;acrcd the speech OF the aas. r ~
'sns, remarkable for its logic itS .aip ,-a
lno'' 80 craftsmanship. Its style Is puso'
ANU s.oo from all effort to win popular up
!, 's -. lin b,.h-sounding sentences, anu
,''" % . simple and concise eiuc'aa.ion
ar'o'o" .r,e character Of our Republican
=" 80. and the peril in which 1t is placed
This speech EFFORTS comps menus even
,nan, rho Republican press. 1here Is no
.,'ln ' = which is assailable, because 1t is
tros ,rom party slang, and its testimony 10
,ho crrors of the day, and the mtrihse'pen'S
,,non the Constitution and the sliFi' o' he'
rublicanism, are undcniabie.
The Cincinnati Commercial says VI Vic
most important part Of this speech:
"The greater part OF it, and greatest
nhar;s orc Given to the tendency OF cen
tr,I'zation- the increase OF nationai po"et
and nrcrocitives at the expense Oh III.
Ststcs. Much that MIR. GRoEsBEcK says on
This head is sound, though more sftnu.
ously stated than we would put IL. be'9ie
the war of rebellion our Executive ue'
nortmcnt of the General Government was
ers Of the Executive were necessarily GU
I,rocd. Whether the great anu nece
powcrs of the President durlnS that peIioo
wore often uDWiscly used, we agree WIN
Mr.. GRoEsBEcK, it is needless 10 aiscu>''
This Is a compliment and Il concession
from . Republican newspaper tha' cou'o'
nat have been ELECTED by speech less TEN
perate and less logical. The Commercial
agrees with what Mr.. GRoEsBECK says ABOUT
the kuklux law, concluding its paragraph
on this point with the remark that '"RANT
NAV NOT do any harm with the law, but ne
ouyht not to have such license.
Mr. GporsBEcK, on the subject OF Inc con-
sttutional amendments, considers thelh
part of the Constitution that cannot no"
be disturbed. On this point he says
"The 18th amendment, abolshing slavery
throughout the United States, Is accepted
by ali, and in the South as unanimously is
in the North. The doubt ana ne>iIa'loii
have been about the l4th and l3th amend
mcnts, because of the means usca 10 pro
cure their adoption, ana because oi tnc
chance thew make in the relations Wnlcn
had always existed between the Federal
Govrrnment and the State governments.
In the language Of cur receut State Ion
yention. the means used to procure the
adoDtivn of these two amendments "eIe
eytraol dinafy, violent, and un<atlslaci DRY.
There is no thinking, rlght-m.nded man
who desires that Il single other amendment
NAV he made to the Constitution rs these
were made, for it is Impossible TO preserve
its sacreduess under suca treatment.
He proceeds to show how Impossible it
Is 10 avoid these amendments:
"The Constitution should never be light
1v dealt with. nor should il he altelcd Tor
mere party advantage, and any amend.
mrnts nronosed should DC fairly submitted
TO a free and unthlealentd Judgment. Such
was the case in reference to all amendments
previously made; such Is not the case In
reference to these two. But 90 not care
TO DWELL upon the history oi the fourtce!th
and fifteenth amendments, for see nothing
in their history that Will destroy their va
lu;i,y. You clunot invaldatc legislation
Dy showing it is tainted with fraud. 1t may
be admitted that an act of Congress was
pas,ed by undue means; that coercion,
bribery, and all kinds Of corruption were
applied to fleet lis passage, ana yet the
court cannot set il aside. The only ques-
zion is. Were they in flct passed? Ii
they were, all courts must recognize
them. Could | go into our Supreme
Court and impair the validity OF an act OF
Congress 10y showing that enough Con-
gresslnCn to change the result ma occh
coerced to vote for il, or bribed to vote lor
it? Clearly could not nor could l sue
ccsSfulIy attack constitutional alheEu-
mint on these grounds. The supreme
Court has 10 supervision over the action
OF Congress in passing statute, or over
tho action of State Legislatures or State
conventions in adopting constitutional
amendment.
We NAV not look to the Supreme Court TO
declare these amendments uncpnslWutloil-
al it has 10 jurisdiction over them. we
mav not look to the states 10 aiihui ,hehi
by a1utlher amendment; II requires 'hfee-
fvurths OF them to concur III S.cil move
ment that number will not concur III
surh movement. And we MAJ not look
Ia the people to combine to overthrow
them in some other way ; the people have
an.ady accepted them. The destruction
of slavery is acknowledged and approved
by ali, and our colored population has
voted In every State Of the Union at our
local and general elections, again aud again,
and without challenge or mOlestation.
These amendments VIII stand. Suffrage
once granted cannot be recalled suffrage
that has been practiced will not be sur
rendered.
He wisely and putriotically pronounce
the Consti, utiun still excellent-still oul
protection. With regard to that and to the
rights of the States under it, he speaks ii
that clear and unimpas>iopcd style whicl
never fails to tiud its way to the judgment
of all men. He says:
"These are the changes made in oul
Federal Constitution during the last ter
yuors That IuDln 4 I'm ST ltltInp which ar,
fathers had, aud TO which the Democrat,
has been SO faithful through I'LL our history
is our Constitution to-day. These amend
mcnts have been added to it, and that is
I'LL. The Constitution remains still All eX.
celent Constitution, and the State remaius
with ample sovereignty to do its proper
work.
"Now, as heretofore, our Union is q linn
tied government, with only such powers as
are delegated to IL; now, as heretofore, al
powers not delegated to it are reserved Il
the States OF the people now, as hereto
fore, aud under the Constitution rs ii Is, the
States hold ample sovereignty for the man
agement of all their home interests. Thi!
doctrine cannot be abandoned. Alas foI
us if the State as our fathers made 1t shall
ever disappear from our system OF govern
ment. The peril SO recently encountered
enables us to realize what calamity II
would nave Deen IL tne WAT Dau destroyed
our Union. Not less disastrous would be
the calamity il the States, as such, shoult
be destroyed or changed into somethins
else and less.
Let us ever cherish the State. II is OIL
home government, ut our very door. II
educated us in our childhood, and has
watched over us during all our lives. /,
guards US by day and by night ourlives, oul
liberties, our regulations, our persons, and
our property. 1t is our exclusive handi-
work, and we make lis laws and execute
them. We are the best judges Of what
concerns ourselves, and through it we man.