The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-07-28
ARE THEY IN EARNEST.

The public may well doubt the hon
esty of the so-called Democracy IN its
sudden conversion on the new amend
ments to the Constitution. How can
they be honest and consistent In declar-
ing their adhesion to those amendments,
and with the next breath denounce the
manner in which they were adopted, as
fraud. If they were fraudulently
adopted how can they be binding upon
any man or party. The conviction
forces itself upon every thinking mind
that the desire for political power. has
gained the mastery over Democratic
consistency and Democratic honesty.
1t was always favorite doctrine Of
the Democratic party, that 8 portion Of
the people of these United States were
created for slaves-that four millions of
citizens had no rights which Democrats
were bound to respect. One of the re-
sultsaof the rebellion raised by Demo-
cratic leaders, for the purpose of max
ing slavery a national institution, was
that the slaves were set free. This
state of things the Democratic party, SO
far as it could, was disposed to set al
nought. Hence the Civil Rights bill
and the amendments to the constitution
to secure that freedom which had been
wrung from the hands of the Democra'
tic party, for the black man.
l In discussing these questions the
Hon. John Sherman, exactly hit!
the nail on the head in the following
i extract which we make from his speech
at Columbus, Ohio, last month:
ave would have great cause for rejoicing
| we did not see so many reasons for regardlnl
. this new departure as Trojan Horse-a neY
, | befray our cause. What do they mean by de
. nouncing the extraordinary means oy WHY ny
the amendments were brought aboutE IN
only means by which the amename5ss - co oon
House of Congress. ratlhed by three-LouEtns
, the States. Was this consent giVenI II 81
/ the amendments are the supreme iaW;.. n
they dispute the fact? If not, why TINS DacA
r handed lick ut what they ratify and agree
enforce? Again: what do they mean by Yie
orously applying the Democratic RUE OF strlC
| CONSTRUCTION to the amendments? Does TN
: conceal some covert purpose to defeat them
Is this q new Kentucky Resolution OF ,9S, cor
9 | tanning the heresy of Secession and Null!hci
Q ton? The XIVth Amendment Is ia n ro,,St
g tuition. but the vital principles and guaral
tees Of the old Constitution were nuIlneo
| strIct construction, OF rather by false constru
g tion. Hence the necessity Of the XIV
i, Amendment. which defines who are citizen
= l what are the rights Of q citizen, and speech
g cally gives Congress the power TO enforce the
= nv apDropriate legislation. If Calhoun's do
u time Of strict construction is to be revived
y defeat the amendments, then nothing / sc
fled what we mean is, that these amen
L ments are the log ical results of q great civ
II war which brushed from our atmosphere a
o faint Of slavery, secession and Calhounlsn
that they shall have their full operation q
= cordrng to the plain meaning of Enghi
: | words. and that Congress shall, from time
time, pass laws to enforce them; and that y
g. President shall execute these laws fully Al
eficiently, subject only to the judicial pow
of the Courts or the United States. II that
is what they mean by the New Departure. IT
Iall right. II not, il is q mere political tr1e
10 too shallow to mislead or deceive any one."