New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-27
An ABLE CRITIC.

An AbkE CklTlC.
Senator o. p. Morton, of Indiana, has
certainly established himself an able
critic as well as powerful and eloquent
speaker. In speech recently made in
Cincinnati, he reviewed MI. Groesbeck's
Steubenville speech, in which that gentle
man gave his views of the political situa-
ton of the country, and discussed at
great length the principles and measures
adopted by the Republican party since its
advent to power. Mr.. Groesbeck said
much in his Steubenville speech that was
satisfactory to the law-abiding men of all
parties, because he advised the people to
accept as finalities the three amendments
to the constitution adopted since the close
of the late civil war in our country. It
appears, however, according to Mr. Nor
tons criticism, that Mr.. Groesbeck's in
depreciation of the amendments is calcu-
lated to destroy their whole force and
effect in case Democratic administration
could be had to execute and carry out
their provisions. According to Mr..
Groesbeck, these amendments are to be
enforced in the same manner that other
provisions of the constitution are enforced
This position, says Mr.. Morton, ''nullifies
the concluding section of each amend
ment, which declares that the amendment
shall be enforced by appropriate legislation
on the part of Congress-" When the con-
dition of the States at the time these con-
stitutiCnal amendments were passed is
considered, the necessity for appropriate
legislation by the national Congress for
their enforcement will be admitted by all
who now honestly admit that these
amendments are valid aud binding upon
the whole country. These amend
ments embodied vital principles that had
cost the nation much blood and treasure
They were the results of long and de-
vastating war, that mad been waged in
the interest of slavery and secession, and
as such had to be secured by the people
and government of the United States
the friends of liberty and equal rights
among men, without distinction of
race, color or previous condition.
To trust the enforcement of these
at the time they were
adopted to the States that had rebelled
would not only have been unwise-it
would have been dangerous to reconstruc-
ion; and for that reason the national
legislators wisely concluded to make the
new additions to the constitution abolish
ng slavery and granting equal civil and
political rights to all men citizens of the
United States. Mr.. Morton clearly shows,
n his speech reviewing Mr.. Groesbeck's
'teubenville speech, that his interpreter
ion of the amendments, if honestly given,
an not stand the test of criticism. Mr..
iroesbeck is equally at fault in what he
avs in regard to the Ku-Klux bill. He
'harges that this law is gross violation
II the constitution Of the United States,
nd that the fourteenth amendment gave
10 power to Congress to enact such law.
lie further asserts that a previous law
made it criminal to deprive any person of |
ny constitutional right, and that
judicial proceedings were competent
o secure punishment. But under |
he Ku-klux law Mr. Groesbeck
ontends there is no civil process-no
curt. 1t is the commander-in-chief at |
be head of his army entering the State,
ot to make an arrest, but to cut down
nd Stay the inhabitants. He boldly
sserts that 1.-The State government is
ushed aside, the courts are shut, they
re not wanted, the writ of habeas corpus
suspended, and the federal gov
rnment takes absolute and supreme COM
land.' Mr.. Morton pronounces this to
E all untrue. He says the bill from the
rst line to the last provides for judicial
and perusal of the law will
atisfy the reader that Mr. Morton is cor
'ct in what he says. His defense of the
u-klux bill is able and will be convinc-
lg to fair-minded men Of all parties; and
he same can be said of his remarks in re-
ard to ''home governments, treated of
= Nr: Groesbeck, and ''the bayonet bill"
r. Morton criticises these portions of
r. Groesbeck's speech with equal force
I'd severity. and successfully upsets
cry argument against them, put forth,
must be conceded, very plausibly, and
th some ability by the Ohio statesman.