New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-16

| power in Congress to enforce compliance
| with these conditions, and that the induce
ment held out to the South to accept them
were .justiiable, on the ground that tho
| States, like individuals, frequently required
| tn be stimulated in the performance OF their
duty. He then went on to show from the
unanimous vote of the Democrats in tie
House at the last session against the resO-
luton, from the failure in Kentucky to en-
force the civil rights bill, and similar in
stances, that the Democratic party had un-
dertaken to nullify the existing law in the
shape of the constitutional amendments.
Mr.. Blair replied that the Senator from
Indiana (Morton) fully represented the Ad.
ministratiOn in the bold, OutspOken and
contemptuous manner in which he had spo-
ken OF the representatives Of the govern
ment. Last summer it was rumOred that
the Senator had been sssppointed to a high
mission, and that after accepting the Office
he had changed his mind about in cOnse-
quence Of the Democratic majority at tho
election in his State, but avowedly to pre-
vent a Democrat from coming here in his
place to represent his State.
Mr.. Morton (interrupting): "TO misrepre-
sent her."
Mr. Blair repeating with emphasisl: "To
represent her. The State Of Indiana hav-
ing elected Democratic Legislature, would
have the right to be represented by Demo-
"
term had ceased. Had that gentleman gone
abroad he would have learned that when the
popular will condemned any man Or meas
uro, the ministry at once laid down their
arms, but the Senator (Mr MortOn) would
make that the very reason for holding on to
his Office
Mr.. Blair then proceeded to argue that in
forcing negro suffrage upon the country,
through the exertiOns of partisan lpajOrities
Sfnf1a oil nfr1ro f1,c Ill
had not only stifled the popular sentiment,
which was overwhelmingly averse to the
proposition, but directly repudiated their
presidential platform, which asserted the
control of the suffrage to be entirely within
the States.
The fifteenth amendment was voted for
in Congress by Senators and Representa-
tives from the States of Missouri, Kansas,
Michigan, New York and Ohio, notwith
standing the rejection of the principle by
the people Of these States by immense ma
jOrities at the elections preceding. He then
commented upon the gradual extension of
the military authority, the employment Of
the bayOnet at the polls in the North as we'll
as in the South. The plea for it in every
case being party necessity.
He took occasion to explain that that por-
ton of the famous BrOadhead lettor to tho
effect that the army should DO made to undo
these usllrpations, was intended to mean
that that object would be accomplished by
recalling the army. The inevitable conse-
quence would be the collapse and dispersisA
of the carpet-baggers.
In answer to Mr.. Morton, he said he re-
garded the ratification of tho fifteenth
amendment as complete, and that it was
part of the fundamental law. but he never
did and he never would believe the recon-
struction acts constitutional. If in any
place of power and called upon to execute
those acts, he would follow his convictions
of duty, no matter what the consequences
might be.
Nothing from the Tennessee.