The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-02-09
The Political Situation.


The Political Situation.
W. p. Price, member of Congress
writes from Washington to the Dab
lonoga (Ga.) Signal, q very lengthy
and interesting letter, on the political
situation, from which we extract the
following.
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conservative Democrats never be-
ieved that the Reconstruction laws would
be repealed by Congress, or set aside by
the Supreme Court, until the popular
will changed in the North. They saw
their escape from political bondage by
acquiescinS in their enforcement and,
by failing to do something themselves,
that there was nothing but political deg
radiation in store for them. Negro inso-
lence, carpet-bag domination, scalawag
rule, would have been the inevitable fate
of the South, if the non-action policy of
Mr.. Hill had been generally acquiesced
in by the people. Our deliverance from
these evils is the result of the unwilling
ness of Democrats to uphold the lazy
policy of unwise politicians. 1t is true,
the Reconstruction measures were harsh,
but still, as their worst features were to
be but temporary, they were endurable.
The Fourteenth amendment proves clear
ly that the right to vote does not neces-
sarily carry with it the right to hold Of
fee. The Fifteenth amendment does
give to the negro the right to vote, but
it may be discovered, i'll the future adiu-
dicOtion of that question, hat it does
not give him the right to hold Office.
The Constitutions oftho Southern States
may give him that right but he does not,
i'll my opinion, get it under the Fifteenth
amendment. The words, and to hold
Office" were stricken from the original
resolution by Congress- That party,
which, at Chicago, proclaimed negro suf-
frage for the North, may tolerate negro
ofice-holding in the South, but it re-
mains to be seer whether it will be al
lowed in the Northern States or not.
The Fourteenth amendment was re-
tanned in the spring Of 1868. Did not
Mr.. Hill then know, did not every think
ing man in the country know, that the
questions involved in it had then passed
beyond the control of the Judiciary, or
of Congress itself? Yet Mr.. Hill will
remember that he urged the Democratic
members of the Legislature in Septem-
Der, 1868, in caucus, not to pass a bill
to bring on the Congressional election
that year, and giving as n reason there
for, that Seymour and Blair would be
elected, and that the whole thing would
be declared null and void. 1 have no
objection to urge against any one giving
up that absurd idea. And if it be the
desire Of these who have heretofore been
opposed to the conservative wing of the
Democracy, now to cease their useless
warfare against laws, the consequences
of which might easily have been fore
seen from the beginning, certainly con-
sentative Democrats will not object.
But if it be their intention to swing
over to the other side and Join in the
cantings of Radicalism, it will be most
seriously denied that these few individ-
ual summersaults are evidences of a
change in the temper OF disposition of
conservative Democracy in regard to ma
tional questions.
1t may be premature now to discuss
what will be the final results of the late
amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
The 18th amendment is acquiesced in
by all. No attempt will ever be made
on this continent to restore slavery. No
amendment is necessary to enforce the
sentiment of the American people on
that subject. The 14th amendment,
however, will be modified. 1t contains
a section which is antagonistic to the
spirit of all republican Constitutions,
and must, soon or late, be changed Ell
Their by the States themselves in conven-
ton or by a wholesaloxemoval of all po-
litical disabilities.
Congressional proceedings rs follows ::
Feb. 25th .1S69.-The Conference report