The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-01-04

/ tspeh rasifcat;p1s to be null and soid.
| / reply The Supreme Court has only
5alsdscisa power, snds the power in qnes-
ftioa Is peaieal and pot jaaieiaI Again
fiathis judicial power Of The Supreme
Court issitself limited to, cases. arising
under the Copstitution-that is to ques.
f.:ions arising ID the CONSTRUCTION Of the
EConstisution after it is made, and net TO
the making:ifself. Fhepoiitscal power
makssthe Constitution and. the judicial
Lpower co,,strnes it.. The political power
having proclaimed these amendments to
| be pares.ot the Constitution, the judi
eial power can have no Jurisdiction to
review or. reverse that proclamation,
hut can son|y decide what the amend
ments, so proclaimed, mean. The facts
necessary to ratification, as reeited By
I the political power; mast Be accepted as
sfEas by the Judiciary, aud cannot be.
ever iudhs;ciiaVyaquestiened for the ju-
dicial is 10 part Of the amending: power
There is a vast difference, in this re
speet, between the MAILING Of the Con
Estitution aud The passage 'of. laws uader
itsafter made. :,
| But, Lam asked, can usarpa.ious be-:
come Ian, binding people and courts !!
/ I reply, yes, easily, ,..sefi!y, and often.
AS efforts the most patriotic failing, be-
| came rebellious, so nsarpation. tae most
glariug, succeeding, becomes 1av.. A
majority Of human governments have
| no. origin sayesin usurpations. Indeed
successful usurpation is the-strougsss es'
preston of power, and Law itself, in its
last analysis; is only power. -
in plsiu truth, human experience has
discovered but one remedy for usurpa-
ton. That remedy is prcceatiUe-not
euratiDe !; miEsitary-not civil. 1t is the
sword. To apply this remedy in this
case, the South vas unable, and North
| unwilling, !, Conceding then, that these
amendments were usurpations, they
| we're successful, and have become law
Fundamental law-biadins upon States
and people, courts and rulers. 1t may
have been crimipal-was erlminal-to
aid in committing usurpation; it IS
crime itself to break the ldU. And thus
| are we bound.
But, again, we are told, the Northern
people win discover their error, and q
reaction will take place which will obs
literate these amendments. But it will
take three joarths of the States toe ssob.
literate. Besides, I now bell sAe
following propositions may be
| assumed concerning the Nor so-
| pie. s
1. Feeling that their protee PAS
10 their power rather than in aw,
they havesnot been induced to r-
| stand and learn the nature of thel pr.
| eruuent as their fathers did. Aat
men do not know they cauuot love.
Their government the Nor hern. people
| know. They know its posoer, in! bne
sense, aud, for taiat, they love it. They
do not understand its fsticrattue cAardc-
ter and do rot lovelt.
2. The Northern people 6el,eue that,
| what they understand to be the States
| rights theory, was the real source, and,
therefore, the cause Of secession, the
war, and all its consequences. There
fore they hate that theory Of our gov
ernment. =,
| 3. The increase in population, the
| great accumulation of wealth, the won
! derfal growth of commerce, and trade,
4 the close intermixsure of many States
and people through the agencies Of
railroads and other improvements: re-
quire, 10 the opinion Of the Northern
people . strong national government
and if these amendments increase the
nationai powers Of the government, they
are not likely, on that account, te
! change them. ,..e.
IA. Add to these views the veil known
! fact that the great body of the Northern
people regard the freedom and the civil
and political equality Of the negro a,
Igreat national, phiiaothropic and reli-
Eeious results; and yen must agree witt
!; NE that the hope of q change at tht
4 ,Nosth, which would obliterate 4thes.
enendments, must be abaaaoned.
A.. 1--we could not bold the Northerr
Epeopse to the franchise system when w
| hadi With ell the sanctity of common
revolutioaarY struggles. ,hailowing il
I how shalI, We induce them to rssur,
voluntarily to that-systems after, assthe.
! belieys, they haye paid 90 much j
E4resssrs and blood to,getyid ofzit. i
4 q word, the masses Of the Northerl
i people have been taugbt.to regard, ant
/ do regard slavery, secession aud Stat
|, rsahts, as Wordspf elosezsfhaity, If no
i osidentist tmeaniug, and.Ehether2 the,
. Lars r;gbf or wrong 10 their. sonpictiel
Hthsse j. no probability Of its earl,
sAhanga. 4 /. \ ssss -
The conelusios, then; is,Sthats y,
have anew National Constitution Will
5 tnew snd enlarged Roxers Of government
i tessablishiug neH.snd different relatien
9 fitssweeu the General and State Govern
nenss and slso q neF s7sten Of IN
duslgy,sgita anew If not auomatons
/ condition Of society: 80: Z 5.
e. How. ssis neN system RiH oReyases
{ Bhethsr, gpaeF it goEespsasns VII b
A more stables slse.s snlo3aseNs OF Eae aEa