The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-02-25

3erts that the tourteenth and Fit
teenth Amendments are utilities, |,
and will be by them disregarded
when they come into power.
Men of all parties, who seek re
pose and the final settlement OF the
great questions growing out OF the
rebellion, are not notified tina: the
Of the Democratic par
ty is revolution and re,rogression.
The notification OF the Fifteenth
me ans the robbery
from the colored people Of their
right TO vote The notification Of
the Fourteenth Amendment means |
the reduction of the colored peo-
pie of the Southern States to the
condition of slaves to the law, it
means to leave the door open to
the assumption OF the rebel debt.
paying the rebels for their slaves
and for the reputation Of the ma
tioual debt. All these things are
provided against in that amend>
ment, and there can be no other
reason foa its notification. Why
should any one desire to set it
aside unless it should be to accom-
plish the things which it forbids.
In stating the position of the
Democratic partp l rely upon the
expression Of opinion in the In
diana resolutions and upon the
vote of the Democratic mem bers
in the other end Of this Capitol, at
the last session, against resolu-
ton declaring the validity OF the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments On the 1lth of July, 1870,
the other House, by vote 1873
yeas to SO nays, every Democratic
member present voting nay, adopt
ed the following resolution, offered
by Mr.. Ferriss, of New. York;
"Resolred. That the fourteenth and fifteen
th articles of amendment to the Constitution
of the United States, having been Gully rati-
fed by the Legislatures Of three fourths of
the several States, are valid to all intents
and pu- poses as part of the Con sttution Of
the United States, uDd as such binding and
obligatory upon the Executive, the Congress,
the judiciary, the several States and Terrific
ries, and all citizens of the United States
Iresly upon these further. reas
9ns:
That the adoption OF the amend
ment. was strongly opposed by
the Democratic party in Congress
and out of it; that the Democratic
party everywhere denied the power
Of Congress to require the late
rebel States to ratify the amend
ments as q condition to their
restoration; that no Democratic
convention, Legislature or leading
statesman, so far as l know, has
accepted or admitted the validity
of the amendments. And l may
refer to the additional fact that the
State of Kentucky to-day nullife:
an important, provision OF the
fourteenth amendment, and alst
/ of the "civil rights bill" by
refusing to colored people thu
right 10 testify in her courts in anl
case, civil or criminal, TO which ,
white person is party. A whit
man may enter colored congrega
ton and shoot the minister in tn
pulpit, and if there are no whit
witnesses he cannot be prosecuted
No wonder that the press is TEEN
ing with crimes committed upo
the colored people Of that State
And the supreme court Of Californ
in, in . recent decision, refusin
to the Chinese the right to testif
in cases to which white persons ar
parties, while not directly, denyin
!. the authority of the fourteenth an
enduent. asserts the existence {
State rights, which would subyel
it utterly. And the Goyerne
Of that State, in q message to III
Legislature, declared that the fiji
tenth amendment was not With
y the scope of the power of amend
n ment contained in the Constitute
> of the United States.
II Mr.. CAssERLY. Will the Senate
: allow me- mi .r
Mr.. MORTON. I shall! be throug
l. in a moment, and then I will ar
Z sewer any questions
d Nlr. CAssERLY. / rise mere
to a correction as to o question
fact. 3fa a
N Mr.. MORTON. Very well.
Y Mr.. CAssERLY. The Senate
. from Indiana probably is not ava
I that that message OF the Govern
a Of Cal fornia was delivered viii
3 the ratification of the amendme
q was still pending.
II Mr.. MORTON. / am aware tn
l. that message was in sending Il
% amendment in to the. Legislatul
but that message denied the pow
N of Congress to propose an amen'
o ment of that kind, and denied t
re possibility of it's becoming q pa
~ of the Constitution Of the Unit
J. States. though ratified by CIV
ne SO many States. And the Legisl
u, ture Of Oregon at it's late sessi
er formally declared the same amen
as ment to be nudity and not bin
n ing upon the people of that Sta
81 The issue thus presented is
y the gravest 2 ossible character, a
Us involves the peace and perhaps
n very existence Of the Union.
er mendments co vital to the safe
oy Of the nation and the liberty q
ed happiness of nearly five miilio
ed OF people, adopted under circul
as stances SO solemn and SO. stran
ne in the worlds history, cannot
OF nuliified but by struggle VIII
mt will shake our Government to
US foundations. Faas .tfs