Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-08-15
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Aefer8. Ed1koY1 AS "sfr1fxnt ont
demoerse ain verJ grateful To yoa for
the privilege which you (though Greeley
ifes) accord 10 me. rs no doubts you would
10 sny other. Of declaring and defending
our political principles. There has been
such assampede in the editorial department
Of our State to .'Chappaqus" that without
your kind favor / know no spot upon which
q good Saint Marian democrat may cxer-
cise bis pen in the cause Of what be con-
siders truth. viii therefore occupy n
small space in your paper with the view
Of responding to the personal illusions to
my political conduct. and the criticism upon
my letter to Mr.. Watkins. made by the
Editor Of the Sus in its issue Of the 9th
instant.
when I came forth and lifted up nv
voice in 81. Mavy's county to tell the peo-
ple Of The United Stairs that considered
the democratic party the only agency by
which they were to preserve their rights,
only excite their laughter" So thinks
asd says the Baltimore luminary. Wheth-
er the smaa sp< from which the voice is
sues or the voice itself excites the derision
Of the Ssn is somewhat doubtful. but as
am in the habit Of drawing the fire from
NV fricnds upon myself am willing to
receive the attack.
plead guilty to the charge Of believ-
ing and saying that the democratic party.
faithful to its great distinctive principles.
is the only agency l can perceive. short Of
a revolution. calculated to preserve or re-
store our Constitution and form of Gov
eminent in the condition in which its fra
mers placed it. and in which their patriot
ic successors have endeavored to continue
it, subject to such conforming amendments
as might be found necessary, the said
amendments 70 be ratified. when properly
presented, by the eomsen: Of three: tourths
Of the States.
care but little for the mere name Of
the party. / would preserve it because it
is known to represent the true principles
Of our Government; for honest patriots of
oil parties heretofore existing have readily
abandoned their party names and the
mere policies they sought to advance and
rallied around the standard of the demo-
cratic party. because upon that standard
were inscribed those great conservative
principles which could alone preserve the
liberties and rights of the great Caucasian
race in this country The factions of
Grant and Greeley utterly repudiate these
principles. The fifth article Of the Con-
sti,utiou providing for its amendment is
made void, and according to their view
can be set aside By rump Congress, a
lying proclamation backed up by one or
two partisan Conventions. setting mp one
or two ambitious knaves TO sustain the out
rage. and frcemen must submit to it quiz
city. and If they do not. in the estimation
Of the Baltimore Sun they are "impracti-
cable" Congress announces to number,
of States whose votes are necessary. in
point Of numbers, to the ratification Of an
amendment Of the Con.,itutiin. that they
shall not be represented in Congress or
shall be otherwise punished il ,i."y do no,
punishment 1T they DO 5AH 1s, i' it, ap5ssi iDd
claimed by these knaves aud tyrants thai
it is all done with their free consent.
The above statement Of the case would
seem to involve first-class absurditv il
its absurd character was not lost sigh. o.
in view Of the powerful conspiracy to over.
throw the form of Government under which
We have lived. There is not single right
established Gas we hoped) by the Consti
sutton for the benei; of either the citizen
or the States which may no, be overthrow
exactly in the same traitorous mode. -
Religious liberty, equal suffrage of the
States in the Senate and all other Consti.
tutonal rights aud reservations may be
subjects Of a 10th or 18th amendment
and all may be adopted and ratified and
proclaimed to be so in accordance with
this Radical precedent. Shall it be re.
corded. that within the first century after
the the birth of our glorious form of Gov.
eminent. founded as it was upon the con-
sent Of the people. force can be allowed to
make our Constitution and laws? The
patriotic response must be, Heaven forbid
This is the mode and manner in which
the so-called 18th, 18th and 18th amend.
mcnts have been adopted. aud Greeley and
Grant and all their factions. including the
Editor of the San, know it, and whoever
Of the two shall be elected President he
knows. as they know, that when he shall
take the oath in the presence of God and
the world to ''preserve. protect and de-
fcnd the Constitution of the United States, -
iic swesTs .ot to preserve. protect and de-
| fend the three amendments alluded tn, and
which have not been constitutionaliy rat
flied. Even the San will admit that
have good authority for this position. for
If its Editor will refer to the democratic
platform of 1868. he will find that the Con-
vention which made it and whose candi-
dates and platform the Sun sustained With
all its pswer. resolved. that the recon-
struction acts aud the amendments they
embrace were usurpatious. xacopstitution-
al. revolutionary and roid" The tbun-
dering letters of Gen. Frank Blair, who
was sustained by the Editor of the Bal,i-
more Sun As candidate for the Vice-Pres-
idency. may give additional light to the
Sun upon this point.
The Radicals and their present allies
may declare. as they have frequently done
in Congress. and as they did in the Gin
cinnati, Baltimore and Philadelphia Con
ventions. that these amendments were set
tied questions, but these men cannot kill
issues Of that kind in the way proposed.
for one undertake TO tell them that these are
not dead issues. and never can be IL their
death depends upon the declarations of a
Perjured Congress or Of mere partisan
Conventions. Nothing less than their rn-
forced ratification BY ,hree-fourths of the
Sfasas ..n awnr ,.-l H.. ~~..i.l - Ii