New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-26

tual barrier between themselves and the citi'
zens of the other parts Of the Union. Thai
separation would be the first act leading Ia
our>pext civil war. Thus we see how the
anti-slavery amendment may como to naught.
The fourteenth amendment may, in like
manner, be trampled under foot. 1t deter.
mines who shall be deemed citizens it with.
holds from the States the right to make laws
which shall abridge their constitutional priv.
leges, deprive them of their rights withou,
due process of law, or deny them the equal
protection of the laws yet, If these States
pass no such forbidden laws, they may re.
frain from passing any laws by which redress
from wrongs could be secured They NAV
refuse to enforce the laws they have. They
may leave the life, liberty, and property OF
any class of citizens exposed without de-
Tense to the Golden Circles of the Ku-Kluy
Klans.
The provision which declares that the
public debt of the United States shall not be
questioned, may also be easily evaded, in the
absence of legislation of Congress. Suppose
that that the controlling power in that body
should fall into the hands of the secession
lists; they might refuse to make provision for
paying it. or might so use the taxing power
as to make claims against the Treasury of
little value. The States and the Union are
prohibited from assuming or paying any debt
or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection
or rebellion against the United States, or any
claim for the loss or emancipation of slaves.
But suppose that the secessionists should
regard their losses by the civil war, not as
debts, obligations, or claims, but as injuries
wrongfully suffered by them; they might pass
laws conceding gratuities or indebtedness to
the injured parties, or they might at least
allow to them tlirect or indirect advantages,
equivalent in value to the whole amount of
their losses.
Nothing short of legislation by Congress
could prevent such evasions of the Constitu-
ton. And il the Democrats should hold the
majority Of votes, they could easily find a
way of rendering valueless and imperative
this supposed guaranty against payment of
any part Of the rebel losses by the war, ex-
oept, perhaps, the comparatively small
amount of the Confederate bonds. With
equal facility the fifteenth amendment may
be emasculated. II provides that the right
of citizens to vote shall not he abridged on
account OF race, color, or former slavery.
But that right may be abridged or denied on
many other accounts. Thus the States may
affix such qualifications for voting as will
effectually exclude from the polls the colored
race; for they may require all voters to be
owners of any amount of real or personal
estate, or to have any degree of education !;
or they may require extravagant poll-taXes,
as was recently done in YaZoo City. By
these and by similar means they may exclude
nineteen twentieths of the poor colored citi-
Gems from the polls. In West Virginia an
amendment Of their constitution has been
proposed excluding all colored men from
holding Offices of profit or trust. 1t has
finally been defeated; but it received in sew
eral districts (says the Philadelphia North
Am9ican) the full vote given for the Greeley
Democratic candidate for Governor. You
perceive which way the current is moving.
The Republicans gave freedom to the colored
man as the glorious fruit of war; they gave
citizenship and suffrage as the highest guar
anty of peace; but the fruit of war and the
guaranty of peace may both wither and perish
under the grasp of Southern Democracy"