The Van Buren press., 1873-09-09

/, pretation OF the Constitution OF the UB
r ted States, as now amended, fixing th
q proper limits Of the Federal and Stat
/ governments. This 10 the great work o
c the country. and il must DO done in th
/. next four years and II must be done :
! Washington,
G Now, my friends, take breath and lis
ten TO me, for | want you to comprehen'
! the biggest idea of the age, and one whicl
: holds in its keeping the future Of your
5 selves aud Of your children for weai o
for woe What does the Fourteentl
f amendment mean? Does it mean tha
citizenship of the United States is tn
primary citizenship Of the country; o.
! does it mean that citizenship, as it here
J tofere existed, is only extended to ,ht
; emancpated racer Does it mean that ;
man is citizen OF State because he il
first a citizen Of the United States; ol
. dnas it rasan that La is a citizen Of ts,
: United States because he is first cilizei
4 OF some one Of the States.
: Protection to the citizen is the duty u
the government That protection mus
extend to all civil rights, such as, to hold
property, make contracts, sue, give eyi-
dence, inherit, bcqueath, and everything
which pertains to the security and enjoy
ment of life, liberty and property. Now,
the government % which person is pri
marily a citizen, is bound primarily TO
extend this protection, and must have
the primary jurisdiction to that end If.
then, the Fourteenth amendment has
made citizenship Of the United States the
primary citizenship, then the primary
| protection of that citizenship is with the
! Federal government. But il this prima-
l ry jurisdiction is 10 the Federal govern
ment then the State governments can
only exercise sach jurisdiction subordi.
note 10 and under the supervision OF the
Federal government
Ia these few brief words ! have feebly
presented the questions for all the people
of the United States and the one on the
solution of which hangs all lpcssibe hope
in the future for the Southern States and
people. 1t will settle whether You shall
be paupefs and slaves, or independcnt
frcemeu!
And this question will be settled by the
courts and in accord with the interpreta
ton TO be given to that amendment by
the debates in Congress The discussion
is now opening, and cannot be delayed
or postponed Mark you, it will not be
settled by the number of votes in Con I
gress, but by the power Of the debates in
that body, If the minority in that body
shall have the traG Interpretation, and /
shall be able to present it with proper
power and elearne,s, the final appeal will
be the people, and those IN power will |
wait their verdict, and thus 1876 viii de
termine whether the States born in lI7G |
shall live or die-shall remain States or
become mere provinces. II it is settled
that tho States shall remain as States.
ahf6r hfsn faffhh ffheSS SiSisu 5u ucaa aa rfafaaa sEH9
plies then YOU WI make cotton your
surplus crop; and then you Will grow
rich, prosperous and powerful. But II 1t
be settled that the States have become the
depcndmces ofthe General Government,
aud can .egis,ate only subject to the su
peryision OF ihGt government, then you
can have no home government FOR home !
affairs; then you will never get control
OF your labor, then the Southern States
have become only tho plantations OF the
commercial manufacturing world, and all
of us, black and white, but the hirelnS |
slaves for their cultivation, with the right |
of idlencss ard theft secured to the col |
orcd race
Are we of the South ready for the
great contest on these issues The WORK
OF making the amendments was work
Of force During its progress Southern
intellect was excluded from the national !
councils because its power was dreaded
The work of constituting the amendments
is. and must be, work Of argument The
pressure of the Greeley movement con-
peled our enemies to remove chiely the
disabilities imposed upon the isttileet oi
the South, and just at the tmo Tor argu'
ment on the meaning Of the amendments
TO begin the opportunity for the South To
ioin in the discussion IS secure Forthc
first time since the war ended, on the rs
seinblng of the next Congress, the free
ly chosen champions Of the Southern
States will re enter the arena for the III.
tellectual wres,le in the halls of Congress,
The world viii look anxiously on, They
will expect much from us. They have
right TO expect much The history oil
the nation is a history Of Southern intel
leotual triumphs in and out Of the nation
al councils. 1t was our own Henry that
e-d ,ha colonies 70 resist tyranny III
was the genius ofour Jefferson ''''.' gave
expression to the grievances o. epf 'a'n
ers, and phrased in imperishabie senteh
ces the reasons that justified indepen-
dencc. H. was our own Washington who
led our armies to success, aad presided
ovet the deliberations that resulted 10 our
common Constitution. And for seventy
wears it was Southern intellect that ehieI
Iy made The aws, and gave their in,or.
pretation, and controlled the adminIslra
lion of the government. And yet we
have more at stake In The great questions
now 10 be discussed and receive inter
pre,ation, than had our foreia,hers IN the
DAYS of Henry, and Jefferson, and Wash
ington, and in all their issues from thelr
dav TO 1860. Oh what an opportunity
tho South now has 20 save the Constltu-
ton, recover her own power, ana repuke
her enemies who have been SO bnsliy de-
stroying that Constitution while insult
ing aud depressing her people.
An able, thorough and well cenducteu
debate in the next Congress on lhe 'rus
meaning and effect of the Constitutions
amendments, and bringing inlo review