Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-06-18

lkssys. E5ifpss-Wsrsssgsiss % more
possas iastrunses for gsea o. evil shas
the psess. ThspeoPle ~ IN saassossas.
eossssts and reasssise. hsPiag and e.
pessinS b receive proper issssuesioe ssd
direetios in every sphere Of he. boz
important thea that The editor. vhss b
mounts Bis tripod. shosld Be wiling ssd
careful 10 proelsin The t.sth. ssd argse
to impress it spoa the minds and hearts
Of the honest people Who read With the
sincere desire 10 Be lead In the right vsy.
What % ignobls task % editor peescribes
for hinself when be usderf.kes 10 use biz
adroit and experieDeed pen. his talest for
sneerine. bis skilf in ssppsessisg the truth
and suegesting . falsshee1. n se1ee to
defrsud his readers q sheas seaisents
which 10 his heart Be believes they should
ensert.is. bat which hs BY false pretesess
endeavors to deprive them u. 70 cheat
. man Of bis money h Of course very dis
reputable. bot il seems to Be . recon-
mendasion with some il they can be art
ful enough to mislead and cheat him Of
his sentiments.
/ make these remarks % introdsstory
70 what I shall say in regard to the no.
tiee the Baltimore Sun has taken Of my
late address to the eitiseus a this Coasrss.
sional District. He inirodsess il By de-
scribing me ~ 1.-THE uneompronisisg Hoa.
Benz. G. Harris. he (sie) Who denosseed
the nomination Of Mr.. Greeley By the
last Democratic National Convestios. and
refused to vote the ticket nd probably
Influenced others to the ssme course, hes.
however. snneossed himself - IN indie
pendent caodidsss Tor Congress in that
district" The mdecorous use. under the
circumstances. % the proooun he. and the
whole tone Of thai little passage. show in
. half suppressed manner that the editor
Of the San intended his statement % .
charge against mo. He sPpears to Be ex-
sremely anxious that the public shall know
that I am the identical he who committed
this great offence.
I admitted the fact in the part Of my
address which the Smn did not think pro-
per to extract. and nov i:i: will crafty the
Sun and assure him of the fact. I declare.
as I did il 1872. that al the Conventions
that could be packed between Baltimore
and pandenonium could not cause me to
vote for such man a. Horace Greeley
While very compromising on other ques-
lions. I profess to be. - all ought to BE-.
uncompromising on oil constitutional ques-
tons. With the best lights I have or can
procure. ! feel bound and will always in
my humble way defend that inestimable
instrument. mot to defend ID to relin-
quish."
While on this point I will inform the
Sun that l am the same uneompromising
he Who demon need the Ssn for undersa-
king in 1872 to knock down and drown
entirely out Of sight the great Democratic
party. Of which its editor processes to be .
member. BY the following ssnssroke.-
-" The great Democratic party is merged
" now in the party Of the people - the
d" Mississippi is merged in the waters of the
Gulf. and it would be - reasonable to
f." expect that the latter should preserve
&" its distinctive characteristics aud influ-
" ence in the midst Of the Atlantic Ocean
" rs that old party currents should pre-
" serve their identity" Thank Heaven,
some sunstrokes are not fatal. and can.
not but expect that the Democratic party
has recovered from this one.
The Baltimore Sun. whose motto is
Light for ALL" very often fa!si6es its
promise and substitutes darkness for light.
Thus. after quoting my views 10 regard to
the 18th and 18th amendments and my
opinion that they are not obligatory upon
any man swearing to support the Coosti-
tuition. the Sns. wishing to throw every
possible shadow in my course. says. "Hov
Mr.. Harris is to get himself admitted to
Congress on these terms Is not very clear.
except be be allowed . mental reservation
in taking the required oath Of Office. -
Now the Ssa. I expect, knows that the
oath required for . member Of Congress
is "to support the Constitution Of the Uai.
ted States" aud il il left to the members
to end out what that Constellation 10 in
whole or in part. and If before or after .
member hss taken bis seat he 6nds out, -
Il is not difficult for him to do. that the
18th aud 18th so-called amendments src
not entitled to b considered - parts Of
the Constitution. il becomes his duty IT.
terly to disregard them ~ such in biz ev.
cry vote; and this cannot Be called men
tai reservation. but . mental resolution.
Suppose l were to declare. If elected 10
Congress that these amendments we're void .
could they vacate my seat? II %. Why
did not the Republican majority in July.
1870. vscate the seats Of the 81 Deuoer.ts
in Congress who voted agaiaa the resolu-
ton Of Mr.. Ferris. which 10 - follows:
"Rsso,red, Tha, the 18th and 18th articles Of
amendments to the Constitution Of the United
States having beea duly ratified BY the Legis-
latures Of thrce-fourhs Of the several States, are
valid to all intents and purposes a. parts Of the
Constitution Of the United States, and - such
binding and obligatory upon the Executive, the
Congress, the Judiciary. the several States and
Territories and al citisens Of the United
States"
If these smendnests vere dsly ratified
even in Mr.. Ferris opinion. l. would ap-
pear like work Of folly to sndssvoe to
make them any more obligatory BY pass-
ing his resolution. and surely such YELL
known men a. Messrs. Beck. Holman.
Niblack. Swann. voorhees, and Wood
ward would not have voted against that
resolution unless they believed The sassd-
mcnts rot dsiy ratified. and therefore
not obligatory. These nenbers we're
not only not expelled for their votes On
that occasion. but several Of them have
been reelected and taken the usual cath
Of Office without objection. Hope. there
fore. on this point l have ,hrova some
light upon the ..darknsss visible" Of the
Baltimore SEA-.