Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-03

Wnere me people nave UetU SWlUuleQ Dy tOelr
corrur, rulers forced upon hem by the action
OF Congress. The effect OF this State rule need
hardly be told. Poverty stares the people in
the face their very heart has been crushed
out their property, the little left after the
war, has been sacrificed. Thousands upon
thousands have been forced iuto bankruptcy
The effect OF ali this is not confined to the debt
er class The creditor loses the debts due him,
onl be sink from affluence or independence to
poverty. Ruin is now staring thousands in
the face who up to this tune have weathered
the storm. Agriculture, manufactures, and all
ether industries are Iaugushlng. There seems
to be 10 relief for the present, no hope for the
fuur
Are the bad effects Of these laws contined to
Southern States No cuuutry as whole can
thrive when large portion OF it is 50 crippled.
When the condition of the business OF the
Nortberu and Western States. stimulated into
unua!urai prosperity by he war, has come
down 10 the natural conditions OF u nation at
peace, We 6nd commerce, trade, agriculture,
mining, and all other Industries lauguishiug,
patty, il not mainly, on account OF the c9udl
tioD Ut hese Southern States, which afford the
market for the North. What meaus the cry
for bread from the thous, nds Of unem plrycd
poor at the North Men anxious TO work,
but who can iud none. Look in any direction
you choose, poverty and distress stare you 10
the face Is any one SO blind that he cannot
see that this state of affIlrs owes its existence
IN Il great degree to the desttuton OF these
Southern States caused by Federal oppression
and outrage?
The eyes of the people of this country are
being opened to the true condition of affairs.
They already begiU TO see the disastrous effects
OF republican Legislation on the whole country,
and that the I, publican party, which owed lis
existence aud SUCCESS 10 the pr, judlce against
slavery, Was attempting to pcrpctuata Its pow
er or prolopg its existence by keeping alive the
hatred between the sections aud rntalIlug ruin
on the whole country The elections last fall
afforded some Indication of the awakening Of
the people TO the true condition of affairs. This
brauch OF the pr, sent Congress shows majori
ty Of about one hundred for III republican par
ty The Congress which succeeds this on the
4th Of next March will shuw in this branch
about seventy majority against this party. This
political revolution, unexaupled in the history
of parties, is tull of meaning. 1t means that
the days of this party, the authors Of so much
misery and woe to the South, SO much hnau-
cial distress to the whole country, are num-
bered
beg the republican party to pause-t to cease
this reIentess war 90 the people of the South
Do the leaders of this party wsl further to
depress the white men Of the South and ele-
vate The colored men to social equality? Why
press this civil rights bill, which will be SO ip-
urou. 10 both races ? lear the machinery
of party and the party will be or have been sue
ccsstully used to effect this o. ject The rules
OF this House, which have governed it for
more than fifty years have been changed for
the purpose of forcing this aud other bills
through this House TO the prejudice of the
S,uth.
But whepce is the power derived to pass this
bill ? We have bceu taught to believe that
this Government was ooe of limited powers,
deriving all its p,wers from the Constitution Of
the United States, aud that this Federal Gov
ernment had no power over any subject unless
granted by the Constitution. We know that the
power 10 pass such laws as this never was claim
ed till the fourteenth amendment became u
part Of the Constitution. Let US see briefly if
any such power was given or intended to be
given by that amendment. 1t is claimed that
the first and fifth sections Of this amendment
gixe this power Unless fouod in these two
sections, the passage of this law will be plain
usurpation OF power reserved to the States.
Sec l. All persons born or naturaized in the
United States and subject to the Jurisdiction
thereof are citizens of the United States and of
the State wherein they reside No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities Of cit zens OF the
United States /; nor shall any State deprive any
person OF lfe liberty, or properly, with ut due
process of law nor deny to any person within
lis jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Sec 5 The Congress shall have power te en-
force by appropriate legislation, the provisions
of this article.
The first clause of the first section makes all
persons white and culored, native and natur-
aIized) ci,zcus of the United States and Of the
State wherein they reside. This provides Tor
TWO classes of citizenship, of the United States
and of the State whereio they reside. The
second clause provides that
No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges and immunities OF
citizens of the United Stats.
The prohibition upon the States is against
the passage or enforcement Ut a law which shall
abridge the privileges aud immunities Of clti-
zeus of the United States, but not the privileges
and immunities of the citizen of State. Now,
it is clear from the words of this section the
privileges and immuDities OF the United States
may be of one class and those Of a State Of
another aud quite different class and if this
be true, then this amendment gives DO power
to Congress over these privileges Of citizens Of
the State. What are the privileges of citizens
of State? Judge Washington, in the case
of Cor6eld VS.. Coryell, in 8 Wsshiogton's Cir
cult Court Reports, 37l, thus de6ues them:
We feel no hesitation in combining these ex-
pressions to those privileges and immunitics
which are in their nature fundamental, which
belong of right to citizens OF ell free govern
ments and which have at all times been enjoyed
by the citizens OF the several States which com
pose the Union from the time of their becoming
free, Independent and sovereign. What these
fundamental principles are it would be more
than difficult to enumerate. They may be COM
pretended, however, under the following gen
eral heads: Protection by the government the
enjoyment of life and liberty, with the right to
acquire and possess property of every kind, and
to pursue and obtain happiness and safety, SUBJ
ject nevertheless, to such restraints as the Gov,
ernm ent may justly prescribe for the general
good OF the whole
These are the privileges and immunities of
citizens of States, and they cover every one OF