The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1875-01-27
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY p, 1875
rha National Democracy and fh'
Constitutional Amendments.

democratic victories In the North meant,
among other things, re-afhrmation OF
the pledges contained in the Cincinnati
Baltimore platform to adhere to and
abide by the Constitutional Amendments
as lasting and permanent settlement OF
the war issues.
For making this statement, We have
been taken to task by our mercurial friend
of the Okolona States. He never was
able to cite a single fact to prove that We
were in error; but has made up in vigorous
denial and dogmatic assertion what was
wanting in evidence and in argument.
To all the other witnesses to theperfect
correctness Of what We have stated concern
ing the position of the National Democracy
in reference to the Amendments, we ask
permission Of the States, and Of others
who may have labored under a similar
hallucination as to the significance
Of the Northern victories over
Radicalism, to refer them to the follow
Ing extracts from the inaugurals Of the
newly elected Governors Of New York and
Of New Jersey:
Gov. Tilden, speaking for the ffty-fve
thousand Democratic majority Of the EN-
pire State, says:
"Such has been our course after, and in
spite Of the fact, that these, our kindred in
ancestry, common heritage and a com
mon future, had Joined at National Con-
ventiOns in the nomination Of candidates
and in the declaration Of principles and
purposes 1ctich form an authentic acceptance
Of the results Of the ,car, embodied Ia the last
three amendments to the organic lar Of the
Federal Union and that they had, by
the sufrages Of all their voters at the last
National election, completed the proof
that now they only seek to share with Us
and to MAINTAIN the common rights of
American local selfgovernment in fra
ternal union under the old flag, with zone
Constitution and one destiny"
There should be no misunderstandinq as
to this position By our Southern brethren, or
By any portion Of orr tellolc-citize1ls. The
questions settled BY the ,oar are necer to be
re-opened
The adoption Of the Thirteenth, Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the
Federal Constitution closed one great era
in our politics. 1t marked the end forever
OF the system Of human slavery, and of the
struggles thatgrew out Ofthe system. These
amendments have been conclusively
adopted, and they have been accepted IN
good ta'hby all political organizations, and
the people of all sections They close the
chapter; they are and must be final; all
parties hereafter must accept and stand
upon them, and henceforth our politics
are to turn upon questions of the present
and the future, not upon those of the set
tied and final past.
The politicians who have Rugged the
delusion that the party which won the
great victories over Radicalism intends to
embark in wild crusade for the repeal
OF the Constitutional Amendments, will
profit by by this emphatic language of
Gov. Tilden.
If words could be stronger, they are
found in the following language which the
newly elected Governor (Bedle) of New
Jersey has employed to convey the same
meaning. He says:
There must be no inc,tmbrance of dead IS
sues. We are dealing with the living
present and its influence upon the flu
ture. Everything that has been secured
by constitutional amendments since the
war IS final and ont Of the region of con-
trOversy. Those amendments guarantee
the extinction of slavery, the citizenship of
the colored man and has riqht to
Vote, the validity of the public debt
of the United States incurred in
the Rebellion, and absolutely prohibit
the payment by the United States or any
State of the Confederate debt, or any
claim tor the emancipation of slave.
Discussions of the manner of their ador
ton, or the wisdom of any of them, is
worse than idle. AS a concluded fact in
the government, those amendments are
OF the past, are part Of the constitution.
and the obligation TO obey them is imper-
alive
To this condition the entire Northern
Democracy is irrevocably committed
The extremists will either have to accom-.
modate themselves to the position of Tho
party or quit it.