Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-09-20
From the New York Sun.
George TicI1nOr Curtis on the
"BlOOdy Shirt

To The Editor Of the Sm.
SIR-You have sent me copy Of
the Boston Daily Adpertiser, contain
ing some angry editorial comments up
on my letter on the Southern question,
which was written to a young friend
of mine in Boston. and which the
Boston Post did me the honor to re.
print. 1t is remarkable that a produc.
ton containing not one single person
ality or reproach directed against in
diyidual men or candidates, and which
dealt only with public faces and prln
ciples, should have provoked so mach
wrath.
simply maintained that the Con-
stitutional amendments have made it
impossible for the Democratic or any
other party to deprive the negroes Of
the right of suffrage and that what
is now needed is that the colOred peo'
Die Of the Southern States be allowed
as they have never yet been allowed
to exercise their elective franchise &C
cordinn to their own unbiased judy
ments, without being made to believe
that the Democratic party, If it comes
| into power in the National Govern
ment, will wish to be able to deprive
them of it. But the Republican writ
ers, speakers and politicians cannot
bear the thought Of surIendering s
weapon which they have long used,
namely, the pretence that the success
Of the opposite party involves the loss
by the negroes of their Constitutional
privileges of citizenship and all its pc
litical attributes.
am sorry to SEE any respectable
journal Of any party so unwilling to
admit the force of principle OF equal.
ity that has become embedded in eX'
press terms in the Federal Constitu
ton. ! am sorry to see any ore
maintain that the tinality or efficiency
of the late Constitutional amendments
is open to doubt, Or that it is posi-
bic TOR any party to unsettle them. l
insist that it Is OF no sort OF conse'
quence now who opposed or who fav-
ored these amendments. They are
adopted, and they can no more be
shaken from their foundations in the
supreme law OF the land, by any agi-
lotion whatever, than the White
Mountains can be shaken from their
base by the shouts of a multitude.
Even the A0certiser seems to have
dim notion that they are practically
irrepealable, but somehow it fears they
may be evaded. "We do not sup
pose, it says, "that Mr. Tilden, if
President, would recommend the re-
peal of the Constitutional amend
ments but we do expect and believe
that the Democrats of the Southern
States will have their own malign will
in ways to prevent the Negroes enjoy
ment of his rights" No such mslign
will exists anywhere. But fit did ex.
list, | wish the editor of the advertiser
would point out in what ways" the
negro is to be deprived Of the enjoy
ment Of bis rights when they are guar
auteed by the Federal Constitution.
That Constitution has laid good
many prohibitions upon the States i;
one, for instance, that no State shall
pass any law impairing the obligation
Of q contract. Has this prohibition
ever been dead letter. or ever been
evaded in any "ways" by the ''malign
will OF anybody ? Now there is an
other prohibition: that no State
shall deny the right Of suffrage on sc-
count OF race, color, or previous servi-
tule. How is this prohibition to be
evaded, avoided or dayded ? How
are the Southern Democrats to crafty
their "malgn will'--ii they had one
Against command of the Constitu,
ton
Has the editor of the 4acertiSer
forgotten that there is Supreme
Court of the United States ! Does he
suppose that the negro cause would
not have champions enough to defeat
any "ways" by which any State should
undertake to withhold from him his
right of suffrage If that cause