The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-07-20
A Curious Spectacle.

The particular forms Of govern
ments whether Democratic, Monarch.
ial or Despotic, are systems based on
certain principles peculiar to each.
When those principles which under
lie them are overthrow, the whole
systems are changed. Upon this
sound doctrine we have based our
opposition to the proposed amend
ments, aud to that issue have we, the
New Orleans Democrat, Delta, and
OuacMta Telegraph invited 10 vain
our opponents.
Going back to the foundation 1T
this Constitution of 1868, we find
that the opposition set mp by the
Southern people including some Of
the very men who now pirate of the
virtues Of the Amendments by the
Democratic leaders in Congress-,
M.ssrs. Thnrman; Bayard, Saulsbnr-
~. and others, to these reconstruc.
ton Constitutions, and the power of
Congress to force them upon us;
was, that State suicide was legal as
we'll as physical impossibility. That
no matter If tile people Of the States
were at war with the federal authori-
ties, their Constitutions ,cere eternal.
unless abrogated in principle by the
sovereigns themselves. Indeed, the
Sup, eme Count Of the United States
decided, at tae very moment when
these un-republican Radical recon-
struction laws were being promulga-
ted by a Congress Of wild fanatics
and enforced by its army, in the case
of Texas vs.. Wltite-16B9, that Texas
was never out of the Union from the
moment she was admitted; that her
government under her Constitution
was in full force and effect; that no
| act Of treason could destroy those
! fundamental truths, and that at the
moment Of her claimed secession her
Constitutional Offices were seized By
usurpcrs unlawfully, and that when
these men we're driven out the State
resumed all her functions-sov ereign
and supreme-under the Constitu.
ton she had previously adopted
through the unrestrained will If her
| citizens, sat-, -.4 , ~. Z ana an 49,,
Sustained by legal decisions and
an unbroken Democratic defence ;
! imbedded in, the foundation stone Of
our governmental structure, there has
been this doctrjne-ti,at the right Of
Ecreatipg State Constitutions rested
exclusively with the 81 vereigu people
Of those States, subj ect only to the
requirement that they should be "re-
publican ia. to,m.'' . =,
| What then do these amendments
| endorse? The Democratic doctrine
Of the sovereignty of the people, q.
the unrepubliean principles enuncia.
ted by the Radical party in 1868? T.,
The power of Amendments contem'
plated 'uuder our form of govern:
ment, and admitted BY its principles,
| can be confined only to, perfect o. do:
relope some systsm ia :. It's. operations.
| TIE Amendments to the Constitution
81, 1885,, then clearly perfect and &c, g.
| velope the .ystsm ,enupciated, 4, not 81
onlyiu the'letter of That instrument,
hut they perpetuate tteI power and
endorse ths pfipsip'es -. which ltsh tgs1ssi =
! force. 81 :,jat~ :if4Y waT Of x-,.gs,
fthe power 10 frame and ratity
this Constellation was false = il The
prineiplessit sourpnsrdis is are ttreasOua.
able to I republican, doctrine, the
amendmepts simply give that fusur.
patory power additional force, while
| they fully sastain the dsrnnable here.
siess tielatb sp. ,.,.,.,iIr iso,lI,.
,ThSnjwhat atcnrious spectacle We
] present to the outside world. rsh ~,
| First.-1 .sUismtly declare that
the Constitution II l666iS unispubli
can. in substance; that the nsnt'e'
u. adoption vas s bald J! a.safpasio'u
IT tho sovereign iplsr,,gstise Of the
citisen III this 'cclsaHouw salth; tia,
the principles I, sifanciates aud III.
eulca,es are vicious aud damnAbIe /;
and,