The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-17

Constitution and laws made in conform
ity with IT," HThus far and NO farther,
says the yirulent old sinner, "do I IN
derstand your promise TO extend" ThA
Is, the follower Of JEFF. Dawn in tn
rebellion came back on an understand
ing-a contract, as It were-apd they are
poW, a. aioretime, to be the judge Of an
infrAction OF the understanding and o
"the mode and measure Of redress"
What statement could be further from
the truth than this? As II sll the Worl'
did not know that Lee and johnson Wer,
compelled to surrender without 90 mucl
- the sctaps Of apeu in the way Of polit
icaI conditions, add as II JEFF Davis, II
his hoop-skirt disguise, had made som,
sort OF political bargain with his cap
tors. Il is only necessary to refer to th,
circumstAnees under which the Confed
eracy collapsed to show the utter ab.urd
ity Of the pestilsntiAl old scImp's state
ment.
The facts, as known to any school boy
are that the American people who re
mAinsd true to the Union made just suct
amendments to the. Constitution a. would
in their Judgment, secure to them the re
suits Of the war, and jos. such As Woult
forever cut of any question about slavery
and about rebel debts, knowing that the
hsreSy Of States rights "a interpreted o.
the Southern school would never be like,
ly to become q living issue once it wal
separated from slavery aud the payment
for slaves or Of rebel debts.
Section 4 OF the XTvth Article Of the
Constitution Of the United States pro
vides aa follows:
"The validity Of the public debt Of the
United States authorized by law, inclnd
ing debts incurred for the payment ol
pensions and bounties for services in
suppressing insurrection or rebellion
shall not be questioned. But neither The
United States nor any State shall assume
or pay any debt or obligation incurred
in aid OF instruction or rebellion sgainst
the United States, or any claim for the
loss or emancipation Of any slave; but
all such debts, obligations and claims
shall be held illegal and void"
This amendment was added to the con
,titution by the requisite number Of State.
after the close Of the war, in 1855, and oI
course JEFF Davis means in his late speech
that this is not the constitution that he
and his followers agreed to support Wher
they returned TO the Union. Therefore
be contends for "the constitution Of the
United States interpreted by those whc
made it." That Is, he contends for the
same old order Of things under which the
South seeded and went into rebellion
This is what he means by renewal o.
the time honored doctrine Of State Sow
ereignty.1 BE would like TO awaken in
the South the re.assertiOn Of this doc
.rine, and he hopes to do 80 by inculcatins
the idea that the amendment,
to the constitution have never been agreed
to by the Southern people, and therefore
they are at liberty, ss soon IS they car
assert themselves, to repudiate the
amendment We have quoted, and to de-
mand settlement for the emancipation
Of slaves, and for such debts or oblisa
tions as we're incurred in aid OF the re-
bellion. When we remember that the
State Of Missouri has already issued Ger.
tifcltes for the payment Of such claims
contingent upon a settlement with the
United States, We can see the bearing oi
JEFF Dayis' speech.