The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-09-30


for the system, which was the pretext
for or promoter OF the heresies against
the constitution, and there was an abid-
ing feeling that in some way the curse
would be removed from the land.
Thus it is apparent that slavery was
only an incident OF the war merely
transient in its status. and its abolition
a sequence rather than the cause. The
question arising from the payment OF
bountIes and pensions. and the disabil-
tiles OF the promoters Of the rebellion,
were still more transient, as in little
more than generation all the parties
participating in the war would have
been called TO their final account.
If, therefore, it be true that the
whole settlement Of the issues OF the
war we're irclnded in those amend
ments, this nation has before II stll
the mighty task of perpetuatlng its un-
ity and maintaining its supremacy. IL
is not, it cannot be so. While il is true
the terms of the constitution in It's let
ter have not been changed save In the
amendments, its construction, its inter
probation has been fixed by the war
This construction was for all time. Ia
the past the two sections differed nm
this construction, and they submitted
il TO that supreme arbiter TO whose de
crees all nations submit, aud now the
section that won the suit must see 10 II
that the Judgment is enforced. There
must be no lukewarmness over the sub
ject. Ii is too important and has cost
too much 20 be allowed TO go by de
fault, The fact that the settlement of
these issues is denied by any one and
is not conceded by all, should arrest
onr attention at once. IL seems
strange that the constitution was not
amended in these particulars. but We
must bear in mind that the evil arose
from a dispute over what was already
In the constitution, and not over what
ought to be there, and, therefore, the
construction being conceded at the
close OF the contest, our statesmen
might we'll conclude that that closed
the chapter of disagreemeuts forever.
In the light of subsequent events, It
might have been better to have specit-
cally defined the powers aud suprema-
cy of the nation aud the States respec-
lively. But some things were taken
for grantcd-some things were under
stood.
IL was also naturally supposed that,
as the wrong construction had been
made by the State governments, in the
reorganization of those governments,
the evil would be fully Aet by 20
amending this constitution as speciii-
cally 20 disavow the doctrine OF para
mount allegiance 20 the State. This
was done in all or nearly all of the re-
constructed States; but subsequently
in many of them new conventions
have been called, and the clauses
on this subject have been eliminated,
aud the conclusion Is clear that IL
/ Is only n question Of time before all
/ the States which went into rebellion
will wipe from their fundamental law
all admissions Of paramount allegiance
to tue national government; and 1t Is
unmistakably clear that from the Po-
I tomac 10 the Rio Grande there is ten
| dency TO wipe from the statutes all the
| legislation which was supposed 10 be
in harmony with the legitimate results
/ OF the war as understood by the men
who stood by the Union in that great
conflict. Statutes as old as the time OF
Andrew Jackson, passed 10 enforce ma
| tiOnal laws against the nullifers OF
/ South Carolina, enlarged and extended
/ to meet the demands aud enforce the
/ rights arising ont OF the late contest
are proposed TO be wiped out. On the
calendar OF the House OF Representa-.
/ tives to-day is bill which ia effect
will, If it becomes a law, make this
/ government subordinate 10 the States,
] tuw anl ff hE "a ~
\ law, it's officers aud agents without re-
dress in the courts of the United
/ States, and places their lives aud prop
erty at the mercy OF the State courts
/ with bull-doZers as balliifs aud moon
sinners as iurymen.
The statutes of the United States
provide that no persons who served the
| Confederate States during the rebel
/ lion shall be appointed to any position
/ in the army Of the United States, or as
cadet at tie military academy at
West Point; that no pension shall Toe
! paid To any person, or 10 the widow,
children or heirs OF any deceased per-
sou who in any manner participated in
/ the rebellion; that no claim shall be
/ allowed 30 person who did not bear
! true allegiance 90 the government. aud
that the burdens OF proof Of loyalty
! shall be upon the claimant, aud other
\ claims, like tenor, too numerous % men
! tion. These laws were wholesome When
enacted, and are no less so to-day; yet
\ not session Of Congress passes that
the effort ~ not made to repeal them
thus far without success, only because
I Northern men, without respect 20 par
N..NN aaat
constraint OF that healthy public senti-
ment which insists that the war was q
rebellion, aud THAI the statutes should
so recognize IL. But there Il no dis.
guising the fact that all along the line,
whether in the construction OF the
United States Constitution, or in the
notifications of the State Constitu.
tions, or the repeal OF laws salutory 10
the unity, integrity and supremacy oI
national life, or IN the enactment OF
laws subyersive of the same. there Is d
drifting back towards anti-bellum
views; aud that the tendency IL to
ward the assertions OF the same doc
trine and the belief is the same dog
mas which drove the republic to the
verge of destruction. That there is as
vet an absence OF threats which were
so prolific ia those old times is 20 b,
attributed TO wholesome respect fol
the yigor with which on the field o
battle the North gave them an earnest
Of what the North can do in the future
This much il settled nc least. the NOrtl
does not scare any more, and whatevei
Of advantage may be gained will b'
from political intrigues rather than
fear Of "kindling hre, which, TO us,
the lauguage OF Howell Cobb, OF Geor
Ris, "all the water OF the ocean car
not extinguish, aud which can be ex
tinguished only IN blood. This fea
ture Of the settlement cannot be wipe,
out. The States which stood by th
Union will see 90 il that the nationa
supremacy is maintained against sub
versive legislation as well as agains
opposition. All we need is TO be wei
advised and thoroughly in earnest, an
we will ont vote them as well as on
fight them. Every good cause ha
been baptised in blood, Some Of Oh
best blood OF the nation has written II
characters all along between the line
of the constitution, and while no priu
tar's ink has amended NJ IN the essen
tial points indicated, those character
Of blood are there and are indelible
they may from time TO time becom
dim, and like those written in sympa
! thetic ink used 10y diplomatists in an
= cient time, remain invisible till heat O
some other agent develops them; bu
| 70 the remOtest ages 10 will be fOun