The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-08-28
New York. which will give them 1915 votes


of repeating the Republican legislation or sfrik
/ ing the war measures from the statute books is
that the South the old rebellious States shall In
| some way secure the payment of the Southern
claims, as they are called, the payment of the
war debt, the payment of pensions to rebel
soldiers, and the payment for their slaves. So
long as the Fourteenth amendment shall re-
main part of the constitution these ends can
not be accomplished While the st. Louis plat
form of the Demo racy processes to be a loval
/ declaration, recognizing the Fourteenth as we'll
as the other amendments it will be observed
that the acceptance of them all is confined to
| the controversies that eDgendered civil war
that is to say, that they accept the abolition of
slavery az final, and no more The last Demo-
| cratic Convention did not bind itself, and did
not intend to bind the Democratic party. to the
recognition of the legality of the Fourteenth
amendment, nor to the support of any
of It's provisions, and as the Fourteenth amend
ment embodies the results of the war
| of such immediate Importance and inter-
est to the people of the South, and az
they do not propose to re-establish slavery,
and care little about the Fifteenth amendment
because they virtually control and hope
| to continue to control the elections
as against all opposition, the repeal Of
| the Fourteenth amendment is that to
which their chief effort will be directed, and
| the repeal of which will sooner or later be the
test not only of the Democracy of the South,
| but, fear, of the North also. By reference to
| the proceedings of the State Legislatures when
| the Fourteenth amendment was submitted by
| Congress for ratification, it will be found that
both New Jersey and Ohio withdrew their con-
sent previously given to the ratification of that
amendment At the time of their withdrawal
there were only twenty other States that had
ratified, when twenty-seven we're actually
Maryland RHrSS have not rate eHE the Fo ano
teenth amendment to this day. So of
the Fifteenth amendment. New York,
having ratified that amendment, withdrew
her consent by subsequent Legislature. Now
I dc not mean to say that the subsequent with
drawal of their consent by New Jersey and
Ohio to the Fourteenth amendment and the
withdrawal of her consent by New York to the
ratification of the Fifteenth amendment invali-
dates or affects in any way the legality of these
respective amendments but can we'll under
stand the pretext for opposing their legality,
and especially that Of the Fourteenth amend
ment, whenever it shall suit the purposes of
the South to demand it's repeal and it should
not be overlooked that each of these States
Ohio, New Jersey and New York-has promi-
nent candidate for the Presidential nomination.
How far Messrs. Thurman, Mcclellan or
Tilden, if elected President would feel
bound to obey the vote Of his State in
rejecting the amendments, I will not dis
cuss, further than to say I would deem it
safer to the country to have Democratic Presi-
dent from State approving of all the amend
ments than one from a State rejecting any of
them. I have never doubted that demand
will be made for the payment of the Confeder-
ate bonds whenever the Democratic party shall
have control OF the Government. Early in the
administration of President Johnson, a COM
municatiOn on that subject was sent to the
President by the holders Of the Confederate
bonds in London. demanding in some form
their assumption or payment by the Govern
naent of the United States, to which answer
was made by Secretary Seward, under direc-
ton of President Johnson and hic Cabinet, de-
nying all liability on the part of the United
States for their payment This shows that these
bonds were held by capitalists in London,
and were considered by them of some value,
and. indeed, had quoted value in the London
market. So long as there is Republican Pres
ident the holders know it would be folly to de-
mand their payment In regard to the pay
ment for their slaves, Senator Morton some
years ago mentioned to me g conversation he
had with distinguished Southern gentleman
and, as now remember, it was Gov. Aiken, of
South Carolina, who told him that full lists of
slaves throughout the South had been made,
and were carefully preserved, preparatory to
demanding of the Government full paw for
them The argument in brief which will be
urged in support of these claims is that seces-
sion was merely political question between the
States and the General. Government, and that,
by resorting to arms in support Of what they
claimed to be their constitutional rights, they
did not thereby surrender any of their rights
as States or as citizens to their share of the
property of the Government, and it was
for the purpose in part of asserting these
claims that the Commissioners appointed by
the Confederacy early in the war-Judge
Campbell and others-came to Washington to
treat with President Lincoln. The idea sug-
gested in my speech to which you REFER that
the invalidating of the Fourteenth amendment
will be made through the Supreme Court of the
United States, is IN no sense original with me-
I have heard it referred to as one of the readi-
est and most effective means for the accom-
plishment of the purposes of the South-for
the securement of the payment of the rebel
debt, etc. There is no constitutional obstacle
to the increasing of the number of Supreme
Judges, and there is certainly nothing in the
history of the Democratic party to suggest
a doubt of it's readiness to make such in
crease when necessary to accomplish
it's purposes; and certain it is that there
could be no greater offense to public
/ opinion Or to the moral sense Of the country by
increasing the Judges to invaidate the Four
teenth amendment than did result from the
bred Scott decision. The Democratic party is
thoroughly practical in it's measures and poll
cies, and never hesitates to do whatever may be
necessary in it's judgment for the accomplish
ment of its ends, and as the only mode to get
the Fourteenth amendment out of the way is to
have it declared illegal aud unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court of the United States. which
can only be done by increasing the number of
judges, that will be the means the Democratic
party will use for that purpose. In confrma-
ton of this view, gentleman who has spent
ten years in the ministry in Virginia
says, in a public statement: @There is no
doubt at all that, in Virginia, the
Democrats are working for it openly.
They have got it on the brain, and say that with
Congress ard the President they will be sure to
rescind the Fourteenth amendment, at least,
and get their bonds and pensions paid, and be
paid for their slaves" Information from prom
ment gentlemen in the West, who have travelled
in the South, confirms these views. In inter
preting the policy of the Democratic party On
any given measure It is indispensable to bear
in mind that the power to decide is in the
Southern wing, and that the Northern Must
conform to the decision or go to the wall. In
respect to the demands of the South
ON the treasury, whether for the payment of
the claims now filed for millions of dollars in
Congress or for the payment of any other
claims they may demand the leaders of the
South will be only restrained by what they may
3aano 90 ralcuIata6 to defeat their nurnose