Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-09-02

slaves, making the emancipated slaves
and naturalized forei gners citizens, and
guaranteeing to all citizens the right
to vote-a resolution passed Congress
by Republican votes declaring those
amendments valid This resolution
was introduced by a Republican to
test the position of the Democrats
upon that question, because many of
them were still protesting that the
amendments were invalid Upon the
question of the passage of this resol-
| ution the Democrats IN Congress voted
soltdly against 1t. So the Democratic
party then thought the amendments
were invalid and if so, then there
was no constitutional obstacle in the
way of compelling the government
to pay the rebel debt and for enamel
pated slaves. Only last year, during
the extra session of Congress, southern
members openly threatened to have
declared void all the war amendments
and war legislation And lest the
Supreme Court of the United States
shall be permanently in the way of
this programme, a southern Democrat
has introduced in Congress bill to
add twelve new associate Judges--a
majority Of ALTO the present court,
and that bill is now quietly reposing
in the hands Of Democratic commit
tee Of Congress. Of course it is not to
be passed SO long as the country has a
Republican President It would prob
ably be vetoed by him; but if not,
he would hardly appoint to the new
places upon the bench the class of
Jurists that are wanted by the authors
of the proposition. But when a
Democratic President shall have been
elected, if that misfortune shall over
take the country, the bill is to become
a law. Twelve new Judges, to be
selected by Democratic President
and confirmed by a Democratic Senate,
are to be foisted upon the supreme
bench, and to constitute a majority
of the Court, for the purpose of hold
ing the Constitutional amendments
and war legislation void. and turn the
country over at once to the merciless
plumber Of the hungry army Of treason,
and abandon to their fate in the keep
ing of the same relentless horde the
sable millions who Coiled with us and
for US at the peril of their lives, and
with undoubting devotion, il the
darkest hour of the nation life.
We have seen that northern Domo-
cratic politicians affect to believe that
the South do not contemplate the
measures here mentioned as threatened
by them. But there is really no
chance to indulge in reasonable doubt.
Wade Hampton'S recent appeal to the
democracy of Virginia to think how
Lee and jackson would vote if alive,
and to remember that the principles
for which the rebels fought four years
are at stake in this contest, and that
they should therefore be united in sup
port of Hancock, is bat one of the
many expressions of southern senti
ment by her representative men that
come to the knowledge of those who
read The South-that is, the white
aristocrats who dominate the South in
the name of the Democratic party
still belieUe they were right in the re-
bellion, and will therefore establish
those principles whenever they can
obtain power. They will when per-
mitted to do SO, administer the nation
al government as they administer their
own States. Another ex-rebel Gen
eral, and leading southern Democrat
Gen. McGowan-in a speech just de-
livered to a South Carolina audience,
! in speaking of the rebellion, used this
language:
"The effort on the part of the south
ern States to establish separate gov
ernment failed We don't propose
to make any reference to the reasons
| for making that effort, or the causes
of its failure 1t is enough to say
that South Carolina, in common with
] the confederate States, united in that
struggle. As sovereign State, and
the common mother of as all, she
reared aloft the standard and called
upon every son of hers to support her
standard and to defend her soil. That
standard, then as nol0, had upon it no
stain Of dishonor. 1t a0ouId have
been treason to disobey. Every loyal
son of hers buckled on his armor and
answered the summons. In doing
this who will venture to say that they
were not an the line of duty and
honor"
Does not this language Justify all
that is claimed by Republicans as to
the temper, sentiments and purposes