River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-14


ratified them, in mpotept passion the farce
was enacted of formally resembling and with
drawing the irrevocable assent which had been
finally given. This was done in Indiana and
New Jersey, and Mr.. Tweed id it in New
York.
From first to last, the organs Of Democratic
doctrine have declared these amendments ille-
gally carried-illegal, because Democratic
States that were out lighting were not ia to
vote. They never yet have said or admitted
| that the amendments were legally adopted
They did say in national convention IL 1872
that they opposed reopening the questions
settled by the amendments, and they did say
| in 1876 that they would accept them but that
they were legally valid, they never said.
! These amendments are constantly and fla
| GRAVITY defied in more than half the Demo-
cratic States, and have been for years. The
| laws enacted under them have been denounced
in every form, and denounced IS null and
void even since the Supreme Court has sol
EMMY decided otherwise. II was to get rid Of
these laws that the revolutionary plol Wa laid
last year to stop the wheels Of government, to
close the courts and post-cffice5 and put out
the beacon lights on the sea and on the lakes
unless repeal was yielded. With thorough
bred Democratic President whatever may
happen in form to the amendments, they viii
become more q dead letter than quickening
spirit and the laws made to enforce them will
be swept like lea ) before gale. should
these laws be swept away. and should the
spirit which assails them in the South and
| which called them into being continue to rage,
mildew will follow in the wake
When Lincoln issued his proclamation of
emanc patton, men and women in this city
were maddened by being made to believe that
the slaves set free would swarm to the North,
crowd out white labor, and cut down its
wages. The draft riots were largely melted by
this wicked insane pretence. Throughout
the North this was the appeal to the laboring
olara F,fn no n
supported Lincoln were defeated at the ensu-
ing election. Vainly we pleaded for reason.
We said no men do not fly from liberty they
fly from slavery AID wrong. Events have vim.
Dictated the logic of freedom.
Once more i repeat the argument and the
warning. The black man wants to remain by
the graves of his fathers, but let prosecutions
90 on and the story of Pharaoh and of Egypt
will be repeated. An exodus, not Of a few
desparing souls [applausel but real exodus
will begin. deprlving southern fields Of the
hands that should and would till them and
bringing to the North and West a population
not enured 10 northern 'clirles, and not adapt
ed to usefulness and advantage here which
fairly treated would come from them in the
South. [Appause.l
THE NATIONAL BANKS.
The National banking system is anyther eye
sore to the opposition. Their National conven-
tons have denied all power Of Congress to
authorize banks. BY votes and speeches in
Congress, by declarations OF conventions and
leaders, by elaborate amendments offered to
the bills under which the National banking
sys5em has been struck wherever blow could
be put il. This fabric of banking is now in
wrought not only in the business OF the coun-
try, but with the maintenance Of specie pay
menJs-it stands a lion in the path Of fiat
money [applau-el, initiation, and all the long
train Of financial heresies which possess the
Democratic mind, especially in the South.
Applause In unnumbeted ways, direct and
indirect, this vast interests constantly exposed
to the action of Congress.
The Cincinnati convention seems to have
felt the need of little caution on this point
when it nominated Mr.. English for Vice Presi-
dent. He is president Of a National bank.
They nominated Union gen raj as a blind to
the soldiers, and bark officer as blind to the
bankers. Applause Evidently it is thought
the Northern Democratic team drives better
with binders. [Applause.l But even binders
DO not always answer. In 1864, after solemnly
asserting, just when the rebellion was gaspiDg
, its last that the war for the Union was fail
ure the Democratic convention, at instigation
comil & then from the sheltering IT fnge OF the
Canadian shore, the same instigation which
prompted a like e1pedient now, put up Union
general. That general did not issue Order No.
40 in the midst Of lawleesness and hutchery,
which civil authority could not arrest. No, he
issued orders arresting the Legislature OF Mary
land, a State which had not seeded. and he
pending the habeas corpus at election time,
and placed soldiers as supervisor of the polls.
But even with such Union general the dis
guise was too thin.
SOUTHERN WAR CLAIMS.
War claims upon the treasury have been and
will be a subject fruitful of much agitation.
am moved to refer to il by the wholly ground
less assertion in regard to it now going tue
rounds Of party journals. The fashion of this
assertion seems TO have been ret by Mr.. Ran
DALI the Speaker of the House Of Representa-
tives Mr. Randall is one of the ablest and
most intelligent, as he is enc Of the most
courageous men of his party, and | speak of
him with much respect. In several speeches
he has taken up the matter of Southern
claims, always to say that they are barred in
the f0urt enth amendment of the constitution.
| It puzzles me 10 see how discerning q man C an
have fallen into such an error. The proceed
ings over which he presides constantly refute
the assertion.
In the fourteenth amendment stand these
words: "Neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt Or obhga-
ton incurred in aid OF instruction or rebel
lion against the United States, or any claim for
the loss o. emancipation Of any slave; bat all
such debts, obligations and ella ma shall be
held Illegal and void" The claims which stand
| in staggering totals in bills already before
Congress and in other bills said to be waiting
are not touched by this section Of the consti
tuition.
For example, it is insisted that tie direct
tax imposed by the Nation on all States IN
1861 should as to the seeded States be re-
funded. Applause The amount claimed is
u, 492, no. Again, it is said the war tax laid
on cotton should be refunded. The argument
is that cotton, like wheat and corn is pro-
Quot OF the earth, and that wheat and corn
were not taxed, and therefore cotton should
not have been taxed. There is plaueibility in
this; but petroleum is product Of the earth
also, and that was heavily taxed not only
during the war but afterward, and yet Penn
sylvania has never q lined that the money
should be refunded. The amount Of cotton
tax claimed is 5170, $50, 220.
Again, buildings were occupied, crops were
! tramped, fences and wood were burned, pro-
! visions were consumed, edifces were demol-
ished, and regions re laid waste by the arm
les of the Union. The total of such claims
dizzies arithmetic. These are rot ''debts or
Obligations incurred in aid OF instruction or
REBEL OF" dec dedly not in aid Of rebellion.
| They are claims becau-e of acts done TO crush
rebellion. The Constitutional amendment
| does not come within gunshot Of them.
The error of the distinguished speaker is the
more puzzing because as reported he said in
| ano her part OF his address recently that the
republican majority in Congress had paid
| 800, 600, 900 OF such claims. HIS l presume