The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-09-23
Are the Constitutional Amendments
Threatened


Threatened
The Democratic press of the North
affects to treat with ridicule and con-
tempt the suggestion that the success
of its party in the coming election may
be followed by such reconstruction of
the Supreme Court as will enable the
Democrats to have the Constitutional
amendments declared invalid and the
way prepared for payment of the rebels
for their slaves and for disfranchise-
ment of the negroes. But it is worth
while to ask, Is such scheme intrin-
sically improbable? Is there anything
in the history of the South, or in its
present attitude, which may serve as an
assurance that such an enterprise is at
least unlikelyP In such a matter, in
volving the loss of much that we gained
at a terrible cost in the war, we ought
to give weight to facts and figures, and
not to accept the bare statements of
irresponsible persons. The very same
persons twenty years ago ridiculed the
idea that the Southerners would assail
the Government by force of arms.
The unlikely thing is sometimes the
thing to look for. Nothing, for exam
pie, seemed more unlikely fifteen years
ago than that rebel brigadiers would
now have control of the Legislation of
the country. .--a is933a
One of the first facts we encounter
in examining the subject in question is
that the Democratic party, and partic-
ularly the Southern wing of it, has
never given willing assent to the Con-
stitutional amendments. They were
not approved by single Democratic
Legislature, and Democratic Legisla-
lures in some cases repudiated the ia
vorable action of their Republican pre-
decessors upon them. Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Mississippi. Louisiana, Al
ALBANIA, Texas and Arkansas
voted against the adoption of
the Fourteenth Amendment, in each
case almost unanimously; and the feel
ing which actuated them found ex-
preston in the North. Multitudes of
Northern Democrats hold that the
amendments were not fairly carried.
Our own Mr.. Richard Vaux, for ex-
ample, in q manifesto issued by him
and other Pennsylvania Democrats in
1871, declared that the amendments
"were carried by brute force and by
frauds upon the public will SO glaring
as " .aAe N nsnn. ..on .no e..ns q. .,'ns o LIZ
- =. s;r.a;-, 49, ~, ..;s.
49, ~ - oauaa -aS;aaI .aSJ
1lon VI 'uSeo eoSu ,aio"i atnouo-
tnenIs w S.aIes; neru as tney We,e W
Io1ce, could' unoe! tne Iorce OF mlntary
CnaI,S %lo, De Sne dtS VI nah1;n an" - eHse.o ~ =
nIoe ~ : e .h GNaat;.,,.;S, .,.r:aI
anra.o;no f.ao I'D . ;nJanandont Statas
80 80 the L. ,o,o, ~ 40 >, W. s .sp
LILY oSo;oT HC' e.tnn, .a - th;s W. ...o as - .
SO;a S, IT, :. ~ ~ IN N,st5n.s 3d. NJ, -
..t;a - a ..,;.ha,.. aa..St :.
re,,ras.nts tha ,,ro,,d nro,' rh;oh tho -
.t;S;t. - H. s,,,a.d,|n.. sd| | Iii - ~ at
tsaInSy ..hn IN .ra.,t ~ n.re.t;o " a.
r;otorr Proo;s.I, S the san,a on;,,;a,, ';S !.
s"e % oP 70
NJ Ma..ta =! SS.,.S - ~. :. e -
;nov;,ahie ,bot . ,non vho s;,oa-eIv h.
i;ovas th.t the sn,enJmont. 49, ,,ot
fo;riS carr;ed should h.va M scr,,n1os
in nyonos;no to overtbrow them iInon
The ,,a;nt t6e Sontber,, neonIe orc 30 80
t;na,t,, nit AIra.d,t thaI, 4 90 80,
ana S.n,onstrotad t~h:t & Is ;ha;s o,,;r;"n 49,
af y .ha noandneuts VIA 10. n,,I;t,r; - % thn.,
y. VIZ 49, ~ e. e.. ~ lie .'iI sn
d .o hw ar,n,ov;,o force and f..nJ ~
d;sfronob;sa poo.ro e;t;zon.'.-N- - - -
IT,. roo. ,1;as.;n,, - e. c.
.,onrt Ia; ,.I ~ ;ntarastS 81 ~ tha IN n.dnrt;o
osrtv HU ;s 10 nnt ~ ;n,nrobsbIe e n-oveS sat;S. ~
fsnt9r;Iv h,, tha c;,,c,,n,stanna that NJ.
Morran ~ AIahama : introS,ced into
ConSress in the Last session a hill for in.
creasino the number of Judoes of the
Snnreme Court to twentyrons r. the
Dap,ocrats shar succeed n Noveuher
what reason ia there for snnnos;no thai
this Hill viii NOT he nassed5 Ara r r.
shaI, ha ,,assaS ;s = not na.r,,- aa-t.;n
that " nensoor..;o pras;daut go I'm aaL .
The Snnrar,e Ranch nth ne,,ocrat;a a
iawvers who will do the biddino Of
their marty and do r. wilI;noIv 90 Mr.
Vanx wonld- If he shonld hannen tn he
ono of The cbosen onesp Wbep ve nor.
ce;ye % how far the. scheme aireadp ia
nY,o,, the wov IN ,,erfect;on r. 10 n,sro.
iY senseless tn declare that sncb a
snhoY,o ,.,ss naver dreon,ad of Th.
= ev;Jance that the South has a,w.vs in
t.,daJ - dan,.nJ n.vnoent1 fc, -.
Sa,os :, s;.;ra T, H. e.. ,,,.n az 'o -
sr-,,e, ot,,,,ors ~ si.ra. h.,.a t;tad tha;,.
oIa;,,s =, tLa for,,, ,f ~ aGJa,;t. =, GO,
S,a,a =, tha So,,th TIC Cnnst;t,t;ay
- Mo-v,and for axan,nle docIaras that
e. &C. shaiI ,ot 60 oo,,,rans.t;o,s
sn,. n.aann;ra,.d sIsvos b,,t I. 80.
..Tho AssoI,hIv boII odont s,,ch ,,,oas'
nros os thov shall daen, arnoJ;ont -
ohts;n f,,or, tho IIn;teJ Statee cornnenD
sat;o,, for snoh sl.ves .nd 70 ra.o;,,o
snd d;.tr;h,,.a tha san,o .o,;tsh,v
~" III s ~ on.;,S.a :, ~
" uo Pei'n aJaa.aa LIS LIS
o', tha rst;f;oa,;on was 81 the U" .u,endmant o
uI 'nS;.h f"r,.;ds s,,oh o,nan.,s.t;on IT,
Geora;a Convention. called bv ANDY
.Jobnson in 1865 declared. .sAconies-
cence in the action of the Government
of the limited States ia NOT intended tn
onerate 40 a rel;n non;ebment or wa;ver
or astonnel of snch claim forcomnensa-
t;on of Ipss Sustained bv reason pf the
emanci,,ation of his slaves AZ anv citi.
zen of GEORGIA. NAV hereafter make ;,
In otber States similar action has heen