The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-09-24
PLYING REBEL CLAIMS.

The editor of the linton, in the issue
of last week, attempts to laugh away
the fear that rebel debts and claims
will be paid, in case the national gov
eminent passes into the control Of the
Democrats. This fear presses itself
not only on the minds of Republicans,
but on hundreds and thousands of busi-
ness men all over the land who are
Democrats. The editor does not deny
that they would like to do 1t, and
would do it if they could, as their dis
position has been made too plainly
manifest, and the denial would simply
be bare-faced falsehood. But though
the Democrats may want to ever
so much, he says they can't do it, that
article four of the fourteenth amend
ment to the Constitution forbids it,
and he quotes the provision of the con-
stitution in question.
The innocenceS of the editor of the
Union is refreshing in the extreme.
When, in the history of the Democrat
ic party for the last thirty years, has a
constitutional provision proved bar
to any policy Democrats have deter
mined on9 Roger B. fancy trampled
the Constitution under his feet when
he rendered the decision that negroes
have ne rights which white men are
bound to respect, a decision which
blasts his name with infamy to all fu-
ture generations. When in 1860
Abraham Lincoln was constitutionally
elected President of these United
States Solid South declared war and
attempted to destroy the Union. In
accordance with Democratic beheSts.
James Buchanan said he could find no
warrant in the constitution for CO.
ercing a state, and when the state of
south Carolina made war upon the
United States.he did nothing to oppose
it and save his government, though he
was the constitutional COMMANDMENT
Chief of the army and navy. If Gen.
Hancock should be elected President
the Democrats will have a majority in
both houses of Congress; short work
Will be made of the reorganization of
the Supreme Court by adding several
Democratic judges. The Solid South
believes the constitutional amend
ments added since 1860 to be void, be-
cause the southern states being in re-
bellion had no voice in their adoption.
In 1868 Gen. Wade Hampton was a
delegate from South Carolina to the
National Democratic Convention
which nominated Seymour and Blair
for President and Vice-P President, and
was a'member of the committee on
resolutions. The first thing he de-
manded was a declaration that "TAe
right of suffrage sOGS purely q matter
IF state legislation, and belonged to the
state governments that e1iSted up to
1865" He submitted to a modification
on consideration that the following
clauses should be adopted, which was
done: "Aad zoe declare that the recon.
StgUotien acts are unconstitutional,
revolutionary and cold" Let the
reader compare Hampton's resolution
with article Is of the Constitution,
which reads as follows: "The right
of the citizens of the United States
10 vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any state
ON account Of race, color or previous
condition of servitude." Wade Hamp-
ton is one of the most moderate of
southern fire-eaters. and his views and
feelings are instanced as an illustra-
ton of the way the Solid South esti-
mates all enactments that grew out Of
the rebellion. If the south gains, by
the aid of two or three northern states,
the control Of the national government,
neither constitutional amendments or
congressional legislation will stand in
The way of the payment of rebel losses,
including emancipation of slaves, caus
cd by the war. Gen. Hancock, person
ally, is but an atomic element in the
issue, but his election to the Presiden-
C means control of the government
y those who desperately fought four
years to destroy 1t, and the payment
If rebel war claims and losses, not
outstanding the constitution.
r. F. ROBERTS.