Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-05-03

the "rebeP whites-the people of thes,
southern States, who owned the coun
try, and alone were competent, or haa
the right, to rule it, were banded, of ne
cessity, together to protect their lives
their property. their honor. WhaI
would the people of Pennsy ivania do 1
heather Chinese were suddenly thrown
into their State, enfranchised in a mass
in such preponderating numbers tina
the political power of the Common
wealth was likely to pass Immediately
into their hands? Would you be able
to do as well as the South did? WoulG
you be able, by innate super iority and
by peaceable means, to keep down these
pagan idolaters and preserve the insti-
tutions of your State and the property
of your citizens from dissertation and de-
structiOn If famalgamation with them
was utterly out of the ques,ion-felt to
be crime against blood and nature; if
further, they hated all you loved, and
loved all you hated; if, led on by these
feelings and emboldened by encourag-
ing messages and promise of aid from
abroad, they should proceed su1nmaiily
to bring you to the dust-al,! would not
the Schuyskill and the Susquehanna
redden into wrath, and the cry, that
silences laws, ITO arms! to arms!" roll
down from your mountains to the sea ?
Such, and worse, was the terrible envi-
ronment of the people of these southern
States. They did not do what you
would have done, and would have been
justified in doing. Blood is thicker
than water, and triumphed over it.
They calmly asserted their innate su-
periority, exerted just power of re-
preston and control, and SO vindicated
their God-given right to 1ule. So, in
some sense liberty was maintained; so,
life and property were protected /; and
so. female honor was saved from threat
ened defilement. The same necessity,
though weakening, is still upon us and
SO long as it lasts the South. unseduced
and unterrified, will be, trust, as one
man.
If the solidity of the South is to be
broken, then they who caused it must
do the:awork. You come to southern
men, and, in effect, ask them to undo
the work of your own hands. The So
called amendments to the Federal Con-
stitution subjected all that makes life
dear among US, or even tolerable, to the
british passions of an inferior race just
lifted by force and in palpable violation
do your work, or at least have the cOur-
age to declare the truth of his. Ory, that
these amendments are not parts of the
Constitution.
The thirteenth amendment was rati-
fed in 1865 by Virginia, Louisiana, Miss
souri,, Tennesse, Arkansas, South Caro-.
lima, North Carolina, Alabama, and
Georgia; and the votes of these States
were necessary to its ratification. Now,
the Congress of the United States, In
February, 1867, recite in the preamble
of their reconstruction measures as fol-
lows: Whereas no legal State govern
ments or adequate protection for life and
property now exist in the rebel States
of Virginia, North Carolina, South Car
olina, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana.
Florida, Texas, and Arkansas" etc
Hence the validity of the thirteenth
amendment rests upon the ratification
of States whose governments were de-
clared illegal by tle Congress of the
United States. Ratified by bodies which
the Federal Congress, to accomplish
another purpose, found it convenient
subsequently to declare illegal, the rati-
ficatiOn must be invalid. According to
the XXXIXth Congress-the Congress
that accomplished the hideous pro-
gramme of reconstruction-the ratifica
ton by these States of the thirteenth
amendment had no more binding effect
than a vote on the same proposition
by Hottentots or Bengalese. Is the
XXXIXth Congress, Messrs. Editors,
good authority?
AS to the fourteenth amendment. The
|XXXIXth Congress assembled Decem-
ber, 1865. They proceeded to recon-
struct the "rebel States" by passing the
reconstruction measures, the first of the
series becoming law in February, 1867
The existing gov ernments in those
States were. as we have seen, declared
to be illegal, and were OverthrOwn. In
palpable violation of the Constitution,
martial law was proclaimed in these
States, when there was not the slightest
show of opposition to Federal authori
ty. The States were converted into
military districts and military satraps,
with more than prOcOnsular powers,
were sent down to take possession of
them and govern them as they pleased
Conventions, called by military author
ity, were required to form new Consti
tutions for these States and impose upon
the people, in their organic law, the
terms of the cOnquerOr. State Legisla-
fed the amendment without debate.
The heel OF the tyrant was upon them.
They were told to take the amendment
or the bayonet. Was this ratification
at all? Certainly it was not a ratifica-
ton in the sense of that term as en-
ployed by the trainers of the Federal
Constitution. The people of these States
their leaders and guides disfranchised
had no choice; certainly no choice as
between the ratification and the rejec-
ton of the amendment, but choice
only between ratification and the sur
render of life, property, and all, to the
cruel mercy of irresponsible military
despOts, who seemed even to seek OPP
portunities of showing their contempt
of law and vested rights. The ratifica-
ton by the southern States of the four
teenth amendment was effected by force
and torture, and is therefore null and
void.
Even Mr.. Seward, then Secretary of
State, practiced and facile as he was in
political tergiversation, did not have
the hardihood to announce unqualified
ly the ratification of this amendment.
Hear him in his official proclaim alton of
the ratification. He stated that it had
been ratified by twenty-three States
twenty eight were necessary, and ''in
six States by bodies avowing themselves
to be, and acting as, the Legislatures of
the States of A kansas, Florida. North
Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina,
and Alabama" In the same proclama-
tion he tells us that the States of Ohio
and New Jersey (embraced in the twen-
ty three before mentioned) shave since
passed resolutions respectively with
drawing the consent of each of said
States;" but the votes of these States
were counted all the same.
Was the Congress of the United States
that proposed the amendment indeed
the Congress of the United States The
Constitution declares that the "House
of Representatives shall be composed of
members chosen by the people of the
several States," and that the SENATE
shall be composed of two senators from
each State. chosen by the Legislature
thereof" Was that Congress constitu-
tionally organized that excluded from
representation in both branches of the
Federal Legislature the people of q
dozen States who had duly elected rep
resentatives and senators, and inflicted
upon them, in the reconstruction meas
ures, while SO excluded, the foulest
hA vronf or,,o1 nunis n nQnf