The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-12
The New 1rrepresslDle Conflict.

ana Lnen argue upon Gn6 ldlSo premises
thus laid down. Thus, it is caimed by
hem that the Southern Democracy ac-
aept in good faith the am 9ndments to
ihe Constitution, as they claim to have
ccepted in good faith the result of
their appeal to arms. They say that of
course CT mes are committed at the
south as well as at the North, but that
these are not political nor to be taken
IS evidence of resistance to the accom-
plished fact Of the equal and evil and
political rights of all men. II is very
'lilficult to argue with people who pub
lcly deny the truths which privately
they admit.
The Democratic party is at war with
negro suffrage. 1t will conceal and
condone any crimes committed against
it. 1t has not votes enough to cope
with it. and it does nos mean to be out
numbered by the aid of negro votes. 1t
dare not attempt to nullify it in North
ern States, although in several of them
it often has the balance of power, but
n the South the negro is no more po-
litical factor than is the brute creation.
All pretense that the fifteenth amend
ment is respected by the Democratic
party OF the South is sham and an i'm
posture.
The States of South Carolina and Mis-
sissippi have negro majorities. Senators
Butler and Lamar, of those States, are
able men, and as fair as it is possible for
men to be in their situation. They
knew that in 1867, when the johnson
Governments at the South were legis-
lated out by Congress, they could ca silly
lave been the leaders of honest maiori-
lies in their respective States. The ne
,eroes had then no carpet-bag leaders.
and could have been nodded to the will
of the natural governing classes of the
south. But, inllamed with the hope of
retrieving the lost cause through the
agency of Andrew johnson and his
residential power, the Southern lead
crs delied the Reconstruction acts of
Congress, and made the Presidential
campaign of 1868 on the declarat on in
the National Democratic platform that
those acts were unconst tutional, revo-
lutionary and void, and rallied under
the war-cry OF their candidate for the
yice-Pre ideney that the President
ought to d sperse at the point of the
bayonet the State Governments recog.
nized by Congress as legitimate.
The negroes were for ed in the first
Instance by their old masters to follow
the lead of newcomers, some of whom
we're no doubt unprincipled adventur-
ers. Sullenly the main body OF tho
Southern whites refused to yield an inch
to the march of events
The Reconstruction acts would never
have been passed if the johnson pro-
gisional Governments had not refused
to guarantee civil rights by rat'fying
he fourteenth amendment. The if-
teenth amendment would have been in.
definitely postponed or greatly modified
but for the violence of Southern hatred
of the Government, SO badly mani.
les ed.
The fifteenth amendment was adopted
by the acts OF State Governments which
the Democracy of the whole Nation haC
voted oughtto be dispersed at the poin
of the bayonet-as being illegitmatt
usurpations. 1t is the Democratic
doctrine that nothing done by Repub
lican Congress has any binding force
in law. All laws enacted by Republic
ans are unconstitutional, and al
amendments to the Constitution have
been inserted iregul llrly and in viola
ton of that Instrument itself. In short
the Government was suspended in 1861
and there has been an interreonum dur
ing the entire period Of Republican Ad
ministration.
But the Democratic party decided il
1871 not to insist upon the extreme
doctrine until it obtained possess on o
all the branches of the Government
Meanwhile it resolved to profess acqui
eScence in the amendments-not to ad
NIT their adoption, but to suspend ope1
resistance to them. Upon the attitud
of the Democracy toward these amend
ments Roscoe Conkling gave this warn
ing to the people in 1880:
They never SeG have said nor admitted tha
the amendments were legally adopted, The
did say In National Convention, In 1872, ths
they opposed raopening the questions settle
by the amendments and they did say, in 1871
that they would accept them, but that the
WitlA throu Thbred Democratic Presiden
whatever may happen in form to the ament
ments, they will become more o dead lette
than quickening spirit.
That the right of suffrage is dea
letter, so far as the million and quar-
ter of black voters in the South are cor
cerned, is as mu III a matter of histor
rs that the Democratic party has fc
years falsely pretended to the contrary
The Democratic editors and spcakers {
Mississippi and South Carolina freel
admit that they terminated Republica
rule in those States, not by honest vo
ing, but bY revolution. Senators Lit
mar and Butler could not, and prot
ably would not deny that the confe,
sion is true. Nor can they deny this
the white Democrats of those State
have firmly determined to rule ther
with or without lawful majorit es atth
polls. The same is true of every Den
Ocratic State in the South. Does an
one doubt that Maryland, Kentucky 9
Missouri would reso.t to the shot-gu
policy if the Rcpu lican party, conta I
ng as it does the most of the negr
vote, were to seem likely at any elec
tion to carry the State? Th is tn
hespotism OF faction. 1t is an ope
revolt against the Constitution. 1t IS
total subversion of Republican govern
ment in States, and is therefore sui
version of the Constitution of the Unite
States. 1t has seized by revolutionar