Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-03-01

Is impossible for ne 70 come ~ any other
conclusion than that onr xarefathers did na,;
intend n expose - % such an outrage, and
i would also hare hesn somewhat difIieuit
for me % believe that any portion of the
descendants Of those patriotic men would
have conspired % perpefrate such mon
strous swindie. I % not believe that the
18Th amendment II valid, but do believe
that the Republican party obtaining cnn-
troll Of the government his destroyed the
institution by force In such cnmpleie
manner that ID can never be the interest or
disposition Of shose who held the property
10 have il re-esiablished. Without any
amendment Of the Constitution, they had
the power 20 take negroes or any other
property n dc eitissas for pHllic gss ssitA
just eompeRsation.p IL they allow (and /
think they cannot deny 10 that the nc
groes were taken from Us with that view,
then the government Of the United States
Is indebted 20 their former owners for item.
ANY other view presents the people Of the
United States in the character Of robbers.
l trust they win surmount every difficulty
in their way in order TO establish charac-
ter for fairness and honesty In accordance
with their duty and oaihs to support the
Constitution.
The Constitution further provides that
mo States without its consent shall be de-
prived of its equa! suffrage in the Senate"
Thus, If all the States and all the people
therein should desire that Rhode Island
should not have as many votes in the SEN
ate as New York or any other State, some
Of which have ten or twenty times its pop
ulation, they could not according 10 the
Constitution effect il without little Rhode
Islands consent From the above state
ments there appears to be very decided
Limitation to the power of the people which
G. seems TO think is under no control when
they wish 10 undo any law they think
serong, or pass one which they consider
rghteOua They certainly cannot do as
they please with the Constitution of the
United States without adopting some higher
lao which, of course, institutes violence
and anarchy.
five the people" did make and adopt
the Constitution (the supreme law of the
land) through their delegates and represen-
tatives, does it follow, as G. claims, that the
said people intended to reserve the right or
power of violating its provisions or resist
ing the execution of those provisions or the
laws made in pursuance thereof? While
they live under that Constitution and those
laws 1t is the widest theory to assert that
they are not obliged to obey them. That
instrument certainly limits the power Of the
people to amend it or make laws. The
majority in this country cannot always do
what they please. When laws are made
in pursuance of the Constitution by repre-
sentaiives, they bind their constituents as
long as they exist in force, and to conspire
to resist the execution of the laws they
made can be nothing but an attempt to
bring about anarchy. G. thinks different
ly. He distinctly declares that the people
of the North had the right TO resist the ex-
ecution of the laws made before the late
war, because they did not conform TO their
ideas of righteousness. He says, "when the
laws were enacted that tolerated and were
uesIgneu 10 perpetgaIe sIayeTy ra.vr-a,.Ia
of the North, though their representatives
took part III the enactment of those laws,
were right in resisting their execution"
Now, slavery was undoubtedly tolerated
and protected in the provisions of the Con-
stitution itself and by the laws made in
pursuance thereof How and where does
G. find the right and power TO resist the cx-
ecution of such laws2 The mon who con-
spired to do so must have been Anarchists
IN heart, and their anarchy can only lie
measured by the extent of the injury il
caused. By this standard the Anarchists
OF the North are greatly ahead ofthose who
were hung in Chicago In bringing about
and perpetrating outrage and wrong. The
first intended and did cause bloody war
with all its destructive elements; the others,
but few in number, could never have had
the power to commit more than a mere To-
cal mischief Both deserved and deserve
the stern denunciation Of every citizen who
is capable OF thinking correctly.
b. q. HARRIS.