The Washington critic., 1888-03-27
wAsHlNGTON. MARCH q. 1sss.
yBE SUPREME COURT AND THE
CONSTITUTlONAL AMENDMENTS.

pBE SUPREME COURT AND THE
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
The apprehension is expressed in
some quarters that the United States
Supreme Court, hdving in course OF
time become Democratic by reason of
death and retirement, will forthwith
proceed TO nullify the Constitutional
amendments and undo the settlements
of the war. 1t is needlcss1I6 remark
that such an apprehension is alto
gether goundless and absurd. More
than that, it is a mere alfectatiOn, and
not an apprehension at all
No one who expresses it thinks so,
and we question if any one who hears
il is ignorant or credulous enough to
believe it. We doubt il there are
hundred men in the United States.
all told and outside Of II lunatic asy-
lum, who would have it so if they
could.
The Supreme Court, Republican rs
il is, has already gone as far in the
affirmation Of the rights of the States
as the South cares to have it so, and
further than the South ever asked that
il should 20.
II has gone as far in the direction of
fat money as the vericst Greenbackcr
could ask in defining the currency
issuing powers Of Congress under the
Constitution; yet if the Court were
wholly composed of States Rights
Democrats and out-and-out Green
hackers, there would be no special
reason for panic or alarm The Sc
rcnity of the country would remain
undisturbed.
The inycstiture of the negroes
with the right of suffrage, mistake as
il may have been at the time and un-
der the circumstances, is irrevocable.
If restrictions are ever placed upon
the elective franchise they will apply
10 black and white alike. The eman-
ciration of the negroes, if not the OBJ
ject Of the war, was necessary inc.-
dent of it, and is also irreversible.
The abolition of slavery and the
eniranchisement of the freedmen
were settlements of the war that
nothing short of another war can un-
settle.
The assumption that a change in
the political character of the Supreme
Court would lead to notification of
The amendments Of the Constitution
that represent the fixed and final adj
justment of the issues of the Civil
war, sviolent and unwarrantable. In
order TO entertain such an assumption,
We must first suppose the court to be
transformed into an organized band
Of conspirators against the Federal
Union, and the people, shorn of their
power and patriotism, giving tame as
sent to their own undoing.
The Thirteenth amendment to the
Constitution, relative TO slavery and
involuntary servitude, was ratified by
Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina,
Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia,
among other States. Has any South
ern State or the legislature thereof
mont Of the dead relic of barbarism?
The Fourteenth Amendment, rela-
five TO political disabilities, the valid
ity Of the public debt and the inval-
idity of the Confederate debt, was
rattle by Georgia, North Caro- ina
Sol,h Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and
Alabama. Who is crazy or credulous
enough to believe that the Supreme
Cour would ever approve Congress
ional legislation enacted in vic alton
of this amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment, relative
to the right of suffrage, was ratified
by Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkan
sas, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas
Georgia and North Carolina. Have
ever even the mutterings of fdiseonten
with this ratification been heard from
these or other States
or has Congress ever intimated {
desire, or purpose, or menace, to over
ride this amendment, or does anybody
fear that such might be the case il
The future with u Democratic SupreM,
Court TO sanction the revocation2
We submit that the danger Of su i
a catastrophe is too irrational to form
q subject of controversy. 1t is Ger
tainly not imminent enough to keel
single citizen Of the United States
whatever his race, color or proviou
condition, awake o nights.
The SENATE is evidently not to b
governed by a single committee o
that body. In the case of the Hous
bill providing for the purchase o
United States bonds by the Secretar