The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-08-02
TIE FORCE BILL.
[Bruoklrn Standard.Irnionl

BrUOklyn Standard Union.l
A letter from Sehator Chandler, of
New Hampshire appeared in the New
York Mail and Express of Sat-
urdav. The Senator laments my
@apostaey,' also Inconsistency in the
objections offered to the passage of the
Lodge bill. The terms of the Senator's
letter surprise me a shade, for the dis
eGssion has not been superheated; but
he has the difficulty that Talleyrand
deprecated in diplomacy-zeal.
The first charge Senator Chandler
makes is that am 'leadern who has
abandoned the Fifteenth Amendment
of the Constitution of the United
States. lie has been following, it
seems, but pauses at the precipics.
My leadership is, if it exists, of q
modest sort, and consists in writing a
great deal about public questions for
tho press. l do think the Fifteenth
Amendment unwise, but did not think
SO when it was proposed, and has
something to do with procuring its
ratification by the State of Ohio, which
was essential to its adoption. The
Amendment is right, but as measure
Of reconstruction was not expedient,
aud | employ that exact language
about the Lodge bill. The sole use
fulness of the Amendment has. been in
establishing the rights Of colored eiti-
zens in the North. Under existing
circumstances the representation ofth
slave States in the Electoral Colleges
and in Congress could, according to
the Fourteenth Amendment, be cut
down twenty-three members The
Fifteenth Amendment says that for
which the Fourteenth Amendment
prescribes (the reduction of apporton-
ment as penalty shall not be done,
as all the other country perfectly
knows, the holding Of the courts is that
II cannot be done-and SO one amend
ment is played against the other, aud
both destroyed. Thus is the most i'm
portant part OF the Constitution nulli-
fied--and just the same the Lodge law
would vanish In the South.
have not said was not in favor Of
laws enforcing the amendments. lam
iu favor of the strongest measures of
law that can be applied for their en-
forcement, but think that which is most
wordy and cxtravagant certain to be
least effective. The Lodge law would,
il seems to me, be failure because it
is complex and cumbrous and attempts
so much; there would be nothing ac-
complished. | would reduce IL to
proportions of efficiency, and those
should be found in simple enlarge
mont of the powers Of election super
vis0rs. That would be business-lIke,
not literary. No law-I do not care
how made up, what provisions It con-
tains--could be enforced in the States
of the black belt as demanded by the
Constitution. have said-not be-
cause | liked it, but couldn't help
seeing-that IL could not be done
without war, and war would not do
it; and there are few citizens who
will not be found in substantial agree
ment--that this is the state of facts.
1t is a sorry condition of things, but If
we do not ignore intelligence and
desert duty, we must confront It as II is.
Senator Chandler should not say, as
he does, that | hold the only principles
of the Republican party should be
those about the tariff and silver ques.
tions, for do not think so, and feel at
liberty to say that know better than
that. believe in manhood suffrage,
and will go as far as anyone to sustain
and vindicate it; but adding to dead
letter laws is not support and vindica-
ton. Its style of self-deception that
drifts into hypocricy and is the reverse
of craftsmanship.
have enjoyed the Lodge bill dis
cussion, for IL has done the country q
service in calling the attention of the
people at large to the wrong in the
enumeration for apportionment and
then disfranchisemen of million
men in violation of the express lam
guage of the Constitution, which for
bids that exactly which is done, on
account of color and previous condi-
ton of servitude. But all the good
we can get out of the bill will be in
the discussion-the enlightenment aud
animation of public opinion. The bill
will not be executed If 1t Is enacted,
and it is not a measure upon which
the Republican army can be rallied to
carry the Democratic strongholds.
the leading Republicans in Washing
ton know this and admit It, and | say
leading men, meaning very dlstin-
guished Senators and Representatives,
of whose judgment have information
that comes from them. There is no
confidence in the Lodge bill, whether
as law if it should be passed, or as
an issue, whether IL is passed or not
There is a reason why | do not want
to see the trial made of the enforce
ment of the Lodge bill, If it should be-
come law. | do not want to call
upon the poor black men of the South
to subject themselves again to massacre
when they will not be assisted in the
fight by those who are willing 10 urge
them into warfare. The blood of the
black martyrs has not borne the seed
of any political aud militant church as
yet, aud there has been enough of it
shed for fair trial of its fruitfulness.
Why should we expect from Harrison
at this time what Grant did not do in
his great day as President?
Who avenged the slaughtered thous-
ands of blacks during Graut's admin
istraIionY They we're trying to do
what is proposed by the Lodge bill,
and they were subjected to the fire OF
the shotgun. Was President Grant
Indifferent about this or irresolutc
Certainly not. Did he lack official in
formationI See Sheridan's reports
They tell the bloody story! Are we
stronger for the execution of the law