The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-05

The constitutional Right +" Own Slaves
No Avail Against the Decree oil war

No Avail Against the Leciee VI ""''
| Editor OF The Times
sir.-Without aiming 10 take SIDE III the
! controversy between Senator Reagan ana
| Editor Wstterson as 10 the posltoh o,
| ex-President Lincoln on the supJeCl "a
| CompensatloD TO our GlaYe-oWners IOr inc
| condscatlon OF their slave properly We
| will assume that IN sense Dolh az a.,
/ ught. That Is 10 say. theEs was ~ ",
| nCal and authoritative pIoposltloh IH@uc
! IN the Fort Monroe conference 10 pay the
| sum OF S4OO, DJO0W TO the slave owners
! Yet President Linoolns private lhPulSo
! and Judgment convinced him mat f1VV'-
/ CO., 900 ought IN righteousness 10 De palu.
! And why should not that sum, win
4 aome interest be now paid2 We al know
| how the fourteenth amendment 10 inc
! Constitution OF the United Slates VIZ
! showed upon the country ana mace the
| great stain upon our constitutional ms
| tory. Can II be believed that the national
| authorities OF the United states Will per
NIT such a mOnstTosity TO remain much
| longer as proclamation ana example
! OF robbery TO the civilized world2 If they
| 90, then the United States Will not be
| worthy OF an honorable name amonBst
| the nations Of the earthl The people OF
| our country should ever be directed IN
! the paths OF justice and honor! HOW can
| they when the fourteenth amendment is
| ever staring them In the face? The gov
eminent Of the United States has had the
| use Of the cOnhscated slaves for thirty
| two years and used them as voters for
partlzan profits. In other words, it has
| converted $4O0 O00 900 worth OF private pro-
perty 10 public and sentimental uses
without one cent Of compensation. This,
/ too, in violation Of that Constitution
| which the Presidents and Congress have
sworn TO support. Let 1t not be sald'
How can it be helped when the four
tenth amendment is part of the Const!-
| tutiOn?' We all know that said amend
ment was assumed 10 have been adopted
| by the operating Legislatures OF states
| under duress added 10 the perverted vote
| Of the State Of New Jersey! But TINS is
not all. Maryland and every former
slave-hOding State except Delaware
were, by the fanatlcism Of emancipation,
subjected TO cOerced State Constitutions
| utterly foreign to economic precedents
ana measurably destructive TO the little
property left the slaYe-Owners after the
cOnhsCatiOn Of their slaves. Let as count
all Of the costs and enquire, What right
| had Congress 10 practically anarchise 80
many States, and, in addition TO the con-
iiscation OF the slaves, 20 place the origi-
nal citizens upon a losing basis as 10
! their remaining property for over thirty
yearSY The grievances OF the hereditary
slave-owners who have been subjected 10
steadily increasing poverty by the gov
eminent OF the United States have not
begun TO be told Even in Maryland.
! which remained I'm the Union, the results
OF the slave cOnhscatOns and the burdens
Of her coerced State Constitution have
been fearful TO think o. Far worse re-
suits are found I'm Virginia. which made
| such noble efforts with her peace PrOpo-
silinos' 10 prevent the civil war.
THE REMEDY.
Yet 10 complain without any remedy
would be vain. There IS "a remedy The
law making power Of the United States
| is certainly able 10 correct its own
wrongs. The lawmaknR power sug-
tested being vested In Congress Is the
| Congress OF the United states likely TO
remedy the wrongs Of previous sessions
| OF thai body without being petiuoned so
| TO do? The right Of petition rs as valid
right now as IL ever was. Hence
| let petitions be prepared throughout
Virginia and sent 10 Congress i'm Deem
Der next asking redress Of the grlcv-
ances resulting from tho asserted adOD-
| ton and use Of the fourteenth amend
1 ment 10 the constitution Of the United
4 states. Petitions should be prepared I'm
every county i'm Virginia and presented
throughout some selected channel and
such should state that they are offered
| by Nrginians who have suffered by the
manipulation Of the fourteenth amend
ment. which amendment could not have
been devised by any entire congress OF all
the States. Let us consider the popu-
larity Of such petitions as we'll as their
propriety and probable results. FIRST
10 should be admitted that all men adj
mre demands whether I'm the nature or
petitions or otherwise that aim az JUS
tice Both justice and honor are popu-
lar Hence petitions that would serve
to encourage an examination by Congress
into the manstrOcities or the fourteenth
amendment and the discredilable means
by which IL was procured as well as ltS
impOverishng effects would be well
timed since the passions Of war have
nassCd away. Nor can there be any
humiliation in such just petitions. Have
we not been more than Inundated by
eypending our resources 10 the extent or
So 900 OO0 per year for over thirty years
en- pensions 10 our cOnquerors( from VIZ
rina alone)2
To have some equivalent in money TO-
turned now to those who have suffered
through the fourteenth amendment ana
the annual assignment Of our part Of The
Internal Revenue 10 United states pen
slous would be far more popular, IMAM
our steady depletion Tor pensions many
of which are deemed generally to be
fraudulent As TO the proprieiy OF such
petitions. -
IN rs obvious that no party question
could enter into petitions ASKING lu ,,.io,
Of Congress I'm view Of the CONSTITUTION
that prevailed before the war. and when
with the amendments then existing had
no sectional hostility i'm them Sometnins
is surely needed 20 more creulldbiE Dlh"
our gectiOns-in the nature OF JUST bent-
Gts from the national appropriations. lie
that "asketh receiveth.' Senator ilH' OF
New York. very recently. asked the ADO
lition OF the law prohibiting SoulheLn
Confederates from holding ofnces IN the
Trnited states Army and succeeded. There
was no improperly i'm his action, ana
there would be none I'm the petitions here
i'm suggested. As matters now stand the
Ss OO0 OOO taken from Virginia annually
through the Internal Revenue COLLECTION
ia nearly an expended out Of Virginia.
rbis with. the local taxation, Is impoV-
erishing the great body of our people!
ireland for example is better OF Tor
nearly AN Of the taxes imposed there 10y
the British government are expended IN
ireland 80
The present Congress cannot be obliv-
ious TO this fact but has really, as yet
had no appeals made either 20 its patriot
ism or sense of Justice I'm the line sug-
gested Presumable most Of It's members
would prefer TO get rid OF the shame ana
disgrace of the fourteenth amendment
and its sad workings, If they could only
Sea the wayl IL is for us TO show them
tho way by our petitions asking re-
dress az the grievances caused by Its
adoption. and suggesting the justice and
nrosperltv that would result from eNpend-
ing amongst the Southern people an
amount that would at least moderately
Commensurate us FOR our losses. Much OF
mis- would go into the general channels
~ trade and the gain IN American honor
above the present status. would be lm-
,nense. OF course. the negroes have all
gained by the thirteenth and fifteenth
amendments, OF which mono specially
complain. Those poor white families
who owned no slaves have as ample edu-
catlouai advantages as any IN the Union.
Those TO be compensated for unauthor-
lied considerations would be those VINO
owned slaves and lands that have been