Richmond planet., 1907-08-03
Senator FOraker'S
Challenge.
The Bold Declaration of the
Ohio Chieftdin.
THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION-THE
SOUTH RESPONSIBLE-RINGlNG UTTERANCES
BY ONE OF THE "OLD GUARD"

The purpose OF the fourteenth
and ffteenth amendments was to
provide political equality. TO put all
citizens OF the United States. wheth-
er rich or poor, white or black upon
the same plane. so far as the polit-
ical rights OF citizenship were con-
cerned.
What I want 70 answer Is his
charge that IN hatred and passion the
fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments TO the Constitution were for
ced upon tho South, and that in
this way the North needlessly preciTi
tated upon the South the evils they
suffered during the reconstruction
period. These amendments. not ful
ly demanded by the war itself, were
made necessary by the situation Gre
ated by the seeding States immed-
lately after the war"
Senator Foraker discussed cOndi-
tions at the close OF the civil war az
great length, and then continued:
III they had accepted the four
teenth amendment there would not
have been any fifteenth amendment.
for with the fourteenth amendment
accepted and all the seeding States
restored 10 their places I'm the gov
ernment the ratification OF the If
teenth amendment by the requisite
number OF States would have been
an impossibnity.
SAYS SOUTH WAS AT FAULT.
IF. therefore there be any fault
10 hnd with anybody on account of
the hftcenth amendment it rests with
the seeding States for they. by their
refusal 20 accept the fourteenth A.
mendment. not only compelled re-
construction, but precipitated n sub
mission and ratification of the nf-
teenth amendment
They accentuated all this bv
thelr treatment OF the freed men. II
would be difficult 10 eXaggerate the
uhIriendiy character OF the legisla-
ton affecting them that was enacted
Immediately after the war I'm D,ost
.ot the seeding States.
IL Is no eXaggeration to say that
the spirit OF this legislation was not
Justice, but injustice. and that of
the most malicious and reven@ef,,I
character. This kind of legislation
coupled with refusal to accent wbat
were thought 10 be the eenerous
terms OF the fourteenth amendment
naturally created a public sentiment
IN the North that secured the rati-
hcation OF the fourteenth amendment
and led 10 the fifteenth amendment
by which it was provided that no
State should have the right to 5en,,
or abridge the right to vote on ac.
count OF race. color. or previous CON
dition Of servitude. But il was NOT
passion. neither was II hatred that
brought about these results. but on
iy solemn sense Of duty.
CAN NEVER BE REPEALED.
There was never a time. excent
only when the fifteenth Amendment
was adopted, that il could have beer
ADOPTED. and there has never beer
time since it was adopted when II
could nave been repealed, and. in
my opinion, there never will no J
| tlme when It can be repealed sim.
ply because II was right then ana Z.
rlSht now lt was a great forwarT
step In the recognition by govern.
iheht or the right of citizens gov.
erhed 10 participate in their govern.
hent and TO have equal protector
under II. II in some places II has
Ialled TO bring good results. thai
iact Is due more to the bad fair
that mas been practiced TO defeat fts
purpose than to any Inherent trou.
BILE. 'i"u'
Except only to ~'ate these facts
OF history / have no desire to pursue
TINS subject further at this time. bu,
cannot help remarxing that Cod
moves In a mysterious way His won
ders 20 perform. Out OF the vanity
and folly OF Andrew Johnson and
the obduracy and unreasonable con
duct or the seeding States came the
conditions that prevented the Ameri-
can people from stopping short In
the great work OF establishing the
uoctrine OF human equality before
, the law for all men,"