Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-26
18th Amendment


teenth Amendment to the
Constitution Is credited as
the authority under which
the Supreme Court rendered
its desegregation decisions, it
may be Of interest to review
the history of the adoption"
Of that amendment.
When. in 1858. Lincoln pro-
claimed the emancipation Of
the Negro slaves he was aware
he might be acting outside
the powers granted him un-
der the Constitution. He had
faith, however. that the peo-
pie would support his action.
That faith was indicated by
the early ratification. by both
the Northern and Southern
States, of the Thirteenth
Amendment.
Lincoln had great hope for
the honorable and rational
rehabilitation of the defeated
States Of the South. His sane
policies were beginning to
bear fruit when his life was
ended by a Maryland megalo-
maniac. But Lincoln's en-
deavorS had been too concil-
iatory to suit the radical Re-
publican Party then In con-
troll Of Congress. Ironically,
his tragic death served to UNI
leash the vengeful fury of the
radicals upon the people Of
the South. 1t was this radi-
cal Congress which drafted
the Fourteenth Amendment
embracing the impositions
which Lincoln so strongly OPP
posed. BY its adoption the
radicals planned not only to
wreak vengeance upon an al
ready PROSTATE South but
also to perpetuate the Repub-
lican Party in power. This
was to be accomplished by the
provisions in the amendment
which would enfranchise the
former Negro slaves while
disfranchiSing the white
Southerners. Thus it can truly
be said the Fourteenth
Amendment was conceived
not in love for the Negro but
in hatred for the South; and
that 1t was dedicated not to
the cultural advancement of
the former slaves but to their
political exploitation!
The history of the "ratifi-
cation" of the Fourteenth
Amendment is even more
black. 1t reveals an incred-
ible abuse of power by the
radical Republican Congress
which. in its recklessness, ran
roughshod over both the
President and the Supreme
Court. These radicals, in
censed by the stubborn re-
fusal of the South to ratify
the amendment, arbitrarily
abolished those State legis-
latureS set up under Lincoln's
policies. They placed the
Southern States under COM
plete military control and
caused to be set up new
State legislatures composed
OF former Negro slaves and
white "scalawags." These
newly formed legislative
bodies were then presented
with the ultimatum either OF
ratifying the amendment OF
of having the States which
they represented" denied
'readmission to the Union.
Before that time it had al
ways been the contention Of
the North that the Southern
States had no authority undel
the Constitution to secede
therefore, that they had al
ways remained a part of the
Union0
Thus it came to pass tina
the Fourteenth Amendment
was finally ratified" Not only
we're the Southern State
placed under the most pal
pable duress, but the wiShe
of two Northern States which
asked to withdraw support o
the amendment previousl,
given, were disregarded. Sec
rotary Of State Seward
whose duty it was to officiall
announce the adoption Q
the amendment, was face,
with a dilemma. Reluctantly
he yielded to the pressur
placed upon him by the rad
ical Congress.
1t did not take long, how
ever, for public opinion i
the North to crystalline. Mos
Northern States had thei
own laws denying to the Ne
gro the right to vote. Thos
States were unwilling to appl
to themselves the doctrine
Of the Fourteenth Amend
ment. In a few years tn
radical Republicans lost cor
troll Of Congress and complei
sovereignty was restored
the Southern States. In th