Year: 1875

L


There Is abundant cause for anxiety In


the political outlook; anxiety, not for
place, or power, or the perquisites of
office, but for the real welfare and good
being of the country. The next House
will contain a majority of members who
are not only opposed TO the Republican
party as at present constituted, but who
have been opposed to it and its measures
for the past twelve years. 1t is but
reasonable to suppose that they will do
what lies in their power TO remedy any
| legislation of the past which they be-
lieve to have been unwise and pernicious,
as well as to defeat any legislation of a
similar character In the future.


What has the Republican parry done
to which the men who are about succeed.
ing to power in the House obectY Let
us enumerate, beginning with the con-
stitutional amendments.


The thirteenth article abolished slavery
and was ratified by Republican Legisla-
lures, every State having Democratic
Assemblies voting against it.


The fourteenth article declared that all
persons born or naturalized in this coun-
try were citizens, and that no State
should make laws abridging their rights ;
it also based the apportionment of Rep
resentatives to the States on the voting
population, and abolished the odious and
unjust three-ffths rule which had pre-
viously obtained. An important part of
this amendment is contained in the fol.
lowing words:


SEC. 4. The validity of the public debt OF the
United States authorized by law, including debts
incurred for payment of pensions and bounties
for services in suDpressing insurrcction or REBEL
ion, shall not be questioned. But neither the
United States nor any State shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insur-
rection or rebellion against the United States or
any claim for the loss or emancipation of any
slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims
shall be held illegal and void.


The fifteenth article prohibits the de-
nial of the right of suffrage con account
of race, color or previous condition of
servitude."


In connection with the point we are
considering it is well to remember that
every Democratic Legislature, North as
we'll as South, voted to reject these
amendments, and that eUetY Democrat in
Congress, both in the House and Senate,
voted against the joint resolution pro-
posing them. 1t will be observed that
the section from the Fourteenth amend
ment, above quo ed, asserts the validity
of the public debt, including that in
CURED for payment of pensions and
bountics, and prohibits the payment of
any claim contracted in aid of the REBEL.
ion. This was thought by the Republi.
cans a wise provision, but it appears
the Democrats thought differently, for
they voted against it. They were
so bitterly opposed to it, indeed, that
when they came into power in the States
of Ohio, New Jersey and Oregon they
withdrew the Republican ratification of
the amendment, and would doubtless
have done so in other States where they
succeeded to power only for the reason
that such action was soon found to be
nugatory. But wnat could not be done
by recession can be done by affirmation.
Though Democratic Legislatures cannot
retract a ratification they can adopt other
amendments which will render the form
er void and of no effect. The question
is, will they do this? They thought these
amendments wrong, vicious, unjust at
the time they were adopted. Do they
think so now? What they think or what
they may do cannot be determined as yet,
for they have not gained control of a
sufficient number of States TO make such
an attempt successful; but if the time
ever comes when they can safely make
this venture there can be little doubt but
that it will be boldly tried. And what is
true of the Fourteenth Amendment is
true of the rest


But let us go little further The
next Congress will contain eighty.five
members who served in the rebellion.
About eighty of these will be in the
House of Representatives, enough to
control the Democratic majority, even if
large proportion of the latter members
were firm Union men, which we are sorry
to say is not the case. The result will
be that the eighty ex-rebels of the next
House will hold the purse strings of the
Government, and can dictate the ex.
penditures. Though powerless to enact
laws they are potent to prevent them,
and in this way can suspend the payment
Of any or eDerv pension n0lo d,odrded 10
Union soldiers. Nor is it by any means
certain that their power will continue to
lie in negative acts alone. 1t has been
thought that the Senate could not be
changed for the next two years, but
death or two among the present members
might easily place the majority either in
Democratic hands or in the hands of
those elected by. Democratic votes.
There will be, on the 4th of March next,
twenty-eight pronounced Democrats in
that body. Besides these there
will be eight members, perhaps
nine, whose course can only be
determined from experience, but
some OF whom have before this shown
themselves capable of erratic flights not
at all encouraging to predictions regard
ing their future action. This makes
thirty-siX members who may be classed
as Democrats, or more or less uncertain,
not counting Minnesota, yet to elect. OF
course we have every hope that men like
Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin, will prove
faithful to Republican principles, but
the latter's acceptance of Democratic
support is not in his favor, and we do
not like the fusion platform to which he
gave his adhesion and which reaffirms
the odious doctrine of State sovereignty.
Still we have hopes that, if worst comes
to worst, the calamity which threatens
the country may at least be partially
averted by the aid of such men as these,
and that time may be given the Northern
people for reflection before the final
barter of their rights is consummated
With undisputed sway in the House and
Senate the Democratic party could in
one brief term not only undo the work
which it has taken decade to accom-
plish, but precipitate a food of evils on
the country from which recovery would
be almost impossible. Inter Ocean, FEB, 8.



A Wife for n SOan.FaofOrV