nts, executive, legislative, and
judicial, and in the State governments, what would it do? Would it
faithfully execute these amendments, or would it not rather use its
power to get rid of them--either by constitutional amendment, by
judicial decision, by unfriendly legislation, or by a failure or
refusal to legislate?" Before the "new departure" can gain
Republican votes, its friends must answer satisfactorily these
questions. The speeches I have quoted fail to furnish such answers.
Colonel McCook objects to the 15th amendment, because "it contains
a provision intended to confer power upon Congress which is
dangerous to the liberties of the country." Now, what is this
dangerous provision? It reads: "Section 2. The Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." Each of
the three recent amendments contains a similar provision. Without
this provision, they would be inoperative in more than half of the
late rebel States. The complaints made of these provisions warn us
that in Democratic hands the legislation required to give force and
effect to these provisions would be denied.

But the most significant part of these speeches are the passages
which refer to the repeal of the amendments. Mr. Hubbard said: "We
don't surrender the right to make such returns to the old
constitution as we may deem expedient. It is a future question that
we are not bound to discuss." Colonel McCook says: "How can I
answer for all the future? How can I tell what the Democracy of New
York or any other State may do?" Mr. Hunt says: "The fact that they
have been declared a part of the constitution does not preclude any
legitimate discussion as to their expediency. Proper action will
never be barred." The meaning of all this is that the Democratic
party will acquiesce in the amendments while it is out of power.
Whether or not it will try to repeal them when it gets power is a
question of the future which they are not bound to discuss. Or as
another distinguished gentleman has it, this question is "beyond
the range of profitable discussion." In reply to these gentlemen,
the well-informed Republican citizen when asked to vote for the new
departure, is very likely to adopt their own phraseology, and to
say, Whether I shall vote your ticket or not is a