The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-04-04

d.
to the people, Of whose number tie discre-
ton Of the commissioners is the only limit,
and in whose hands such authority might
be made a terrible engine Of wrong, op.
preston and fraud. The general statutes
regulating the land and naval forces of the
United States, and the execution Of the
laws, are believed to be adequate to any
emergency which convenes in time Of
peace. If 1t should prove otherwise, Cons
gress can at any time amend those laws in
such u manner as while subscribing the
public welfare, will not icopar.iize tho
rights, interests and liberties Of the people.
The seventh section provides that a fec Of
ten dollars shall be paid to each commits.
sioner in every case brought before him.
and fee of FIVE dollars to his deputy or de-
puties, for each person he or they may az
rest and take before any such commissions
er, with any such after fees as may 10
deemed reasonable by such commissioner
in general fer performing such other duties
as may be required in the premises. All
these fees are to be paid out Of the Treasury
OF the United States, whether there Is q
conviction or not, but in case of conviction
they are to be recoverable from the defend
ant 1t seems to me that under the infu-
" ence Ofsuch temptations, bad men might
convert any law, however. beneficient, into
IN instrument OF persecution and fraud
BY the eighth section Of the bill the United
States courts which sit only In che place
for white citizens, must migrate with the
marshal and district attorney, and necessa.
rily with the clerk, although he is not men
TONED, to any part of the district upon the
order OF the President, and there hold
courts for the purpose Of a more speedy or.
rest and trial Of persons charged with a vi
Olation of the oct, and there the Judge and
officers OF the court must remain upon the
order Of the President the time therein des-
ignated. The ninth section authorizes tho
President or such persons as he may en-
power for that purpose, to employ such
part of the land or naval forces, or Of tho
militia, as shall be necessary to prevent
the violation, and enforce the due execu-
ton Of this act. This language seems to
imply permanent military force that is
to be always at hand, and whose only bust
ness is to be the enforcement of this meaa.
ure over, tho vast region where it is intend
ed to operate. / do not propose to consider
the policy Of this bill. To mo the details
Of the bill are fraught with evil. The
white race and the black race OF the South
have hitherto lived together under the re.
lation OF master and slave.
Capital owning labor, now that that re-
latiOn is changed, and as to ownership, cap.
ital and labor are divorced, they stand now
each master Of itself In this new relation,
one being necessary to the other, there will
be an adjustment which both are deeply
interested In making harmonious. Each
hes equal power in settling the terms, and
if left to the laws that regulate capital and
labor, it is confidently believed they will
satisfactorily work out the problem Cap
ital, it is true, has more intelligence, but
labor is never SO Ignorant as not to under
stand its own interest, not know it's value,
or not see that capital must pay the value.
This bill prostrates this adjustment. Tin.
teryenes between capital and labor, and at
tempts to settle question Of political
economy. This agency Of numerous off.
Gals, whose interest it will be to foment
discord between the two races, for, as the
tinue, and when it is closed their occupa-
ton will end. In all our history, in all our
history, in all our experience as q people,
living under Federal and State laws, no
such system as that contemplated by the
details Of this bill has ever before been pro.
posed or adopted. They establish for the
Safety Of the colored and against the white
race. They interfere with the municipal
legislation of the States, with relations ex
listing exclusively between State and citi
zen, and between the inhabitants of the
same State and the absorption and assunap
ton of power by the General Government
which, if acauiesced in, must necessarily
san and ultimately destroy our federatiys
system Of limited powers, and break dow1
the barriers v Mich preserve the rights Q,
the States. It is another step, or anothe,
stride, to Capitalization and the concentra
tion Of all legislative powers in the Nation
al Government. The tendency of the bill
must be to rescuscitate the spirit Of rebel
lion, and to arrest the progress Of those in
fuences which are more closely drawing
around the States the bonds Of union anf
peace. Ny lamented predecessor, in Iii
proclamation Of the first Of January, 1863
) ordered and declared that all persons hell
. as slaves within certain States and parts O
States therein designated, were, and thence
forward should be free; and further, tina
the Executive Government Of the United
States, including the military and nava
. authorities thereof, would recognize ant
maintain the freedom OF such persons
ms Just guarantee was rendered especla,
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