The Oxford falcon. [volume] (Oxford, Miss.) 1865-18??, 1867-10-12

'contilct With tho constitution in
any respect. '"m y" aH'"' 10 i"d
reading such a preamble
it, wogld naturally bol supposed
that the body Of the act contained
provisions looking to the moro
nadcquatc projection of life or
property but. are any such pro-
.visiOna to be found there2 Not
at all, on the contrary tho subject
is never alluded to; what protec-
ton We had by our laws was
taken from us; then the preamble
was a mere false pretence our
protection was confided to the ten
der mercies of u military despo-
tism. The ten southern states
were made to comprise five mill
tAry districts, each placed under
tho control of q military command
er, probably in imitation of the
example set by an arbitrary and
tyranical King of England, who
divided tho Kingdom into militia
,Ey districts Q0nr l beliovo) with
a General in command of each dis
trict. The act proceeds to declare
that IL shall bo the duty of the
commanding general ito protect
all persons, in their rights of prop
erty, TO suppress Instructions,
disorder and violence, and to pun
'islT or cause to be punished all dis
tuFbers of the peace and crimi-
mails" Now mark the broad OK
tent of this language; the military
officers was to do all this without
law, without courts, except militia
ryicourts, without jury: no rule to
gHide him but his own will. And
!, what little power was wanting to
make his will absolutely supreme
has been given him by the recent
act OF the called session. And
this is the protection to life and
property so pOmpOusly foreshad-
owed by the preamble. iii be
protection To the rights of person
and property to place them at the
discretion ofonc n:anAto dispense
with the principle that no man
shall be deprived of life, liberty or
property but by due course of
law-tO dispense with warrant
Funded on affidavit as pre-re-
quisite to arrcst-tO dispense with
tthe sacred right of trial by jury,
TO deny tho priyi5sgc of the ha-,
beas corpus, then We have it, and
civil government is mere mock
cry. Either history is false or u
military government is the most
tyranical, the. most oppressive
and the most insecure for life or
property. excepting only the des-
pOtism of an assembly of tyrants.
The man must be deluded indeed
who can believe that protection or
good order was any part Of the
object Of these acts. What then
fNRerc the Objects2 & l repeat, party
strength, destruction Of the gov
ernment. 1t is plainly to be i'm
| piled from the language of the
| preamble, that congress claimed
Supfemacy over the state govern
ments, and this CHIN is undis-
bguisedly set forth in the 9th sec
ton, which declares that "any
civil government which may OK
ist in any of said states shall be
deemed provisional only, and in
all respects subject to the para
mount authority of tho United
States, at. any time to abolish,
modify or supercedc the same"
There is no mistaking this Ian
guago; it amounts simply to an
assertion that Congress issupreme,
and can, abolish, control, modify
or supersede the, state govern
ments ut pleasure, for it has been
shown that Mississippi was d state
IN tho Union; so recognized by all
tbe departments, so settled beyond
tho power of denial, by the issue
OF the war. If this can be done
with regard to Mississippi, then
tho same may be done with regard
torany other state, or alkof them,
: b. Still further to prove that the
aIledged insecurity for life and
property werc not the evils to be
redressed, we, look in Tain in the
acts for any provisions requiring
the, convention to be called TO pro
vide for any. further security than
; that already furnished by the laws
. ! Of the state. We find them, how.
: ever, very clear and explicit on
another subject, and the object SC
: clearly put forth we must take a'
: the true purpose Of the enactment
} 1t is that the negroes shah be en-
titlcd to- vote at the election fol-
: members Of the, convention. and i
command to the convention to SO
t cure them their votes by the con
: stitation to be formed, and tha
|, feertain whites, amounting to- 1
, great number, should be disfran
Q ichised, very. clearly to give tn
: negro prepOnderance Of power
Q In the convention which formed
t the consultation Of the Unite'
Q States the stlltes most decided,
h and persisteRtly refused to surreh
}, der, the right to regulate the cleo
! tive franchise but reserved it :
d each state FOR itself. Nor did tn
|. Estates grant to congfess the Figh
t TO bgislateaon the Aubjeut,of Oh
, rights Of their citizens. WeknoN
Q that tho federal government wa