Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-07-04
What Will Congress Do 4?

Notwithstanding the oft-repeated decla-
ration that the reconstruction bills were
not intended to destroy the de facto gov
ernments of the ''rebel States" Git having
been declared that ''no legal State govern
ments'' EXIST some of the district comman-
dants, -Generals Sickles, Sheridan and
Pope,-have taken upon themselves to de-
pose civil officers, from Governor down to
a town Sergeant, upon the plea that they
were ''impedients' in the way of the exc
cution of the laws of Congress, &c. No
evidence has been adduced to show that
any Of these civil officers ever refused to
perform their legitimate functions in pre-
serving order and Furnishing offenders,
and yet they have been removed for fail
ing to suppress mob, as in the case Of
the civil authorities of New Orleans, Mo-
bile, Charleston, &C. Instead of aiding
the civil authorities to execute the laws,
they have either usurped their functions
or removed them for political reasons
Gen. Scho6eld, on the contrary, in Gene
raj Orders No. 81, takes the proper view
of the powers intended to be conferred up
on the commandments of the several militia
ry districts, when he says: cit is intended
to aid the civil authority, and not to su-
percede them, except in cases of necessity"
That is to say, if an emergency should
arise, as in the late negro riot in Rich
mond, where the civil authority is liable
to be overpowered by brute force, it is the
obvious duty of the military to furnish
the requisite aid to preserve order and in
sure the prompt execution of the laws.
This arbitrary exercise of power on the
part of the three commanders named has
been submitted to the proper judicial Off
Ger Of the government, and he has given
an opinion adverse to the pretentions of
these commandments, which has been con-
cured in by the President and his Cabinet
Gen Sheridan, who removed the Govern
or of Louisiana and other civil officers, re-
fuses to be governed by the opinion of the
Attorney General and the instructions of
the President; and Gen. Sickles has ten
dered his resignation. The question is.
will Congress accept Gen. Schofeld's in
depreciation Of the powers of the military
commandments under the late acts, or will
that body make an issue with the President
and the Attorney General and justify the
course pursued by Gems. Sheridan, Pope
and Sickles? We cannot undertake to
answer this question, but would fain hope
that we have seen the last of the vindic-
tive measures heretofore enacted, it would
seem, more for the purpose of furnishing
the 'rebels'' and advancing the interests
of the radical party than to reconstruct the
union.
Again: great anxiety is felt relative to
the case of Mr.. Downey of Richmond, who
has been indicted for perjury for register
ing in violation Of a provision of the Alex
andria Constitution, elsewhere referred to-
Will Congress stultify itself by adopting
the views of those eminent jurists," Hun
nicutt and Underwood and some half do
zen Of the registrars, including those in
this county, Or will they sustain the more
enlightened and patriotic views of General
Schofeld, who has done all, but has de-
clined to do more than is required, by the
acts from which he derives his authority
As Congress probably met yesterday, and
will doubtless proceed at once to the con-
sideration Of these important questions, we
shall not trouble the reader with any spe-
culations as to what will be done.
q