The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-08-03

OF, or any municipal VI o'liei ulNlSloh
thereof" ,> Il 90 -., atas ID"
A power that hitherto all the depart
ments of the federal government, act !
inc in concert or separately, have not |
dared to exercise, is here attempted to
be conferred on subordinate military
officer. To him, as military officer
of the federal government, is given the
power, Supported by sufficient mill
tary force" to remove every civil Off
Ger of the State. What next? The di- |
vision commander who has thus de- |
posed a civil officer is to fill the vacancy
by the detail of an officer or soldier OF
the army, or by the appointment OF
Hsome eotherperson." - .sHl
This military appointee, whether an
officer, soldier, or ''some other per-
son. is to perform the duties of such
officer or person so suspended or re-
moved. In other words, an officer or
soldier of the army is thus transformed
into civil officer. He may be made
a governor, legislator, or a judge. How
ever unfit he may deem himself for
such civil duties, he must obey the or
der. The officer of the army must, if
detailed" go upon the supreme bench
of the State with the same prompt obe-
dience as if he were detailed to go up
on a court-martial. The soldier, if de-
tailed to act as a justice of the peace,
must obey as quickly as if he were de-
tailed for picket duty.
What is the character of such mill
tary civil officer? This bill declares
that he shall perform the duties of the
civil office to which he. is detailed. 1t
is clear, however, that he does not lose
his position in the military service.
He is still an officer or soldier of the
army he is still subject to therules and
regulations which govern it, and must
yield due Difference, respect and obedi-
ence towards his superiors. The clear
intent of this section is, that the officer
or soldier detailed to fill civil office
must execute his duties according to
the laws of the State.
If he is appointed Governor of a
State, he is to execute the duties as pro-
vided by the laws of that State and for
the time being his military character
is to be suspended in his new civil ca
pacity. If he is appointed a State
Treasurer he must at once assume the
custody and disbursement of the funds
of the State, and must perform these
: duties precisely according to the laws
of the State; for he is entrusted with
no other official duty or other officia
power. Holding the office of treasurer
and entrusted with funds, it happens
that he is required by the State laws tt
enter into bond with security, and tt
!. ke an oath of office, yet from the be
nin 1ing of the bill to the end there il
- e. =, DIVISION for any bond or oath o
oe,oo Or for single qualification re
onirod ;, nder the State law, such as res
idpncp cit, 'zenship, or anything else
The onlv oat,sS is that provided for il
tbanintb Soctib, by the terms of which
every one detailet. is ito take and, t.
subscribe the oath o { office preseribe'
by law for officers oi 'i'' p h'''
States" '''' .' ''s.
Thus an officer of thearl. y y O aaea
ted States, detailed to fill a oen;S
in one of these States, gives e.. th
bond and takes no official oath o;~,;
performance of his new duties as A.
officer of the State only takes 20
same oath which he had already tab /.
as a military officer of the Unite
States. He is, at least, military officer
performing civil duties, and the all
thOrity under which he acts is federal
authority only and the inevitable rer
suit is that the federal government, by
the agency of its own sworn officers, in
effect assumes the civil government of
the States. t"'
p" A singular contradiction is apparent
here. Congress declares these local
State governments to be Illegal gov
ernments, and then provides that these
illegal governments shall be carried ON
by federal officers, who are to perform
the very duties imposed on itsown Off
GERS by this illegal State authority. 1t
certainly would be novel spectacle if
Congress should attempt to carry on a
legal State government by the agency
of it's own officers. 1t is yet more
strange that Congress attempts to sus-
tain and carry on an illegal State gov.
ernment by the same federal agency.
In this connection must call atten-
tion to the 10th and 14th sections of the
bill, which provide that none of the
officers or appointees of these military
commanders "shail be bound in his ac-
ton by any opinion of any civil officer
of the United States" and that all the
provisions of the act 'shall be construed
literally, to the end that all the intents
thereof may be fully and perfectly car
ried out.n -'' -'..'..'' '..'' ,.''
Tt seems Congress supposed that this
bill might require construction, and
they fix, therefore, the rule to be ap-
piled. But where is the construction
to come from? Certainly no one can
be more in want of instruction than. a
soldier or an officer of the army detailed