The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-06
Mississippi Before the Supreme Court
The Old Southern Twaddle, bat a
Most important Movement.

from the ". Y. Herald otto-day.
Before the Supreme Court OF the United
States yesterday William l.. Sharkey and
Robert j. Walker, in behalf of the State of
Missis sippi, appeared with their bill of COM
plants and petition tprinted in full yesterday,
praying perpetual Injunction against the
execution OF the laws OF Congress recently
enacted for the reconstruction of the Rebel
States. Whatever the object may be, this me-
moral embodies all the old preposterous
Southern twaddle of State sovereignty and
reserved State rights, including the right oil
secession, the right OF rebellion, and the right,
after rehellng to return untouched to the
rights of the Union.
After reciting the several acts and compacts
whereby Mississippi became State OF the Union
the petitioners contend that their State thus be-
came possessed of certain irrevocaole State
rights which the late Rebellion has not dis
turbed. "The said State admits that by the
wrongful acts of part of her citizens, and the
neglect of the Federal authorities to protect the
loyal, her Government became temporarily
disorganized in reference to its relations with
the Federal Government; but she claims that
this evil has been corrected In the proper
manner by the people of the State, and
that if In the premises her proceedings have
been somewhat irregular, they are still above
the reach Of Congress- in being the acts OF the
sovereign people of Mississippi. She next
complains of these acts OF an unconstitutional
Congress, whereby she and nine other sovereign
States. while denied representation IN Congress,
are taxed and subjected 10 military despotlsm
initiates the State Governments" concerned.
Next as the complainant (MississippD charges,
that President johnson, Notwithstanding his
vetoes will enforce these acts OF Congress un-
less restrained by the Court, depriWug the
States and people concerned OF their most
sacred rights, and producing "a train OF irrepa-
rable mischief that may not be corrected for
years. II Is urged upon the Court that public
policy, the good order OF socety,iand the safety
of the people, call loudly for speedy redress"
Reduced to plain English, Messrs. Sharkey
and Walkers argument amounts to this; that
the war against the Union by Mlssi9sippl ana
her confederate States, under foreign govern
ment, for four long years sinyolving the sacrldce
of three hundred and hity Thousand Union sol
diers and sailors to disarm this nosule coaii,
ton, was only "a temporary dlsorganHatloh,
| or nothing more, consJitutonallY consdereu,
than al election riot; that the lnsurgen' league
| nj States in being disarmed were restofeu 10
S'the Constitution as 1t was" and 70 their rights
| "a thew were before the Wari ana that since tue
surrender of their Rebel armies the acts OF every
| CONGRESS from which said States nave peeh eSS' X
| cIuded are unconstitutional, nui! ana Voldi
| that in short under the Constitution, TWO
| States or ten States, or more, may, un9er a
foreign government, fight to destroy the 1i O1ion
/ for tour wears, or twenty years ana on nhulng
| that the Union is too strong Tor them Ihey may
| faIl hack upon their eonstltuonal rlghts' and
| return TO the Union just as II nothlng 4ad nap
| nened and with nothing to pay.
| This is substantially the argument OF W. H.
sbarkev and r. j. Walker in behalf OF an In
junction from the Supreme Court restraining