The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-20
millions of American citizens, and to their
20 G.,,, Z

millions of American citizens, and to their
posterity for an indefinite period.
1t seems to be scarcely possible that any
one shOnld seriously believe this consistent
with Constitution which declares in sim
pie; plain Advantageous language, that all
persons shall have that right, and that no
person shall ever in any ease be deprived
OF it The Constitution also forbids tile
arrest of citizens without il Judiciary war
rant or foundation for probable cause.
This bill authorizes arrest without warrant
at the pleasure of military commander
The Constitution declares thtit no person
shall be held for capital or otherinfamous
crlme, unless on presentment by q grand
jury: This bill holds. every person not a
soldier answerable for all crimes and all
charges, without any presentment The
Constitution declares that no person shall
be deprived oflife, liberty orpruperty with
out due process of law.
This bill sets aside all process bf law and
makes the citizen answerable in his person
and property to the will of one man, and
to one hislife to the will Of him; Finally,
the Constitution declares that the privilege
OF the lai'eas corpus shall not be suspended
unless when in the case of rebellion or III
vasion the public safety my require it;
whereas this bill declares martial law
which, of itself, suspends tits great writ in
time OF peace, and authorize the military
to make the arrest and give to the prisoner
only one privilege, and that is d trial With.
out unnecessary delay: !,
He has no hope of release ff6in custody
except the hope, such as it is, of releaee by
acquital before d military, commission
The United States are bound to guarantee
to each State republican form Of govern
ment. Can it be pretended. that this obi
CATION is palpably broken If we carry out 8
measure like this, which strips away every
vcstige of republican government in ter
States, and puts the life, property and
honor of all the people in each of them un
der the domination Of single person
clothed with the authority?
The parliament of England, exercising
the Omnipotent power which it claimed
was accustomed to pass bills of attainder-
that is to say, it would convict men of trea
son and other crimes by legislative enact
ment., Tho person accused had d hearing
,sometimes-a patient and Fiji one--btlt th,
RucldI parry, w ilo NClC plGJuuiCtu, plC
vailed instead of justice, and it often be
came necessary for parliament to &C
knowledge its error and reverse it's bwr
action
The fathers Of our country determined
that no such thing should occurhere. The,
withheld the, power from Congress, ant
thus forbade it's exercise by Congress; ant
they provided in the Constitution that n,
State should pass any billattainder. 1t is
therefore, impossible for any person in thi
country to be constitutionally convicted o
punished for any crime for Legislative
proceeding of any sort.
i Nevertheless here is a bill of attainde
against ninemillions of people. 1t is basel
upon an accusation so vague as to be scarce
ly intelligible, and found to be true upol
no creditable evidence. Not one of th
nine millions was heard in his own defense
The representatives Of the doomed partie
were excluded from all participation il
the trial The conviction is to be followed
by the most ignominions punishment eve
inflicted on large masses of men. 1t dis
franchises them by hundreds of thousand
and degrades them all-even those VIII
are admitted to be guilty-from the ranl
of freedmen to the condition of slaves.