The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1867-04-20

VIII
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inelHlllna ihe domestic mlatiHhs, ail
ils flgliis ~ properly, real and pef
suaal, lho rights II peponal security
and personal liberty, anl asaumes lho
fight ~ control tho wholo " the 10.
meslis ooncrfns II iha States. Iheao
aeta also provide that iho govern.
meniA now eSistine Nv lhc Southern
States afc bnt provisional govern
menia, subject 10 the paramount an.
tliofiiy N Cmgfna, which may N
any time abolish, modify, control. ~
supcfrcdc them. Thee ads were
vetoed by The President, but we're
passed over The vctocs by two-thirds
Of both hmlscs o. now ofganIged, ten
Stats being excluded from rcpreson.
tation IN both Houses.
Now, The complainant expressly
charges that, from information and
belief, The mid Andrew johnson,
President, IN violation Of the Consii.
tuition, and IN violation Of tho sacrcd
rights Of the States, will proceed, not.
withstandiug his yctocs, aud rs a
mere ministerial duty, TO the exccu-
lion OF said acts, rs though they were
the law Of the land, which The vciocs
prove he would not do if he had any
discretion, or that In doing so he per-
formed amy thing more than mere
ministerial duty. Andrew johnson
has assigned military commanders to
the several districts to carry them
into complete and full execution, aud
for this purpose has assigned General
Il. O. G. Ord, a citizen of the State
of Maryland, to the command of the
States Of Mississippi and Arkansas,
whom complainant prays may be
made defendant of this bill, and
served with all proper process, etc.
And complainant further AYERS that
the said General L. O. c. Ord will
lspeedily enter on the discharge oI
said duties, unless restrained by thi.
honorable court.
Now complainant ayers and charge,
that the execution Of said acts, by
enforcing them in the manner therein
] provided, will cause and produce i'm.
mediate and irreparable mischief il
the States to which it applies, q,
must be manifest to the court, in this
that they are repugnant to the Fed.
eral Constitution, and violate tn,
spirit, the purpose, and the objects o.
the compacts between Georgia, Vir.
ginia and the United States; it will
deprive the States of every attribut,
of State authority, and practically
annihilate them as States, by convert.
ing them into subordinate dependen,
cies; it will derange the whole system
of internal or domestic affairs; Il will
annul their legislation, and subvert
their whole judicial system. Inas.
much as il declares the State Gov.
crnments illegal, il may annul al
contracts and titles to property madt
with reference to existing laws. II
will deprive the people Of their mosl
sacred rights; their exemption from
arrests except on warrant founded on
affidavit; their right of the interven-
tion of a grand jury, and their right
Of trial by jury, and establish arbi-
trary and despotic military powers
on the ruins of their constitutional
rights. II will produce a train oi
irreparable mischiefs that may not be
corrected for years, as the court will
readily perceive; and they can only
be prevented by very speedy appli-
cation Of the restraining powers Of
this court. But, above all, these
acts. If maintained, establish n pre-
cedent by which Congress, composed
Of majority of States, may at pleas
ure exclude any State, or any number
OF States from the American Union.
And complainant would further
show that many legal questions must
arise under these bills if the govern
mcnts contemplated by them be car.
ricd out, which sooner or later mus
como before this court for final adju.
dication; and Il Is believed TINT thes,
bills will ultimately be declared un.
constitutional in their whole length
and breadth. As a consequence, al
acts that may have been done under
them must be declared void, even L
the constitutions which may b
formed under them. The mischief
that must result from such a state o
things arc incalculabIe. Suits with
out number, not only in regard &
rights Of property, but for punish
ments inflicted without authority,
total disorganization Of the presen
government, inasmuch as no election
can be held to gil the State Offices,
state Of anarchy must intervene unit
government can be again reorganize
by the people. Therefore publ
policy, the good order Of society, III