Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-06-20

military authority. Stanbery contends that
the generals cannot interfere with the COM
munitles unless they get ups riot, in which
case the riot may be quelled Well, Gen.
Grant issued an order July 6, 1866, direct
Ing commanders in the South 10 arrest all
Rebels charged with offenses against inhabi-
tants of the United States, irrespective of
color, and hold them until proper "tri-
\ bunaP' could try them. Stanbery virtually
says that the Military bill repeates this order,
which was dead letter so far as Mayor
Monroe and many other criminals were con-
cerned Beyond keeping the peace these
commanders have no power! The regular
state officials" says Mr.. Stanbery, ''duly
elected and qualified, ''are entitled to hold
their offices. They, too, '.haye rights
which the military commander Is "bound
70 protect not authorized to destroy"
Mayor Monroe may organize his police
thugs, Gen. Sheridan is bound to protect
them! Judge Abel may throw his ermine
over assassins and call upon the Grand Jury
to indict innocent and prosecuted men,
Gen. Sheridan is bound to protect him. All.
the resources of the States are committed to
Rebels, all the patronage of these COM
munities is given to men who long to OPP
press the black, and restore their own
power. The money, the influence, the taxes
OF the South are at once returned to enemies
OF the Republic. and the generals in COM
mand are OF no more use than if they were
holding dress-parades on Governors Island.
Suppose these ''civil 'sofficers" wish to i'm
pede reconstruction Who shall say nay.
suppose Virginia passes another s'vagrant
law"-like the one which Terry overruled
before he was sent to the mountains. Where
is the power to annul ii? Suppose the Leg
stature of Louisiana makes certain tests of |
suffrage. or laws passed on the difference of |
races What power can undo the wrong +? |
We might continue, so fruitful are the illus
trations, to show thousand cases in which |
the responsibility of the civil" and the |
helplessness Of the military power will make |
the operations of the military bill impossi- |
bic. II President johnson acts upon the adj
vice of his counselor, the work of Recon-
struction stops.
Above all--and here we approach the |
crime of the opinion-this is not the con-
struction intended by Congress, and accept |
ed by the Administration and the country. |
In this respect the Attorney General is dis |
honest. He is a partisan endeavoring to
prepare the country for a great wrong. We |
are afraid we cannot trust the Presinent
He seems to have the fatal facility of blum
dering, of getting himself and his friends
INTO IN trouble, of bringing peril in the country.
Nothing seems to annoy him SO much as
peace. We believe he means if he dares to |
strike blow at the Reconstruction policy of |
Congress, and brit 6 up from the pit of sin
and iniquity the shameless policy by |
which he sought to deprive race of its
dearly earned rights. We must show him
that he dare not. Congress should assemble
in July and address itself again to Recon
struction. We must make this bill so plain
that even Stanbery may understand it, and |
so comprehensive that the President cannot
escape its execution. We regret that the
Administration has forced another issue up
on the country. We must promptly meet