Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-02-25
1.-THE BriGadiering Policy Of
CNmw H.eaa.ee

"The BriGadiering Foley OF
Cong ress.''
The Cincinnati Commercial most une
ouivvcii condemns the military govcrns
mcnt bill which Congress has adopted. al
though there 10 slight variation between
the senate and the House bills. They both
agree, however, in placing the property. the
liberty and the lives Of the people Of ten
States completely in the power Of irssspons>
lille military tribunals, or at the will 81 mil
itsrs officers governed BY the rassions and
fraities which flesh 10 heir to. A few years
ago even the suggestion Of such mootreus
wrong would have caused revolution. but
nov, so deadened hes become public sensis
mens in regard to the usurpation Of power,
90 accustomed TO ito exercise and the over.
throw Of the rights and liberty Of the eiti.
zens, that bill wiping out, with one fell
swoop, q civil government In ten States,
hardly causes a ripple upon the great sec
Of public opinion. The Commercial, al
though Jealous representative Of the party
n power, enters manly protest sgainst
the attempt Of Congress- to supplsnt civil
government NTH military deapotism or, to
use its own expressive term, "the Briga.
diering policy Of Congress" IL the people
will not listen to the truth from Democratic
sources, We trust they will give heed to Re
publican oraclss. We give the Commercial
article in full upon the disposition and
action Of Congress. It says:
The present intense activity IN Washing
ton il attributable to the fact that on 70.
morrow We will be within ten days Of the
expiration Of the Thirty Ninth Congress
and after that the President has only q
pocket bill and Il dies, for he has ten
days In which 10 return bill TO the House
In which II originated, with HE objections
aud when HE signature . wanting . meas
urc can become Law only on being passed
by two thirds vote over bis veto.
Congress has this, - well - last winter
been drifting ON the reconstruction ques
ton. These has been . disposition OH tn,
part Of Congress, - well % on that Of thu
President. TO disregard the popular indorss
ment Of the constitutional anne Ddment and
recently the rejection Of the amendment b.
the Southern states has given the ultrss ia
Congress an initiative aud power in forcing
extreme measures upon the country that We
regard ~ cxtra-hsxardous.
Tho task before Congress 10 one Of sx
ceoding difficulty. and the action Of that
body should be watched. not only With 20.
hcitude. but with sympathy; and yet oui
appreciation Of the ma nitudc Of the task un
dertaken should not interfere with the peo
ple's duty Of critical wa,ci,iulncss and thcii
prcroeat,vc Of warning aud admonishinu
their representatives OF dangerous crrsrs
either Of omission or commission
We must confess, however, that We da
not sec the evidence IN the proceedings %
Congress of tina: clear understanding OF il,
high and delicate responsibilities or among
the people who support Congress that en-
lHhtcncd consciousness Of the mistakes al
that body tina. we would desire to see. The
military gov rnment bill which has passed
tie House Of Representatives, must be
Ranked NJ nm extreme and dangerous neas.
urc, II not as great crime done in the
name Of liberty. Perhaps . part Of the
plhlic spathy We see may be accounted FOR
on la Rochctoucauld's maxim that I'VE bear
with eqnanimiiy other peoples troubles,
but 1t Is time this proposition to make
paramount and eternal the rule OF Bri.a
ders over the South, should be analysed
The preamble gives as the reason for III,
bill thai the Southern States governments
afford no adequate protection for life and
property, etc. and that III j. necessary
tina, peace and good order should he en-
forced in sad States" II local government,
may, at any time, DO overthrow by act oil
Congress when majority may think such
state OF things exist, every one Of ON
State governments is absolutely at the m-r.
~ OF Congress. Here 10 M psctcnsc Of or.
gained resistance TO the Federal Governs
ment; no pretemsc that a single battalion
u, troops is in arms against us from the Po
tomac u the RIO Grands, no pretenss that
there is any other disturbance than preva,
lcnce Of crime which il unusual, aud NJ
unwillingncss Of courts and jurics 10 puni,h
il. yet on this Congress "a to assume The
right to othcrthrow the local governments
10 declare them pretended, so that oui
warrant may DO given 10 every crtninally
disposed person e. treat thor laws an nall
and their courts as without authority. aud
after thus Offering premium for crime and
general lawlessness, TO turn them over %
martial aN ,
hc Union party conventions in 1865 en-.
dorscd the provisional governments Of the
South. AMI the reconstruction policy based
on them. nnl has thus plainly recognized
these governments a something more thar
"pretended : AID by an acquicsence of tWt
years We have prccludcd ourselves FROM
denying that they have rightiully exercised
all LEGAL authority and have legitimate exis
tencc, until IN some duo process Of law
civil law-thcy arc lcgtimstcly and consti
tu,ionally changed, or until some new and
real mot "pretendcd') instruction, shall
make the intcrpcstio Of military force IN
actual necessity;
Ia tine body Of the bill we find not only
military rule but the most entirely uulimit>
ed aud unrestrnincd rule Of the sword which
has ever been embodied in the form Of q
Law o! a civilized nation. The only noticca-
be feature of the first section il the unwise
and useless attempt to supcrsede the Com.
mAnder in Chief Of the army and navy Rx.
ed by the Constitution by tho General Of
the army" We can hardly believe any
member Of Congress 30 ignorant or seak %
to think the responsibility for the execution
W WIZ nav tau ~ uYOU ouv VUc Uut Sue
Presiden', aud the provision could only be
framed in the belle: that the acts Of the
present Congress ere Of higher sanction
and far more fundamental than the funda.
mental law which gives the House its ex.
istcnce.
But whether Congress knows this OF not
Gen. Grant and the army perfectly under
stand TINT the President ia their superior
military officer, whom they are implicitly
bound to obey by the frat article Of tn,
army regulations, and whom they have each
sclcmnly srorn to obey und the tenth sec
ticn Of the articles Of war. They know
moreover. tina. il they i,sobcy, thew ma,
not only be court martialed aud shot, (un
der the ninth article Of war) but for an,
hesitation or disobediencc they may
summsrily stricken from the army list
: These enormous powers Of absolute miitsr
spotlstn over ten States a:c therefore nc
pat 'n,o the hands Of the army only, bu
into the hands Of the ono man of all other
who Is regarded by Congress with hatre,
and dis,rast. and whom they would gladl,
deprive ci the power Of appointing even
petty postmaster in the Northern States.
The third section of the bill leaves a
recognition OF the local cour's and author
itics entirely to the discretion Of the BRIG
adler General commanding the district, an,
a L.. .l..A-