The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-04-20
Tho Military reconstruction Bill in
Court.

Judge Sharkey aud Hon. Robert J. Walker
have filed In the Supreme Court Of tho United
States, on behalf Of the State Of Mississippi, and
such other S,ales as may be interested In the
premises, who shall by consent Of tho Court
properly make themselves parties 10 the suit, a
bill Of complaint praying tina, President John.
son, with his officers and agents appointed for
that purpose, and especially General Edward q.
&. Ord, be perpetually enjoined and restrained
from executing the act TO provide for the more
efficient government OF the Rehel States. The
bill Of complaint sets forth In full the history Of
the State Of Mississippi and claims tho protection
OF the constitutional rights Of State, and ayers
that there are compacts fundamental" irrcvo-
cable" and unalierablc," securing to the
State Of Mississippi her rights as = State Of the
Union.
"MississiPpis rights as State ofihe Union ~.
This Is strange logic from the people that were
second only TO South Carolina In fostering &c
bcllion-who In their ordinance Of secession de-
MED any compact between the United States and
the several States save one Of CONFERENCE.-The
conicndcd that the bond might be sundered at
any time and who did declare that the contract
was broken and Mississippi an independent SOW.
crcignty. Acting upon this view Of the case,
the State Of Mississippi, waged war upon the
United States, and upon the establishment Of a
confederacy in opposition TO the Union became
one Of It's prominen, members and gave one Of
is citizens Of the head OF the new nation. The
history OF Mississippi during Eve years Of war is
well-known. No bclligerani State was more
et,au
the doctrine OF State righis-none put forth
greater efforts to destroy the old government
Mississippi then con,ended tina, all compacts be-
tween the States and the United States were al
terable at pleasure, and Il was upon this theory
tina, Jefferson Davis her Senator in Con.
rrcss. left his sea, in that body and went home
20 "precipitaie his State into rebellion The
State wen, TO war upon this issue, and was con.
qucrcd, aud now, instead Of owning to that fact
as a conquered nation should, aud accepting
such terms as the vie,ors might vouchsafe, the
scales seem 10 have fallen from the eyes Of is
people, and they lind innumerable fundamen.
tai. ' e irrevocable aud - unaltcrable rights
guaranteed them. They contend for this prin-
cplc on the theory that The laws Of the United
States did not recognize their action in seeding
aud must receive them back as equals in the
Union Il this be 50, iii is admitted ,ha, the
laws % the United States are immuiablc and
Interchangeable, then the theory OF State rights IS
forever destroyed, the people OF the seeded
states have excuse or pallia,ion for their
crimes they stand sef-convic,cl irators-for
10y their own showing in this bill OF complaint,
the state Of Mississippi endcavorcd TO violently
overthrow and subver, laws which she now ad-
mits arc d" irrcyOclble and unalicrable. II the
supreme Court recognizes the doctrines incorpo-
sAei in this DILL Of complaint then is it not a
gruss outrage that leading traitors should 60 un-
punished lis no, the mere idea Of their release
from all consequences u their treason 80 gross
anl lalpAblc violation Of the Las as to render
officials @; subjects for Impeachment? The loyal
people u the country have rights "a well as trail
tors, and even-haaiei jus,iee.lvmands the app-
cation OF the law 10 offenders