The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-03-13

their circumstances will permit.
The bill, however, would seem to
show upon its face that the establish.
mcnt OF peace and good order is not its
real object. The fifth section declares
that the preceding sections shall cease to
operate in any State whore certain
cycnts shall have happened. These
events are--lirst, the selection Of dole.
gates to State Convention, by. an
election at which negroes shall be allow.
cd to vote. Second. the formation Of u
STATE Constitution by the conventions
so chosen. Third, the insertion into the
State Constitution ola provision which
will secure the right OF voting at all
elections to negroes, and to such white
men MS may not be disfranchscd for
rebellion OF felony. Fourth, the sub.
mission OF tho Constitution for ratiiica.
lion to negroes and white men not dis.
1ranchised, and its actual ratification by
thclr vote. Fifth, the submission Of the
State Constitution to Congress for cx-l
animation aud approval, and the aclua-
approval Gift by that body. Sixth,
The adoption Of certain amendment to
the Federal Constitution by vote Of
the Legislature elected under tho new
Constitution. Seventh, the adoption Of
'ala amendment by n sufficient number
ot other States to make it u part Of tho
Constitution Of the United States. All
these conditions must DO fulfilled before
the people Of any of these States can
BE- relieved from the bondage Of military
domination; hut when they arc fulfilled,
lhcn Immediately the pains and penal
lIcs ci.thc bill are TO cease, no matter
whether there be peace and order or
not, and without any reference to tho
security OF life or property. The excuse
given for tho bill in tho preamble is
admitted by the bill itself not to he real.
The military rule which 1t establishes is
plainly to be usrd--not for any purpose
Of order or for the prevention Of crime,
but solely as Il means Of cocrcing HE
people into tho adoption OF principles
and measures to which it is known that
thcy are opposed, and upon which they
have an undcniable right to exercise
their own Judgment.
| submit to Congress whether this
measure is not, in is whole character,
scope and object without precedent and
without authority, in p"lpable conflict
with the plaincst provisions OF the Con.
stitu'ons and utterly destructive to
those great principles of liberty and
humanity for which our ancestors on
boil, sides of the Atlantic have she'd SO
much blood and expended 50 much trca.
sure. Sd,
The, ten States named in The bin are
divided into five districts. For each
district, an officer Of. the army, not be-
low tho ranks Of brisadicr.gcncral, is to
be appointed to rule over the people,
and ne is to be supported with an eli.
Gent military force to enable him to
perform his s'lniics and enforce his au-
thority. Those duties and that authoti-
", as defined by the third section Of the
bAl, arc to protect III persons in their
rights Of person and property, to sup
press insnrrcction. disorder and violence,
AMI TO punish. or cause to bo punished
all disturbcra Of tho public peace, or
criminals" The power thus given to
the commanding officer over all the
people of each district is that ola abso.
lutte monarch. Hismcrc will is to take
the place Of all law Tho law Of the
States is now the only rule applicable
to the subjects placed under. his control,
and that is completely Displaced by
The clause which declares all interfcr-'
cncc OF State authority to be null and
void. lie alone is permitted to deter.
mine what are rights of person pro.
pcrty, aud he may protect them in such
was as he m his discretion may deem
proper, 1t placcsat his free disposal all
the lands aud goods in his district, and
he may distribute them without let or
hindrance to whom he plcases. Being
bound by no State law, and there being
no other law to regulate Tho subject, he
may make o criminal code Of his own :.
and9he can mako it as bloody as any
recorded in history, or he can reserve
tho privilege ofacting upon tho impulse
Of the private PASSIONS IN each case that
arises. Ileis bouni by. no rulo ofovi.
dcnce; there is indeed, no provision by
which he is authorized or required to
take any evidence at all. Everything
is crime which no chooses to call so,
and all persons arc condemned whom he
tpronounccs to be guilty. He is not
bound to, keep any record, or make any
report Of his proceedings. Hc may
arrest his victims wherever he finds
them, without warrant, accusation or
proof OF probable cause. IF ho gives
Them a trial before he .inflicts. the pun
ishment, he gives it ofhis grace and
mercy, not because he is commanded SO
Ttodo. ~ "a Z. n
q To a casual reader Of the bill, it tmight
seem that some kind Of trial was secnr-
! ed By tito persons accused Of crime /;
but sllcll issnot The, case, Tho officer
'may allow local civil tribunals to try
offenders but, of coErse, this does not
require that he .shall do so. If any
State or Federal conrt presumes to exor
| else its}lcgal jurisdiction by the trial Of a
imalefaetor without his speclal permits.
sion, he canSbrealeitsnp and pnnishsthe
judges and Jurors as being themselves
iun1afh ri nrs Hin ran paVaS his frien1s