Wilmington journal., 1868-10-30
General Blair ON ReeonstructiOn-His For
mer Letter Explained and Elaborated.

General Blair ON ReeOnstructiOR-IIis For
mer Letter Explained and Elaborated.
The Lafayette Qnd.) Courier of Satur-
day last publishes the following letter from
General Frank P. Blair to q citizen of La
fayette
"FoRT SANDERS, WYOMING TERRITORY,
august "a, 1868.
&c To James HoDeS, Esq, Lafayette, Ind.:
"Dear Sir II have received your letter, in
| which you ask me if would endeavor to have the
constitutional of the reconstruction acts tested
by the Supreme Court before proceeding to treat
them null and void. In answer, have to say
that the vital principle of the reconstruction acts
null, and void, by the Supreme court, the whole
bench coneurring in the case Of Milligan and
Bowles, which went up from the State of Indiana
on writ of bdbedS corpus.
In that case it was decided, in the plain Ian
guage of the Constitution, that the Government
could not establish martial law in time OF peace,
or try citizen by military commission or court
martial. The reconstruction acts, so called,
stand on martial law, and nothing else It is the
essence of these acts. They were prepared and
put in execution in time of profound peace, in de-
tiance Of the unanimous decision of the Supreme
COURT, to which have referred, and they, and all
that has been done under them, are null and
void.
"A case was made under these acts (the case
of McCardle, OF Mississippi) and brought before
the Supreme Court andit is we'll known that the
court was ready to declare these acts unconstitu-
prive the Supreme Court of its jurisdiction, and
openly attempted to intimidate the judges by
threats Of remodelling the court.
The Supreme Court in another case Chat of
Cummings, of Missouri decided that the dis
franchisement of the white people OF the Southern
States by act of Congress was bill OF attain
der and an eG post tdcto law, 10th OF which were
forbidden in express terms by the Constitution
Even the Radicals admit in their Chicago platform
that the States alone have the right to decide who
shall be entitled to suffrage within the States; and
votH haa To faR thn iphf
the white people and give it to the negroes within
the Southern States.
s'The reconstruction acts violate the Constitu-
tiOn in all these particulars, and 1t has been
already so decided by the Supreme Court. The
Constitution says the military shall always be sub
ordinate to the civil authority but these acts
have superseded all civil authority, and erected
military governments at the South. Do you want
q decision OF the Supreme Court to show that this
isiunconstitutional? Are those who say that the
military is subordinate to the civil authority rev.
olutionists? Are those who demand the restora-
tion of the trial by Jury, which has been SUP
pressed in the South by the reconstruction acts
revolutionists? Are those who claim the benefit
of the great writ of right, the ha6eds corpus
which is denied to 8.000 900 OF our people by the
infamous reconstruction acts, to bo branded as
revolutiorists?
s'ShalI we be called revolutionists because we
proclaim in the very language Of the Constitu-
ton that Congress shall pass no bill of attainder
or eG post tdcto law? Or shall we be thus branded
for claiming what the Constitution comedies in
express words, that the States shall regulate suf-
frage for themselves Do we want more decisions
OF the Supreme Court on these points The truth
is, that the Radicals are the real revoutionists,
and have subverted the fundamental principles of
our Government and converted it into a mean
and malignant oigarchy, sure to lapse into
military despotism.
ITO restore the Government and the great
guarantees OF freedom contained in the Constitu-
tion and inherited from our ancestors is sreyo-
luton To execute the will of the people, whom
the fragmentary bump Congress has put at def
ance, is revolution To carry out the decisions
of the Supreme Court is revolution This revo-
luton is at hand. The peoples will, the judg-
ment OF the court OF the highest jurisdiction will
be enforced against usurping Bump Congress.
am, most respectfully
"your Obedient servant,
"FRANK P BLAIR"