Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-01-30

mulgatsd by General Hancock on az
| suming command OF the Fiftb Military
District, and as 1t has been presented by
the President to Congress for its sdmi-
and remark. And forfear that it may be
said that have misreprssentsd the or
dAr or done 1t unjustice, will ask my
friend to read the whole Of 1t in your
hearing:
HgADons. FIyTH MILITARY DrsT,l
NEW ORLEANS. La. Nov. 70, '6T.
with General orders No. 81, headquarters OF tho
army, Adjutant Generals Onice Warrington
cock hereby assumes Command OF The Fiftb
Military District, and Of the Department COM
posed Of the states Of Louisians and Texas.
and aales 1ei ,n tEs aeears 70
ment; IL will Dc his purpose to preserve this
end he regards the main tenance OF the civil au-
thortie. In the faithful execution Of the laws as
the most ancient under exist ng oircnms cos
In war 1t IL Indispensable 10 repel force by
iorees nad overthrow and destroy 6pposfsfos %
foree ha. scn oy.rbsavn su ncn .ns
Ell, and the civil authorities are ready and will
lag 20 perform their duties. the military power
should cease 70 lead, and the civil adm infstrn-
/ tion resume Its natural and rightful dominion,
| solemnly impressed with these views the Gem
xmerisan liberty sall are ahe .%fni fheRs ih6srp o.
ance Of this people and ever should be. Tine
| berty OF the press, the freedom Of speech, and
I the natural rights OF persons and the risfts OF
! property must be preserved.
Free Institutions, while they are essential 10
the prosperity and happiness of the people al
waysfurnish the strongest Inducements TO peace
this District must be referred to the considera-
tion and judgment Of the regular CT VII tribunals
nno tnyse tribunals VIII % siIDpoTssd ia their
should there be violations OF existing laws
trates, or should faiures in tp. n ST
Of justice by the courts be complained Of the
cases VIII De reported TO these headquarters,
when such orders Will be made as may be deems
| ed necessary.
While the General thus indicates his purpose
20 respect the liberties Of the people, he wishes
all to understand that armed insurreotions or
foreibly resistancs to the law will be instantly
~ command Of Major Gen. W. g. Hancock.
L -JH W. g. MITCHELL
! Bvt Col Acting Asst AdJt General
lOmeial.l NATHANIEL BURBANK
A., Acting Assistant Adj't General.
This order is like the apples Of the Dead
Sea, which are fair to the eye, but turn
to ashes on the lip" The first thing no.
ticeable in it is that 1t makes no refer
ence to the work of reconstruction or the
business for which he was placed in COM
mand Of the district. The position to
which he was appointed was created by
an act of Congress- to enable him 10 man
age the machinery of reconstruction for
the states OF Louisiana and Texas, and
his duties are prescribed by law; but in
his Introductory order he makes no men,
ton of this business and seems toeontem-
plate purposes hostile to it. He was not
Ignorant OF his business, nor did he for.
get 1t, and his omission to refer to 1t /,
significant Of his purpose to defeat it.
The body of the order ia devoted to the
ii, at Of haI
binding authority of the existing State
governments in defiance and contempt
ofthe declarations of Congress, and Sc,
forth in the several acts of reconstruc
ton. These acts of Congress are predi
Gated upon the idea that the existing
State governments are illegal, unauthor
lied, and have no rightful authority
whatever to control the people; and t.
show how strongly and frequently thi:
is put, l will quote ~ follows:
The preamble of tho first act, passed.
March 2, 1867, reads thus:
AN ACT to provide for the more efficient gov
ernuient OF the rebel STATES.
Hh~sds, No legal stats government or ale
lists in the rebel states OF Virginia North Carroll
ma, south Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkan
sas; and whereas, r is necessary that peace and
til loyal and republican state governments car
he legally established
Tho sixth and last section OF The same
is in these words:
That until the People Of the said rebel state.
shah he by law admitted to representation in
the Congress OF the United States any civil
governments which may exist therein shall be
ssSeet 10 the II e tbs Tsspsc
ted states at any time to abolish, modify, con-
troll, or supercede the same; and la all election.
to- any olIice undcr such provisional govern.
ments all rersons shall be entitled to vote and
none others. who are entitled to vote under the
no person shall be eligible TO any Office under
any such provisonal governments who would
be- disqualified from holding office under the
provisions OF the third article of said Constitu,
sional amendment.
Then again, the irst section of the sup.
Elementary act pssssd July 8, 1857, 10 In
these words: ..- .. 10 D..
That Il IL hersby declared to have beea tho
day OF March. one thousand eight hundred anl
sixty y-seven, entitled IAN act TO provide for IN,
more efficisnt government of the rebel States,
and OF the act supplement AIRY thereto, passed %.
the twenty third day OF March, in the year on,
thousand eight hundred and siKty-seven, tiil
States of Virginia. North Carolina, South Caro-
na, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama. Louisiana
Florida, Texas and Arkansas, were not legs
State governments, and that thereafter sait
governments, If continued, were to be CONTINUED
subject in all respects 10 the military comm an
mount authority OF Congress
These different sections declare in tn,
most positive terms that the existins
State Governments are Illegal and IN
authorized; that they do not furnisl
protection for life or property, and thai
they are made entirely subordinate Ia
the military authority, and whatever
powers they continue to exercise will b,
by the consent of the military comman
dor. But General Hancock, in opel
contempt of these declarations, ASSERT
that the civil authorities do furnish ade
quats protection to life and property
OF his mission, aud that as means to thi
great end he regards the maintenance 0
the civil authorities In the execution o
the laws as the most efficient means un
der existing circumstances. He says tn,
warts over, the civil authorities aer read,
aud willing TO perform their duties
the military power should cease to lead
and the civil administration resume IL
natural and rightful dominion. Agai.
he says, pompously: "Soleinnly impress
Ell with these views, the General announ
ces that the great principles of American
liberty still are the lawful inheritanc q
this poopie, and ever should be-" Thi
Is very startling proposition, and quit,
rs astonishing o. the news that tn
Z Ouch have taken Rowland" Agail
Ire says:-"Crims and offenses com nit
ted in this district must be referred 10th
consideration and judgment of the reg
ular civil tribunals aud those tribunal
will be supported in their lawful jurisdic
tion." Here he adjures the militar,