The Lincoln County herald., 1868-10-29

Blair % Reconstruction. Hts For.
Der letter Explained anl Hlsbs.
rated. ,,...
Tho Lafayette, Indiana Courier, Of
Saturday last, publishes the following
letter from Gen. Frank p. Blur to cit.
izcn Of Lafayette: $50.
"FORrSAnDE WYoMrxo TrRR,roRy.
'''- 'l' -'s.a.A August "a, 1865.
TO james Howss, Esq Lafayette Indiana:
Dear Sir: hsve received your letter
In which you ask me II would cndeavcr'
to hsve the itutiouality Of che recon.
structiou acts tested by the Supreme Court
bct"re proceeding to treat them Al mil
and void. In answer, I say that the vital
principle oA the reconstruction acts has
already been decided to be uncons,itu.
tional, null and void. by the spurcne
Court, the whole bench concurrise. in
the case Of Mlilligan and Bowles, which
went up from the State Of Indiana on =
writ Of Hebeas Corpus
In that cnse Il was decided, 10 the plain
lunQusge Of the Constitution, that the,
Governor could not establish martial law
In time OF pence, or try o citizen BY mill
tary commission, or court.martial The
reconstruction nets so.called, stand on
martini law. and nothing else. Il Ia the
essence Of these acts. They are prepared
and put in execution in time Of profound:
peace. in defiance Of the unanimous decis.
ion Of the Supreme Court, to which have
referred. aud they, and all that has been
done under them, arc null and void.
A case was made under these acts--t, Q.
case Of Mo- ardle, Of Mississippi-und
brought before tie Supreme Court, aud it
is we'll known thst the Court was ready
to declare these ncts unconstitutional,
when Congress passed another act to de.
privc the Supreme Court Of its jurisdic.
tion. nnd openly attempted to intimidato
tho Judges By threats Of remodelng the
Court.
The Supreme Court in another case
that Of Comm ings. Of Missouri--decided
that the disftanchisement Of tho white
people nf the Southern Statcs By III act
Of Congress wos q bill of sttnindcr on &C
pms, f,cso law. both Of which we're forbid
den in express terms by the Cons,,u.
tion. Even the Radicals admit. in their
Chicago platform. That tho Stntes olo ne
have the right To deci.c who shall be on.
titled 10 suffEnce within the States: aud
yet Congress has assumed 10 take tho
right from the white people and give it to
the negroes within the Southern States.
The reconstruction acts violate the
Constitution in All these particulars. and
il hns been alrendv 30 decided BY the
Supreme Court. the Constitution says
the military shall always he subordinate
IN the civil anih,rity. hut these acts l'nve
srperceded M civil authority, mud erected
military eovcrnw ents at tht outh. DO
you want decision Of the Supreme court
to show that this IL unconstitn,ior al =?
Are those who snv the military ia subor.
dina'c 10 the civil authority revolution.
lists Are those who demand the resio.
ration Of the trial by iurv which has hcen
suppressed in the South bv the recon-
strnctioD acts revolutionists ? Are those
who claim the benefit Of the great writ.
Off yht, the hoIeos corpus. which Is denicd
10 eight million Of our people hv The in
famous reconstruction acts, to be branded
rs revolut'onists?
Shall we he called revo'ntioaists he.
cause va proclaim. IN the very language
Of the Constitution. that Cong css shall
pnss no bill Of attainler or er pos' .f"c'o
law? or shall We he thus branded FOR
claiming what the Constitution comedies
in express words, that tho States shall
regulate suffrage for themselves? Do
We want more decision Of the Supreme
Court m these points? The truth is that
tho Radicals are the real revclutionists,
and have snbvcrted the fundamental prin =.
ciples Of our Government, and converted
il into n mean and mnlic nnnt oligarchy,
sure to lapse into military d"spotism.
! To restore the Government and the
creat guarantees IF 'rccdom. contained in
tn, Constitution. and inherited from our
nncc-tors il revolution" To execute
,he will of the people, whom the fIac.
mentary Rump Conesess has put at def
nnce. is revolution" 10 carry out the
decision Of the Supreme Court is "revo
'ntion." This revolution 10 At hand
The peoples will. tho judgment Of the
, court of the highest Jurisdiction will be
enforced against usurping Rump Con
gre".
I am. most respectfully, your obedi-
ons sorvonk