The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1869-09-18

IHE military display OIL Ills EAcei-
lency is uncalled-for, unjustifable, and
truly not withiA his authority.-Hick
man Courier.
To demonstrate how uncalled for and
unjusti6able are the attacks on Gov. Ste
venson, which "a few papers have made
upon him for his action in sending mi
litia force to Marion county, il Is only
necessary to refer to the law under which
he has acted. Under the act OF 1867
organizing the militia of Kentucky, au
thority was given the Governor of the
State to call out the militia whenever, in
his opinion, the public safety should de-
mand it. Many persons, under the i'm
preston that the act was still IN force,
have ceusured the Governor for not hav
ias cong since, in the exercise of his
own discretion, called out the militia TO
suppress lawlessness. This authority,
which was conferred upon the Governor
as war power, was very properly re-
pealed in 1866, as VIA be seen by an act
approved February 10th, to be found In
Myers Supplement to the Revised Stat
utes, pages 1872 ., the first section of
v ehieh is as follows:
SIC |. That'so much Of article three,
Commonwealth, as provides that The
".Goyernor, whenever in his opinion, the
public safety dens = it, may call into
and continue il the field upon active
dnty such members of the legion, By
regiments, battaliens, squadrons. bate
ries, or companies, as organized under
this law, for such period, and under such
rttf.aS and lot catlIntr thats,
into the field, etc, be, and the same is
hereby, repealed and that hereafter the
Governor shall have power to call the
militia of this Commonwealth, or any
portion thereof, into active service for
the purpose of repellinS invasion, sup
pressing insurrection, rebellion and riot,
and to aid civil officers in the execution
Of t.Ie laws Of the State, where he is full
ly satisfied by proof made to him, by
affidavit or otherwise, that the combiua-
ti0n against, or the resistance to, the ex-
ecutiou Of the laws are too powerful to
be met and putdowu by an ordinary posse
coH,itdtus in the county where such re-
sistance takes place: AHd prouided fur
ther, That said militia shall be immedi
ately disbanded after the objects for
nAASA lAN1 nNIC tAllCd Oul ONCA
accomplished.
Now when, to this plain letter of the
law, is added the Information that it was
IN response to the official call of the local
authorities that Governor Stevenson fur
nished the militia for Marion, and that
they are there simply to aid the civil
officers in the execution of the laws -
the State, such structures as the one -
ted above must strike the impartial mind
as very unworthy the intelligence OF their
authors. 1t is certainly within the au
thority Of the Governor, and, when de-
manded, it becomes his duty to act as he
has done.
With the above it is necessary to add
little in reply to what is said iu opposi-
tion to the measure. The only other
reflection made against the Governor is,
that he should have sent militia from
other counties, instead of calling them
toccurred. Fbe reason o1fsfit 10 be obSvi-.
Gus to every one, and had full force with
the local authorities of Marion. who re-
commended the course pursued BY the
Governor. When, two years ago, the
local militia was called out for a similar
purpose, it was charged that men were
enlisted who should not have been used,
and that local prejudices and arimosities
entered into the discharge OF military
duty which should not have appeared,
but which grew out of the very chaEae
ter Of the force enlisted. 1t was e -
charged by some that the regulators
| themselves got into tue militia. and pre-
vented the object of the call. We do
not know how true this was but TIE
objections to having the militia from the
county were apparent enough to those
on the ground 10 warrant them in recon-
mending different plan, and it was the
duty of the Governor to act upon the
suggestions of those most competent TO
advise him.-Frdnk3ort Xeoman.