Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-16
STONAL INTERFERENCE WITH

STATES.
The Radical Senator from Missouri,
Mr.. Drake, has suggested a new plan ior
Congressional interference with the
rights of States. 1t is an amendment
TO the Georgia bill now pendiag before
,be Senate. This new loyal scheme is
that whenever the Legislature, or Gov
ernor, of.any State lately in instruction
to the United States. shall represent 70
the President that discrganizatlon exists
inside the State, and violence against
the person or property Of others. or OBJ
struct;on to the exercise of law, that
the government of such State being
unable to suppress them, 1T shall
he the duty Of the President to
send into such State such number OF
limited States troops as viii be neces-
sary for the subjugation Of such organi'
cation, and the officer commanding snen
troons ahall declare martial law in the
county or district, and to take such
measures as are known as martial law
for the suppression of such organization;
the EXPENSES of such exercise OF mar
tial law to be betrayed by the county or
district where such violence exists. ~
is made the duty OF the President
already to see that the United States
laws are faithfully executed. III an
armed combination springs up in any OF
the States. with hostile intention OF
onnosinc the enforcement of the laws, IT
is then none the less the duty of the
Chief Magistrate, when properly ac-
ouainted with the fact, to seBd troops IN
number adequate to put down the iasur'
,ectionary parties. In case OF this
kind il is intended that the confederate
mower of the general Government shall
come TO the assistance of one OF Its
members thought to be 100 weak to pre-
serve order and afford the Necessary pro
lection to the lives and property Of Its
citizens In matters that properly be-
long to the State, the United States
Government stands as merely an aux
ilarv. to be called on il required
The Law now in force is sufficient for al
the purposes for which it was enacted
and will meet the ordinary demand
without Mr.. brakes amendment. Thu
proviso, if passed, would place the clYi
government Of the State at the mesey o
military caprice and such petty tyrant
rs would use the power for self-aggran
dizement. 1t proposes to empower tn
officer commanding the troops to declar
martial law in any county or distric
creating the insurrection or disorder
and the expenses incurred in the exei
else of such martial law to be paid b
the innocent and guilty alike OF th
county or district where such violence
known to occur We have been Their
before. and know all about laws OF tha
kind. Old Turpentine Brownlow ha
lust such statute enacted IN TINS otat'
empowering him to call out the militI
and to tax the people for the maiuiel
ance Of them in the field Ii was nc
long in vogue, for Senter, with bis Den
oeratie Legislature, dared to wipe IT fror
the statute book after getting into pOwei
CLAYTON. Of Arkansas, did not, when b
thought proper, wait for the passage Of
legislative act of the kind, bat declare
martial law and robbed without ]
What is sought by this cOngression'
law is that the Radical party ma
he placed IN q position 70 Interfere vii
the affairs Of any State when It's Peep
shall presume 50 far a. 10 vote the Dem
cratic ticket AZ. for instance the pr
sent condition Of Tennessee VOu
require at o=ee .ls enforcement Of SUI
a law in ell is vigorous Requirement