Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-02
THE CENTEALIZINGP POLICY OF
TuE RADICALS.

THE CENTEALIZING POLICY OF
THE RADICALS. Il
Senator Thurman, of Ohio, who is one |
of the foremost men of the nation, has
been making speeches in behalf of the
Democratic party in his State In
speech at Cincinnati few days ago, he
dwelt with great force upon the central
ling policy of the Radicals. His po-
sition in the Senate has familiarized him
with the fearful strides the Radicals have
been making toward constituting this
strong, centralized government he IS
therefore, thoroughly posted in regard 10
the steady progress of this conspiracy
IN his Cincinnati speech, Mr.. Thurman
challenged any candid and intelligent man
to deny that ga revolution in cur Govern
ment has been going on for the past
ten wears. and that its tendency has been,
and yet is, to deprive the States ana 'he
neonle of tights heretofore considered by
all parties as unquestionable, and to vest
in the General Government nearly every
mower that government can possess over
a people, Mr. Thurman showed thai
there were two modes by which govern
ment, acting under written constitution,
may increase its power; the one being by
an open amendment of the constitution,
and the other by false Interpretation OF
that instrument. He called attention to
the fact that, whilst all the articles OF
amendment to the Constitution adopted
nrior TO 1864, ''were declaratory
of rights of the States or the people, and
were designed to protect them against
usurpstion by the Federal authorities,
the three articles of amendment, recently
declared ID have been ''adopted, were
framed to restrict the rights of the States,
and to enlarge the powers of the General
Government But these three amend
ments, 80 scandalously foisted into the
Constitution, are, in Mr.. Humans OPT
MON, far less perilous than the changes
that have been wrought in the Constitu-
ton, in practice, by false interpretations
and usurpation. Mr.. Thurman shows
what the Radicals have already done In
the way of Capitalization, as follows:
'In time of profound peace States
have been denied representation in Con-
| gress, have been compelled to abrogate
| their constitutions and adopt others to
suit the views of the dominant party, land
have been forbidden by law to alter the
latter in matters of the merest local con-
Germ. Millions of people have been
placed under the dominion of martial law,
aud civil government merely tolerated by
the will or the caprice of a Brigadier
General. Members of State Legislature
have been expelled and their seats given
to others by act of Congress, Upon an as
sumption of power which, II warranted,
would authorize Congress to disperse, al
will, any State Legislature in the
Renublic. Acts of Congress have
been passed authorizing the inter
yention of Federal officers Oh
agents in State elections, Furnishing State
officers, by heavy fines and imprlson-
ments, for refusing the vote OF colored
man, but leaving them unpublished II the
| rejected voter be white; authorizing the
arrest of the judges of election, even du'
ring the election, upon the warrant OF
petty United States commissioner, confer
ring upon the circuit and district courts
of the United States authority to try anc
| determine contests of election for State
officers, from Governor down to that OF
constable. and clothing the President witt
power to employ the land and naval forces
of the United States, or of the militia, t
enforce the law.
"By other laws the State banks havt
bern ruthlessly taxed out of existence
| their destruction, and not revenue, beinl
| the avowed purpose of the laws--anC
thus the States are prohibited the exercis'
of a power enjoy ed by them from thu
| foundation of the Government, and TIT
whole subject of the currency has beer
| seized upon by Congress.
Gan unlimited right to construct work
of internal improvement in State o
States. without their consent, is bOldl!
declared and often acted upon; while
power to regulate, by acts of Congress
tolls and charges upon every railroad o
canal and every navigsble river in tn
Republic, is openly asserted in the hall
of Congress. Power to charge highe
rate fer transportation than their Stat
charters allow has been conferred b.
Congress upon State corporations, and L
other corporations of the sort, privilege
and faculties have been given by Congress
that the States creating them refused +
confer. The State corporations are thu
on the one hand, made superior to thel
creators, and enabled TO set their charter
at defiance; while, on the other, thei
very existence is made dependent on Con
cressional action, and they may soon be
come the mere slaves of COngresslona
, will
Nor is this all. The judiciary has bee
tamBered with. Limitations have bee
put upon the powers of the Suprem
Court, and new laws have been enacte
to enlarge the powers of the Federal Dis
trlct Courts, at the expense of the Stat
Courts: a multitude of new offenses hay
been defined and made punishable 9
crimes by the Federal tribunals, and 9Th
whole purpose OF the Radicals seems
be that the General Government shall IL
trude itself everywhere and assume Jurli
diction of everything"
IMPERIALISM IN TEXAS.
j