The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-27
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIcs-CoMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
THE PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.

THE PRESlDEN IS RKOUDAMAI AIlON.
From. the NJ y Times.
When, two years ago, President Grant as
sumed the duties of Chief Magistrate of the
United States, he recognized among the three
main obligations of his position the duty of
securing protection to the person and pro-
perty of the citizen of the United States in
each and every portion of our common coun-
try" From this and its accompanying re-
solves the President has never wavered.
Democratic clamor and Republican luke
warmness have equally failed to cause him to
deviate from policy whose main attributes
have been integrity, vigor and consistency.
The proclamation of Friday is a logical
consequence of the declaration of 1869.
Friends may have short memories, and foes
may wilfully forget, but above the strife of
factions and the plotting of cliques, the
President retains a clear perception of the
fundamental rights of the people, aud is pre-
pared to give effect to the demand of his first
message, obedience to the laws, and proper
respect to the rights of Others"
The proclamation Just issued lays down
three simple propositions: First, That, on
the application of the Executive of any State,
in cases where the Legislature cannot be con-
vened, the United States is bound to protect
the peaceable citizens of that State against
domestic violence. Second, The Legislature
of the State of South Carolina is not now in
session and cannot be convened in time to
meet an existing emergency. Third, The
Executive of that State ''has made applica-
tion for such part of the military force
of the United States as may be necessary
and adequate to protect said State and the
citizens thereof " against domestic violence
and Ito enfore the due execution of the
laws. These statements are of the nature
of a perfect syllogism and the conclusion
deduced from it can only be dis
puted by disproving the correctness of one
or more of it's members. In the exercise of
his constitutional power, President Grant
commands the persons composing the un-
lswful combinations" complained of to dis
perse within twenty days Failure to
do SO will, of course, constitute an
act of rebellion against the United States,
and will be dealt with accordingly.
We shall, doubtless, have the regulation
Democratic howl over this proclamation, with
its accompanying monotonous grumble from
''sore- head" Republicans The aority of
the party will, we are assured, indorse the
frmness and the justice of the Executive.
The issue is a perfectly simple one, and need
be regarded with hesitation by no one.
Either the Constitution of the United States
provides for no such contingency as the
President alleges, or the state of affairs in
South Carolina can easily await the action of
the State Legislature; or the Governor of
that State has made no such application, as
the proclamation says he has-on no other
grounds can it's constitutionality and neces-
sity be assailed. No one will seriously call in
question either the first or the last of the
three leading statements of the proclamation.
The great majority of the Republican party
has fully made up it's mind as to the truth of
the second, and by them accordingly the
action of the President will be sustained an
applauded