Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-15
THE RESULT OF RADICAL LEG
ESEATION

Sooner or later Radical legislation i
sure to bring its own condemnation. 9Th,
sober second thought of The people, al
way right and never wrong, ;" inevitably
carries the thinking portion of the CON-
munity to this conclusion. We are con-
tlnualy encountering evidences of the
fact. Speaking Of Radical legislation
since the Inauguration of Grant, the
Chicago Tribune, the leading Radical or
gan in the Northwest says: "What WAS
universally acquiesced in few years $50
IS almost universally condemned now. y
and upon this text it discourses as fol.
lows:
1.-The Ku-Klux bill, about which there
has been 60 much and such earnest con.
royersy, expires at the close of the next
session OF Congress. Up to the present
time 1t has not been acted upon by the
President, except by the issuing of n
proclamation applicable only TO South
Carolina. The public excitement on Ku.
hluX topics has subsidized almost as sud-
T
even chance that the President will NOT
employ any of the powers with which
the bill seeks to invest him, before the
close OF the next session of Congress.
when 1t falls to the ground. 1t is the
tendency OF the bill rather than the bill
ltseif, or the execution of it, which gives
force TO the assaults of the Democracy.
TINS tendency is toward the obliteration
OF states, and the Capitalization of all now
cIs at Washington, after the French model |
OF government. The election law. passed |
TO enable the general government to con-
trol the machinery of universal suffrage
IN New York city, but applicable to all |
cities of more than 10000 inbabitant's
IS another OF the signs of this tendency
1t is q question for fair debate whether
It is desirable to change our form
OF government from a federal renubIic
where each of the members makes ami
administers the laws for the regulation of
lis own lnternsi affairs GGcluding those
which relate TO elections and to the pres
erVatlon Of the peace, 10 a central or
national republic, where all laws are en-
acted and administered by common leg
lslatlve body and executive. 1t is not
possible that we SHOULD have both the
National and State governments attempt
ing TO regulate and to be responsible for
the public peace or the purity of cleo
lions in the States, because it is a famil-
lar and necessary principle of law that
the United States government
has the constitutional power to per-
form an act, and chooses to exercise that
power, ii sUpercedes the State government
entirely. From which il results that. If
The government has the power to inter. ]
teTe to preserve the public peace or 70 s
-eguis'e Inc machinery in the States '
the invitation of the State gov.
it supercedes and abo!shes the
state governments as TO those particular G
-Encilons; for these two bodies cannot /
]ccupy the ssme space at the same tine, +
Nesay that is is question for fair i ,bate. q.
whether 1t is wise to introduce q
hange Of this kind into our system of d
government We believe that the people o
'Iil vote 1t down by an overwhelming II
majority whenever, if ever, it shall be p
be chief point of difference between two | :,
OItlcai parties. For the present we
ote the fact that if three Republican d
o'ers in each school distric. shall think il
lat this is the principal issue IN the next !,
residential campaign, aud that the pro-
osed change in our form of government p
dangerous, they will have It in their Il
over 10 elect the Democratic candidate" IL
The Tribune is mistaken as to the ex- re
ration of the Ku-Klux law. There is W
~smit to its operation, but the clause th
thoriziDg the President to suspend the "a