Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-13
~, er T2rTanA VAGUE nAoIaaXA dNA NOrTJ aLnVHaAN

powers may be necessity, as the Romans
appointed q dictator when the enemy was
at their gates. In such periods the habit
of using exceptional powers is easily &C.
quired, but it is time at last we should
understand that the war is over; that the
habits of war must be dropped, and that
constitutional government must once more
reign supreme. There is no safety for
our free institutions but in this. i
Il has been said that the Ku-Klux bill
was brought forward in Congress not
merely for the purpose of suppressipg
disorder and violence, but of enabling
the Republican party to maintain or re-
store Its ascendency, and especially for
the President to secure for himself the
electoral vote of the Southern
States by the machinery of that
law. 1t is possible that some
interruptions politicians have such an
object in view, but they, however, want
ed and proposed a law much more sweep
ing than this, but it is my deliberate con-
viction, based upon personal observation,
that q majority of those who voted for
the bill had no other object than 10 afford
protection TO persons in the Sou'h who
seem to be helplessly exposed to peraecu-
ton and outrage, and many of them voted
for the bill with hesitation and regret.
do not want to justify their vote,
or to excuse anybody, but to be just.
| .Ta5sll Radical Capital.
am honestly convinced that nothing
has done more to keep alive the spirit
from which Ku-Klux outrages proceed
than the acrimonious war that was waged
upon the reconstruction measures and
| constitutional amendments and the en-
couragement that was giyento hope these
things would be swept away again if only
the Democratic party should come into
| power. l am furthermore convinced that
a large majority of the Republican party
North and South are in favor of liberal
government and strictly constitutions
| policy, and that these demsgogues an
schemers among the leaders of that party
would have been utterly impotent hat
not the lawless element in the South and
the blind reactionists everywhere mos
industriously furnished them the capi,al
to war upon.
| SAN Domingo.
In speaking of the San Domingo case,
the speaker said the annexation of Sa1
Domingo would inevitably lead to the
| annexation of the American trophies
down to the Isthmus of Darien. This
would give us population of the Latin
Indo African mixture, which has no notions
in common with US, that would promise
no prospect of successful assimilation
with our political system. We would
gain countries beautiful, indeed, but
countries whose possession would be the
source of incalculable difficulties, military
government, corruption and demo raliza
ton of every kind.
The War Power.
Speaking of the orders given by the
| President to our naval squadron in the
West Indies to protect Baez, the Chief
of the Republic of San Domingo, if Bsel
was interfered with by any one, Schurz
said the power to involve the country in
war is power of tremendous RESPONSE
bility. 1t cannot be circumscribed toe
carefully, nor too conscientiously guarded
against abuse; that this power was taken
| from the Executive and confded to the
Legislative branch of the government was
one of the most important changes in
constitutional government. IL was an
essentially republican provision for
which we gratefully remember the fathers
of our constitution.
Personal.
have been severely censured and at
tackled for my attitude in this affair
| That cannot touch me, but when re-
spectacle Republican journal summOne.
MIR. Sumner and myself to compose our
personal differences with the President
for the sake of the public interest," it de-
served an answer. / cannot understand
this view of pnblic affairs know OF
no personal differences that could influ-
ence my political attitude. My personal
relations with the President were never
other than friendly. complain ofnoth-
ing, and were it otherwise, would GER
tainly lose my self-respeot if on account
of personal feeling was capable of at
lacking the policy of the President. But
if the President were my dearest and
most intimate friend, this friendship
would not restrain me from opposing q
violation of the Constitution.
Packing the Supreme Court.
The reversion of the decision of the
decision of the Supreme Court concerning
the legal tender act gave the speaker seris
Gus thoughts as to what was to become OF
the authority of our country if the prac-
tice obtains of packing the highest tribu-
nal of justice.
Civil Service Reform.
Speaking of civil service, the speaker
said: Civil service reform, as l under
stand it, has two objects, first to give
| the country more efficient and honest off.
GERS, and thus induce more regular al d
economical administration and, second
| ", to abolish that source of demoraliZa-
ton and corruption which we call gov
eminent patronage. believe if we at
tain the second end there will be no diff
Guilty about the first. The fountain OF
great abuses, and the worst, consists in
this, that the public interests are consid-
cred and treated as the mere spoils of
the victorious party. Look at the repre-
sentatives and lsw-giyers of the people.
They think patronage is necessary for
them to maintain their influence at home.
They descend TO the role of office bro
kers who stand before the President not
as independent representatives of the SOW
ereign people, but as mere petitioners,
for the President may grant or withhold
his favors, and if he desires he msy sell
those favors as the price of acquiescence
in his schemes.
| Against their consciences not seldom
men of worth and eelf-respect have re-
tired from active participation in political
life and yielded their places to hungry ad-
yenturers, and hence decentralization and
that bunting of the finer feelings of honor
which pervade our political life.
The Bread and Butter Business
The people begin to see the dangers
which spring from our senseless and de-
moralizing system and in pursuance of a
law drafted by your brave Senator Trum-
bull, commission has been appointed to
propose measures for the abolition OF
these abuses. Certainly, without COM
mission many of them might have been
abolished by prudent and well disposed
Executive, but 80 far the bread and but
ter business is in full bloom. Let us re
ioiee that at last the first step has been
| taken,
Remedial Measures.