The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-09-28

ON G. H., S: O., THURS!
An act to enforce the fourteenth amendments
I can refer to but q part of it. Where insur-
rection, domestic violence, unlawful combina-
tions, &C., in any State, shall deprive any por-
ton of citizens of any constitutional right, and
the State authorities shall be unable to protect,
or fail in or refuse protection to such rights,
such facts shall be deemed denial by such
State of equal protection under its laws, and it
shall be lawful for the President, and his duty,
to take such measures, by the employment OF
the militia, land and naval forces of the. United
States, or by other means, as he may deem ne
cessary to suppress it. To put the matter in
the mildest words, we make permanent despot
over us all to correct temporary and local
evil. 1t may bea riotous outbreak in amere
township. That is enough; case is made Tor
the President and this extraordinary power n Is
let loose against us. The State may differ with
the President; it may deny that there is case
for his interference; and if, there be case of
domestic violence, it may insist that it can and
will put it down, in due time and in the best
way.. What matters it now what the State may
think or wish? 1t is no longer fit to keep the
peace within its own borders. 1t is silenced,
and the whole matter is with the President.
But, we are told, the President will not abuse
this extraordinary power. Who knows that l.
Again they tell us we can trust him. & free
people trusts nobody with such powers. can
point you. to long reigns of despots during
which the peace of the nation was undisturbed,
and all rights were respected and enjoyed. The
sword of absolute power lay all the while atthe
hand of the ruler, and was not once lifted
But what people, Jealous for their Liberties and
safety, would place it there? How violent, and
dangerous, and unnecessary is this legislation.
The war is over, but its spirit is still upon US.
The sword is everywhere re-in front of US, to the
right of us, to the left Of us-on all sides and
in all measures. 1t is fast becoming the daily
remedy for private wrongs. The old-fashioned
ways of keeping, the peace with civil officers
chosen by ourselves from among our neighb0rs,
are dying out, and the practices of despotism
are taking their places. .i..
Nor is this all. The fourteenth amendment
provides that no person shall hold office who,
having previously, as an officer of any kind,
taken an oath to support the Constitution, af-
terward ioined the rebellion Asa consequence,
the administration of all these States, nearly
one-third of the Union, is handed over to those
who are without education or experience, and
to strangers from the North, who, in the ma
iority of instances, had failed at home, and
were regarded as unworthy of any responsible
trust. We are not required to speculate about
the results of such policy; we have them be-
fore us. The last Legislature of South Caroli-
ma consisted of about eighty members. Fifty
of them could neither read nor write. About
the same story may be told of very many in
office in the other States. Take some results:
Since the Radical reconstruction of those States,
the debt of South Carolina has swollen from
S6.OOO,OO0 to $13OO0,000; of Georgia, from
S6.OO0O0O to $2OO00,000; of Florida, from.
$500, 600 to SD, 100000. Senator Thurman re-
ports her entire tax duplicate at SIG, ,00o, 600.
/ hardly dare state the estimated increase Of
the debt of other States 1t Is enormous. The
total increase of the debt of these States is es-
timated at more than S1OO, 1000, and the
States have little or nothing to show it. 1thas
been squahdered, wasted and stolen. We hear
a great deal about mismanagement In single
locality, the city of New York. 1t is comment
ed upon everywhere, and those responsible tor
it are held up for public condemnation. Ihis
is right. But have we nothing to say OF this
mismanagement over nearly one-thlrd OF the
Union, and have we no condemnation tor the
policy that has brought upon these States in q
time of trial and distress this heavy calamity !?
would like to have spoken of other subjects
of present interest, but they do not lie in the
path of the srgumentiI have been making
Permit me, however, to refer to one of them
the currency. On this subject adhere to the
historical doctrine of the. Democratic party.
It is sound as the true dollar. The utmost fix
edness that can be attained is the indispensable
quality for right standard of value. What
arrangement would happen to all business done
upon the yard-stick If it fuctuated in length
from month to month or from season to season.
And SO of business done with the pound weight
or the bushel or gallon measure, if they had no
fixedness. AS the yard-stick, the pound weight
and the bushel measure are for all business
done with them, so should the standard of val
ne be for sill transactions in which it is used.
The greenback and the true dollar are now
almost abreast. Let us hope for abundant sea-
sons that the former may be able to maintain
its position.