The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-26
The new EMPIRE.
A Crisis in the Political History
of the Nation.
CONGRESS Cannot Abolish the States
and Repeal the Constitution

-tepuOIlcan Journals in ths
lan'., publishes editorially the follow
ing earnest protest against the recently
adopted Force Bill. We reproduce II
in order that our readers may see that
the Democratic press is not alone in Its
denunciation Of the grave crime that
has been committed by the passage Of
the act in question. OF course, We do
not share in the good opinion Of Pres
dent GRANT expressed by the Erenin9
Post, nor have we seen any evidence,
either in his San Domingo enterprise or
his fondness for gifts, that he is too
faithful and too pure to desire the i'm
proper use Of the vast power that has
been placed in his hands, in servile
compliance with his own request. But
read what the Post SAYS:
The President is charged with the
execution of the local laws for the
preservation of civil order, and author
lied, whenever in his judgment these
laws are not administered by the States,
to use the military power of the United
States to enforce them. He may at any
time, and without any evidence of an
emergency requiring such action except
his own opinion, depose State govern
ment, declaring it in rebellion against
the United States, and disperse or i'm
prison its members, suspending at the
same time the civil remedies which per-
sons wronged by his action might have
under the writ OF hajeas corpus. The
war-making power, which the Constitu-
ton expressly reserves to Congress, Is
thus given to the President alone; and
the power to suspend the habeds corpus,
which the Constitution forbids to any
and all branches of the government, ex-
cept in public peril from invasion or re-
bellion, is given to the President upon
any occasion when, in his judgment, the
conviction Of certain classes OF offenders
shall in any district become imprac-
ticable.
1t cannot he disguised that the pas
sage OF this bill makes a crisis in the
political history OF the nation crisis
which calls for all the wisdom OF a
great people to meet it properly. In
anv other country than our own it
would inevitably lead either to a cen
tralized imperialism or to civil war. 1t
is only among a people long habtuated
to freedom and to respect for law, that
rulers could be found to hold such
pow ers, even for week, without danger
to liberty. In other nations, with such
grant of power as this, wrong execu-
tive would strike for absolute sovereignty
and a weak one would quickly be led by
ambitious advisers 10 do the same.
Here we are safe against such danger.
The present President, whatever mis-
takes in craftsmanship lie may have
made, is an honest patriot; and
that usurpation which Gen. Grant
is too faithful and too pure to desire,
even a reckless and corrupt man in his
place would be too prudent to attempt.
The habit OF freedom has destroyed
among our people the material ofwhich
slaves are made, and no sudden seizure
Of absolute power is to be feared here.
The danger, however, is no less real
and scarcely less serious, than if we
had an imitator Of Napoleon at the
head Of the nation and the army. If
this act be enforced, and if it succeed in
the work proposed by it, every barrier
which the Constitution holds up against
the encroachment OF the central upon
the local governments is broken. Rev
ercnce for the fundamental law will
disappear, and all the checks and forms
of political controversy. No man can
foresee what the next step toward CEN
tralization may be, but every one may
confidently predict that constitutional
limitation or prohibition may not be per-
mitted by any political party in control
of the national government TO defeat
its ends, or to protect municipal privi-
leges against it. The local rights Of
persons and Of property, the local con-
flicts of corporations, the whole system
OF local laws, with the controversies
they involve and the passions they ex-
cite, will become elements OF national
politics; and the very organization OF
society throughout the land will be.
come the stake Of national party strug-
giles. The absolute Capitalization OF
our government, and the destruction Of
the federal system, must soon follow,
with civil war and iisunion as the only
alternative.
The false step must be retraced. The
act must he disowned by the nation.
But it is with regret and remonstrance
that patriotic citizens will hear the ex-
hortations already uttered in some quar-
tiers to meet it 10y violence and disorder.
The Constitution, which has been out
ragged by passing this bill, provides the
means for its own vindcation. On the
first test case which can be brought be-
fore the Supreme Court OF the United
Stat :, it will doubtless be found and de-
clared, in way which fanaticism itself
will heed, that Congress cannot abolish
the States and repeal the Constitution.
Even should it be impossible to obtain
such judgment before the next meet
ing OF Congress, yet the act will ere then
have been studied by the people; and
pnblic opinion will demand imperative
ly that il be removed from the statute
book. By such means only can usur-
patton, under the forms OF law, be met
in a manner worthy Of the nation,
and the means, we are confident, are
adcnnate TO the end.