Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-04-28
Thc Ku.kIuI Law.

! id, v;thiu the STATED TOR the nrst tliue shoo
a. ,o,r,s Of the United States jurisdiction
:"' 49, of acts Of violence to the persons or
,,.,,,,rrr Of individuals II authorizes the DIS
rr;ct and Circuit Court Of the Federal Govern,
msnt 10 try individuals for murder. arson. as
sorIrs robbery, and similar crimes.
rbe onlv limitations are that the act OF 'io-
,, in sLaT have been committed for the
,ur,,,sc Of deprvng the party injured of the
pu ',,a nrorection of the laws, and thatmorc than
op,. n5rson shall be Implicated i'll the outrage.
Tbe whole law hinges on the word ''consplri-
| cr and on the meaning OF the phrase loT
The purpose of depriving parties OF the equal
n mr., Of the laws. Any agreement be-
tween two or more parties TO deprive any
person Of the equal protection OF the Ea"s' Is
conspiracy within the meaning OF the
",,,ntc, and subjects the parties 50 offending to
rLa menalres thereof. Ii \ aud B consplrc TO
boat &, with the intent named III the statute:
i X = violation of the second section thereof
and If that clause in the fourteenth amend
m,nt which declare that mo State shall deny
~ INV person within its jurisdiction the equal
rr,,c,rion of the laws. This seems absurd: but
+ < precisely the marrow Of this bil-or OF the
second section. There is cloud Of words but
This is the goal aimed at. and reached
6 All crimes and acts Of violence OF whatever
tcharacter. committed by two or more persons
acting together or in concert. are cognlza6le
under this act in the Federal courts. rr"Vlucu
: the inten. in question Is proved And we are
of the opinion thar. in the execution OF the law.
it will only be necessary 10 prove the TACT or the
outrage. and that the jury will be instructed to
inter the purpose rs 4 Necessary ACCOMPANY
meut Of the act All crimes. committed By
two persons acting together. either as principals
or accessories before the fact. may be swept
within the terms Of the statute by the jury or
the court. fla party Of men make an ASSAULT
on Republican, the mere fact OF the assault
will be construed to bring the case within the
meaning Of the statute. Is II may be Very
plauSibly urged that he was thereby 'depryed
of the equal protection OF the laws. and ina.
+ his assailants could not have beaten him with
out having the purpose Of infringing his rights
In other words. all the criminal law Of the
States. subject 10 our qualification is above
given. is now iuSticiable in the Federal courts
This is not all : the party accused has no nght
Of appcal from either the District or Circuit
Court. except in the case where two judges
NAV bc sitting in the Circuit Court. and may
differ on any particular question. and not even
then, unless they are pleased to certify their
difference of opinion. Nor Is ills all the
Federal courts have in all these cases i evil Us
we'll rs criminal Jurisdiction. the parties llnr-
ed having right To institute 4 c!vlI action Tor
damages. in addition to the crlmlna! rr"Secu-
ton.
Note. moreover carefully tie language, 10
4. deprive any person Of the equal protection OF
the laws Any conspiracy to deprive any
person Of the equal protection Of the, laws
subjects person to the terrible penalties OF
this bill. And where do the terms Of TIL. Ian.
guage stop? The members Of a Typographical
Union or of any Trade nion. may DC brought
within the terms Of this clause: and 81 may
the members Ola Temperance Soc!cty. whose
constant effort it is to destroy the liquor traffic.
The third section Of this law authorizes the
President. in all cases Of in>urrcction. domestic
violence unlawful combinations. or conSp!:tc!c>
in any State whereby any portion ot the pco-
ne ar. derived Of their rishts and iulmul.i,cs.
as citizens and when such State may neglect
to protect them. to employ the army. navy.
and militia 10 restore order. There Is 10 >had-
ow or authority for this in the Constitution.
The President can only call out the mIliti;. IL
suppress instructions. and X this act be- l.
empowered TO employ the army and navy |"
suppress conspiracy to steal 4 ho- or beat 4
freedman. 1t is true he can use the Federal
troops to put down domestic violence. pro
but this act leaves him IN in,crlo-c at his
pleasure if there is :; street fight
The fourth section is the one authorizing the
President to suspend the writ Of hnJ'n$ cDrpNS.
until the end Of the next session Of congress
whenever he judges that the public safety. re-
1llircS it. The Constitution confines the right
to suspend this writ to CASE OF ''rrbc!il"n or
Invasion aud vests the exercise ii the power
in Congress The present act vests the power
in the Executive, and pretends that the un;
lawful combinations Or ''consplracc$: referred
to in the law constitute rebellion As II IN
the days Of Dick Turpin or Jack Sheppard.
when there were highwaymcn Oh every heath.
Parliament had declared the existence nt 4
Rebellion in England
The fifth section provides that no one shall
act as i juror who in the judgmcn; Of the
court, shall have been 'nriyy to or cognlzant Ot
any conspiracy: and the court Is authorized 10
administer to such person an oath to the effect
that he has never cOunScled. or advised. or
aided any such combination.
The sixth section provides that every person
knowing Of the purpose to commit al outrage.
and ncglecting. if able. u prevent the same.
shall be liable if such outrage is perpetrated.
in damages TO the parties injured. -RHh. Eng.
Railroad Movements i'll Virginia &c.
The Richmond Dispatch Of yesterday gives
the following interesting resume Of railroad
movements in Virginia and North Carolina:
We understand that engineers are surveying
line for railway from Matthias Point. ON
the Potomac. in Hing George county. II tins
city. This point is Immediately opposite 'opc>
creek on the Maryland side the terminal poin;
of the Baltimore and Potomac Railway. i'll
course of construction by Company ot which
Governor Bowie is or WIS President.
1t is assumed, and correctly; that this route
from Baltimore to Richmond is the shortest |
and most direct that can be made: but the fer
ry at Matthias Point will be some draw back To
the speed with which it can be travelled. The
Cd by ice. probably not once in five years
It is understood that the Pennsy lvania Rail |
road Company, which got i charter last winter