The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-03-14
The Ku-KIux BilI.

from the New, York Post, Rad.] /
Section ~ sof' Article w Of the
Constitution Of the United States pro
vides this:
"The United States shall guarantee
to every State in the Union a republi-
can form of government and shall pro-
tect each of them from invasion; and,
on application Of the Legislature, or of
the Executive twhen the Legislature
cannot be convened), against domestic
violence WI (.
1t is hardly necessary to point out
that this provision is in strict harmony
with the general spirit and intent Of the
Constitution which carefully defines
and limits the powers of the Federal
Government, and in its care to prevent
Capitalization, aimed to leave the State
organizations all the powers and duties
which they could best exercise.
The States are now. as. Speaker
Blaine remarked in his address on dis
solving the last Congress, all once more
represented in Congress-. reconstruction
ia completed; we are again in the old
course. For a long time Congress has
been legislatiug and the Executive act
ing with no such strict difference to
constitutional powers, duties and limita-
tons as vas ,exacted by public opinion
before the war. Whatever excuses
there NAV have been for excuses exist
no longer. The war closed nearly six
years ago; the work OF reconstruction
has been completed strictly according
to the will and requirements of Con-
gress, by executive officers in harmony
with it. All has been done that Con-
gress ought to do, or that the people
will tolerate.
But now come certain men in Con-
gress, under the leadership of General
Butler in the House, and Mr. Morton
in the Senate, and demand still further
interference by the Federal Government
in the local concerns of the States 1t
is reported that, to excuse their demand
for such unconstitutional legislation,
they will present to Congress report
of Southern outrages," and it is said
that the President will send a message
to Congress urging legislation to au,
thorize him to interfere in some of the
States with the military arm.
We hope Congress will do nothing Of
the kind, and for the single and sutfi'
cient reason that the Constitution gives
it no authority to do so. Under the
Constitution, the States are to keep or
der and put down violence within their
limits, and the Federal authority may
interpose. only at the request Of the Leg
islature or Governor OF q State. But
when Legislature or Governor makes
such request, the President needs no
law OF Congress to empower him to act.
The disorders in some Southern States
are lamentable. Most of them would,
we suspect, disappear at once If all dis
franchising laws were repealed; but in
any case, Congress has no authority I'M
der the Constitution, to interfere in
these cases; and if General Butler and
Mr.. Morton wish to pass a force bill,
they ought first TO bring forward con-
stitutional amendment authorizing Con
gress to pass such an act.
As matter of mere political expedi
ency, the Republican leaders can do
nothing so unwise as to continue their
special legislative interference in the
Southern States, for the people every
where long to return to the old and
safe constitutional forms and guards,
and will resent further eXtraconsttutlon-
al legislation. AS matter Of policy
in the Southern States, experience had
shown that interference by the Federal
Government only perpetuates and in
creases disorders; and that the quickest
way to peace is to cause all parties in
those States to understand that they
must live together in harmony or them
selves suffer from the disorders they
create, that hereafter Congress will pay
no attention to their complaints, except
at the request Of State Legislature, in
the constitutional form.