The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-05-07

V0iAiu y iOWIn AusAOuuCtion
and all, going the rounds of the I'M
subsidized Republican press. 1t
should be carefully perused and stud
led by every patriot in the land, and
by all who take al interest in the per-
%petuation of republican government:
The following article from the Chi
cago Tribune is in strong terms, COM
ing rs it does from the leading Re-
publican newspaper of the Great
West:
Popular government cannot be
maintained by the sword. InSurrec-
tons, rebellions, disorders, and per-
sonal violations of law may be sup
pressed by the vigorous application of
military force, but the real strength
and defense of popular governments
is the law which is enforced by popu-
lar sentiment. The very theory upon
which free government rests is, that
they exist by consent of the governed.
The American people, i'll forming
their government, substituted popular
representation and the right. under
certain restrictions. 30 change the con-
stitution at their pleasure, i'll the place
of forcible revolutions; but here
have they ever abandoned the princi-
pie that the government is one law,
and that force was only to be used in
aid of law, to execute il, not to destroy
it. When the time shall come that a
g~Gvar.Hlent of the law shall be done
ava ri; when IL Brigadier General
shall uc installed As the maker of the
law. and his quartermaster. paymaster
and commiSSary shall become the Su
preme Judiciary of each State; and
Colonies, Majors and Captains shall
exercise the functions of civil officers,
and sergeants and corporals shall be
the Sheriffs and police; when the writ
OF habeaS corpus shall be prohibited,
the trial by jury aboiished; when the
law shall be foundm general orders"
instead of the statute book, and the
only form of justice shall be the pro-
ceedingS of courts martlal>-then pop
ular governments ma be said to have
ceased, and despOtism of the bavonet
erected in its place.
Have the American people so retro
graded in intelligence, and respect for
the law. that it is necessary to set aside
the constitution and the statute book.
the executive, Judicial ami municipal
officers of the people. and TO provide
that the President, ut any moment,
upon his own motion, and at his own
discretion, may enter any State. de-
clare martial law, suspend civil au-
thority, n make a military COM
mander sole arbiter in all matters of
life, property and liberty! Has popu-
a -gOvernnIent - far proved a failure
that, in the most profound peace, when
there is not i'll all the broad land an
organized force opposing the Federal
laws, or questioning Federal author
ity, the Congress of the United States
should provide for a military despot-
ism to take the place of the Govern
ment chosen by the popular will and
existing by the popular consent?
What is there in the condition of the
State of Illinois which ju>tifies the
suspicion of such intOlerable anarchy,
and warrants the substitution of armed
forces for the civil law? Yet both
Houses of Congress have passed just
such a bill. and are only divided as to
some of the details. Both Houses
have agreed to place in the hands OF
the President this uneXampled power,
wholly un~warranted by the Constitu-
ton, and only defensible upon the
plea that free government is a failure,
that popular intelligence has been
perverted, and that To the army is TO
be committed the task OF avertinS
general anarchy. Against this grave
assumption We protest: and we trust
that, upon the reaSSembiing of Con
gresS in December. this law, so sweep
ing in its assumptions, and so danger
Gus AS a precedent, may be repealed
by an unanimous vote, n that mean
time the dangerous powers 1t seeks to
confer NAV OF be exercised.