Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-10-04

I y
permitted an indefinite expansion with.
out anarchy on the one hand or des.
potsm on the other. The mainte
nance of the rights of the States and
the doctrine Of strict construction of
the Constitution. These are the es.
sential elements Of the system. The
rights Of the States as they are defined
IN the Constitution and no where else /;
and not otherwise. The Constitution
as it is, fairly read, according TO the
open and common meaning of its
terms-not contracted by ingenuity
on the one hand nor enlarged by grssp
ing avarice of power on the other
This is the means of our safety, as it
is the Shibboleth of our fuith. Tie
Constitution has become, in thcmouths
OF Republicans, by word ard re
proach. Since Senator Wade annoncu
ed that anybody who parted about the
Constitution was a traitor, the party
has acted on that basis. If q favorite
measure was thought to be unconsti
ttutional, they amended the Constitu
tion, or violated it, as seemed most
easy. Legislatures, elected by fraud
or force, were the sure and approved
means. If these were too tedious or
too long, an act Of Congress or an
Executive proclamation was always
at hand.
BAYoNET ELECTION LAW.
| will not go back even for a few
years. The last Congress passed an
election law. 1t provided that in all
cities of certain size the President
might appoint inspectors and regis
ters Of election, whose authority and
acts he will maintain by the army
and navy of the United States. Gen.
Grant sought to enforce it in New
York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
and called forth an indignant rebuke
from the Governors of those States.
THE KU KLUX LAW.
The present Congress passed Ku
Klux bill DO you remember its pro.
visions 7 Whenever the President
shall believe that in any State com.
bination of persons shall seek TO dc
privc any man of bis rights, tho Pres
idont may take jurisdiction of the sub
ject, and, if in his opinion the State
authorities shall be unable or unwil.
ling to redress the wrong, he may
suspend the writ of haJeds corpus, dc.
clare martial law, oust the authorities
of all their powers and functions, shut
up the courts, dismiss the juries, un
seat the judges, and take redress and
punishment into his own hands.
Gentlemen, do you appreciate this
law ? A month ago a mob entered a
jail in Illinois and hung one of the
| prisoners The President might, un
der this law, suspend the writ of hdbe.
as corpus in that State, and establish
there a military government In the
city of New York riot occurred and
lives were lost Tho President might
under this law suspend the present
government in that State, and govern
it by tie army and his generals.
GRANTS UsURPATIoN OF POWER.
Gen. Grant will never use these
powers wrongfully, say his sycophants.
Gentlemen, this is the insanity of folly.
He will apply it whenever passion is
10 be gratiticd or elections are to be
carried. lie has never refused to ex-
ercise power. When Georgia voted
against him for President he asked
authority to suspend the the State
Government. When Congress delayed,
or in the end refused it, he sent Gen.
Terry to play dictator there.
When North Carolina did not obey
his wishes, he sent a military force to
uphold Gov Holden. When he want.
ed delegation in the next Repnbli-
can Convention for the State of Lou
isiana, be directed that the Conven
tion should be held in the United
States Court room, and that no one
should be admitted except on the au-
thority of the Marshal, and that file
of soldiers should maintain that au
thority. When he desired to secure
the annexation of San Domingo, he
did not hesitate to take money from
the Treasury in defiance of law, and
pay it in advance Of the submission of
| the treatyto the Senate lie did not
hesitate TO stipulate that hc would
keep its existence secret until he had,
by the use of his personal aud politi
cal influence, secured its ratification
by the Senate.
When Sumner stood in his way he
did not hesitate TO eject him from the
Committee on Foreign Relations
And now. while the Senate is consid-
ering tho treaty. he secures from pri.
vntc persons the money and pays the
second nstalment of the purchusc.--
There is party in San Domingo or
Iposed TO annexation. Ii begins to
make headway Thereupon General
Grant sends the army and navy of the
United States to protect his vendor in
power.
need not characterize these acts.
Mr.. Sumner, nhis place in the Senate,
said;
"All this has been done by the
kingly prerogativc alone, without the
authority of an act of Congress. II
such n transaction, many headed in
wrong, can escape Judgment, It Is dit
fcult to say what securities romain.-
What other sacred obligation Of inter
national law may not be violated p
What other foreign nations may not
he struck? What other belligerent
menace many not be heruldedy What
other kingly prerogativc may not be
seizcdi'
Mr., Schurz, in his place in the Sen
ate, said
"To further by force of arms a bad
scheme of the White House, IN which
neither Congress nor the people OF The
United States had cvinoed the least
interest. the war powers had been
usurped. the Consultation invaded IN
one of its most essential aud vital
features, the peace and dignity of the
country put in jeopardy" in the man
ner in which he had described. lie
r would say to Senators who had un'
I.