The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-08-23

the President puts himself at the heaC
of powerful and costly Ku-Kluz
! operating abroad in defiance of inter-
national law and the Constitution o.
i the United States. These ar, ques
tions which l ask with sorrow, and on
ly in obedience to that truth which i:
the requirement of this debate; mol
should do otherwise than fail in JUS
tice to the occasion if did not declare
my unhesitating opinion that, had the
President been inspired as to bestoW
upon the protection of Southern Union
lists, white and black, one half, nay,
sir, one quarter of the time, money,
zeal, will personal attention, person
al effort. and personal intercession,
which he has bestowed on his attempt
to obtain half an island in the Carib-
| bean sea, onr Southern Ku Klux would
have existed in name, while tranquil
ity reigned everywhere within our Dor.
ders."
Mr.. Schurz said:
"To further by force of arms pet
scheme OF the White House, in which
neither Congress or the people of the
United States has shown the least in
terest, the war powers had been usurp-
ed, the Constitution invaded in one of
its most essential and vital features,
the peace and dignity of the country
put in jeopardy in the manner in With
he Mr.. Schurz had described. He
would say to Senators who had under
taken an utterly hopeless task, and, to
all appearance, and impossible one."
Again he says:
cit was time now to dispel that con-
fusion of ideas which could not dis
tinguish between the authority of the
United States and the person Of the
President, and to arrest that usurpa.
ton of power which was gradually and
with cat like step creeping upon this
country Congress had never been
called to confront stronger attempt
at personal government. We were re-
minded of Louis XIV, with his riding
boots ON and whip in hand, entering
the Paris Parliament and proclaiming,
s'I am the State" Here he saw the
President stepping before the people
and declaring, I am the war making
power.
Ihave already shown how he sought
to overthrow the State authorities in
New York and elsewhere at the No
vember elections, and might show how
he sustained Governor Holden and his
minions Kirk and Bergan in their ef-
forts to bring North Carolina to his
feet last summer, rewarding the latter
with foreign mission and so i'm.
pressing his friend Holden what has
since been successfully impeached for
his crimes and misdemeanors-with
his greatness that Holden declared by
Rev. F. b. Smith "that, in his opin
ion, General Grant would hold control
of the Government of the United
States, no matter what might be the
result of the election in 1871 and
that he desired to see him emperor
and his son to succeed him as emper
or'-as that gentleman, who was sent
to North Carolina to superintend the
education of the freedmen, testified
before the Senate Committee last
spring.
GRANTS GREAT POWER.
In view of these facts and many
others 1 might give, it is sheer folly
and nonsense to say that General
Grant will not and dare not exercise
all the authority given him, or which
he can squeeze out OF the ku hlux
bill. He has his soldiers already dot
ted all along the lines of our railroads
in Kentucky, when they ought to be
on the frontier protecting our citizens
from the Indians; he has subservient
Postmaster General, with his thou
sands of postmasters, one at every
cross roads, who will be required to
furnish the necessary proof OF Au
Klux outrages whenever they are
needed, and if they fail they will be
dismissed and others put in their places
who will. Every internal revenue
official, pimp, spy and informer will
stand or fall according to his capacity
to make out cases, which in the opinion
Of the President, authorize him to
take possession of the State. When
you come to examine the bill careful
", you will find that whenever by un-
awful combinations in any State any
person is deprived of life, liberty or
and the State authorities
from any cause fail or refuse protection
to the person injured, the President
shall, by the army and navy, cor by
,ther MEANS" as he may deem neces-
,ary, take absolute jurisdiction over
he su bject; and ii he thinks the State
are in completely with, or
,onnive at, any armed combinations,
he may suspend the writ Of habeas cor
ous, close the court houses, turn out
he judges, discharge the juries, and
make his military subordinates abso-
ute masters over the people. Bands
If bad men, either employed for the
purpose or carrying out their own dew
lish designs, may cross the Ohio river
,r the Tennessee line in the night, de-
troy the cabin or the property of
some negro, and escape beyond the
of the State before morn
ng. If so, the President is author
zed to say that the State authorities
lave failed or refused to protect cit
zen, and he may use such means as
lie thinks necessary to afford to secure
he protection. He need not call on,
,r be called on by, the Governor or
he Legislature. He determines the
and the mode and measure
If redress. He sets aside all consti-
utional restrictions and safe. guards
brown around the citizen, or reserved
o the State, and he is not responsible !
before any tribunal for any act he may
10, or any outrage he may commit
he means he may employ are such as
le may deem necessary; he alone is
he Judge. If he should close the