Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-11-22
The True Issue.


Tho old contest, old as liberty, be-
tween military government by brute
forco and self government by the pco.
pie, is now sharply and clearly deiin-
ing itself all over the country. Tho
military President and his sycophants
are claiming right to proclaim mar
tal law at pleasure. His organs fid-
die on this ono string. The Press,
conductedb by tho collector Of the Port Of
Philadelphia, said at is proposed that
martial law bo next declared in Geor-
gia. In that State tho Ku Klux have
been fully as bad rs in South Carolina,
and there is need Of prompt and stern
measures" All over the country, the
administration organs are trying the
public temper in this style. But W
their surprise, they are rousing n
spirit that they fondIy thought was as
extinct in the hearts of the American
people as il is among the groveling
crow who got the privilege of robbing
tho public, MS tho reward of their
fawniEg. The spirit that Governor
Geary spoke to in his annual message
Of the present year is alive, too, in
Illinois Another Radical Governor,
General Palmer, speaks out his con.
demnaton Of martial law. Tho Radi.
cal eulogists Of General Sheridan have
awakened more disgust than admira-
ton, aud he ia busy polishing appro.
vals from his military superiors to
screen him. Let us distinguish. 1t
is laudable in soldier or citizen 10
give his aid in any great public poril.
General Scott, in his autobiography,
relates happy incident that allayed
the Nulliiication excitement in 1882.
There was great fire in Charleston,
and the garrisons OF the forts charged
upon the city, tore down and blew
up houses, and arrested the pro
gress of the flames This was not
martial law, it was the common law
of humanity. But when the hero of
the Piegan massacre began to show
his contempt for human life, and, after
tho fire was entirely over, promulgat-
ed his edicts that "he would be id"
if there should be any rise in hotel
board, the impudent assumptions of
unlawful authority which tho Radical
press chronicled with ecstacy, filled
every right minded man with indigna.
tion. Tho Governor of Illinois,
Tadical, and, like General Geary, a
distinguished soldier 10 tho late war,
formally directs the Attorney General
to take steps to virdicate the law. He
is right. We repeat it-there is not,
there cannot be any such thing as
martial law in the United States un.
der its laws and against its citizens
The administration organs which are
now threatening Georgia with it, can
cite no line OF any law or Constitution
that warrants il. Some Democratic
journals have been too hasty in as.
suming that the Ku Klux law author.
izes il. The Ku.K Kux law declares
that when insurrection shall by viO-
lcnce overthrow or set at defiance the
State authorities, when in fact actual
war exists, the President may use the
Federal power to repress the insur-
reclion, and may suspend the writ OF
hdJedS corpus. This, it was urged in
Congress, was warranted by the Con.
stitulion. But there is not word in
IL, or in the Ku.Klux law, or any
other law, to warrant declaration of
martial law" That can have no ex.
istence under the authority OF law. 1t
is no law that. exists when all laws
are silenced. Confessed lies were the
proteAt for 1t in Marion county, and
.re now trumprd up nfresh for Geor.
So Tha,- "shiii' -. ..a.~. -aen"l;,,.
of this whole political movement,
based on the impudcnt fiction Of an
insurrection at the South. The men
who fattened on it when il did exist,
want more oft. Ifit does not exist,
they will invent it, 1t is against these
rogucs, and their schemes of pecula.
tion, usurpation, theft, fraud, and vic.
lcnce, that all friends OF honest, law.
ful government must now mace com.
mon cause. That is the politital cam.
paign that is before us. In it, all
honest men and friends Of face, civil
government will be on one side
Philadelphia Age.