The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-11-18

States quoted in the Senate2 How have
the mighty falieni
: lCries of"Who was hes" Answer-."Mr.
Frelinghuysen."l
The war was over long ago. The South.
ern men had, at the Appomattox, laid down
the arms which, for four years, they bad
borne rs heroicslly and firmly against over.
whelming numbers as did the brave Spar.
tans o. the pass Of Thermopyle. They
had gone home 10 the cultivation again OF
the arts Of peace, but they had found only
the famine e-stricken land on which the ay.
ing crow could find no grain Of corn. They
had gone back to the hearth stone 10 end
the tooth Of the lean dog gnawing At the
| doorstep they bad gone to meet the sweet
smile Of the dear wife they had left behind
and to sac once more the raddy faces OF
| their children but It was only to find that
gaunt beggary and hungry had 80 i,lsuched
the cheek and shrivelled the little hand that
the father did not know his child.
This was not all. The enfranchised
blacks and the squatter whites bad set up.
under the reconstruction laws. new gov
ernment for the people. viii not stop to
tel you OF the plundarings, the stealings
and eorraPtions Of these carpet-bag govern
ments. But was 1t to be expected that
peace and order were TO reign everywhere
through States where all the intelligent and
educated were excluded from the ballot.
box, and the ignorant and corrupt alone
allowed the right to govern and to select
the governors? Agovernmsnt not respect
ed by the people cannot be entirely peace
fnl. The law administered by corrupt par.
tisans, who befoul the stream of justice,
cannot fail TO lack the respect and obedi.
ence OF an ensaved people, and therefore
there may have been disorders in aome
parts Of the Southern States as in the
North, but the State had the power and an.
thority to control them, aud to protect the
lives and property OF iis citizens. Had the
local governments been formed by citixens
Of the States, and not BY wandering ped.
dlers and carpet baggers, peace and quiet
wo1ld have reigned everywhere. Look at
Virginia. With the wisdom that became
the mother Of States, see how she is recu
peratin since she has obtained the control
OF her own State government
Therefore, upon the allegation of disor.
der in the South, this atrocious bill was
passed. 1t has no parallel in history. II
has no prototype in the must cruel legisla.
tion Of the past.
Its nearest resemblance is in the sedition
law of 1913. Under that infamous act the
liberty Of the press was trampled under
foot, as under this later legislative abortion
the liberty of the person is DESTROYED. The
sedition bill passed through Congress anil
the strongest opposition OF Harper and
Bayard, Livingston and Gallilin, aud no.
BILE baud Of advocates for freedom.
This act made 1t u crime for any persons
to combine or conspire together with intent
10 oppose any measure the Government Of
the United States directed by proper au
thority, or to impede the operation Of any
law of the United States, or TO intimidate
| or prevent any person holding office under
| the United States from executing his trust,
or 10 counsel or advise, or attempt any un.
lawful assembly.
BY one Of its sections, fine of $4,000
was imposed upon every person who should
write or publish, or cause to be written or
| published, libel against the Government
OF the United States, or either House of
Congress, or against the President; and
by the trials which took place 1t may be
seen that any publication which did not an.
prove OF the measures Of Government aud
the conduct Of the Executive was construed
into a libel. The prosecutions of Calender
and Lyon, Cooper and Holt, are the best
commentary upon that Infamous law
To the crying disgrace of the American
Judiciary, men we're found then on the
bench to execute This partisan legislation.
Then, as to-day, men were dragged from
their homes, old and young, lame and halt,
taken to distant court, thrown into jail
upon the merest and most tri1ing allega
ton of q malicious witness, to be tried be.
fore partisan jury, and IL condemned to
be immured in some foreign dungeon, un.
der cruel and heartless sentence.
Do you know the exact language Of this
ku-klux law? Its second section authorizes
the President In case Of 'dvmestic yiolence'
within State, which shall so far obstruct the
laws thereof, or of the United States, as to de-
priye any portion or class OF the pc eople OF
such State Of any Of the rights named In the
act and on failure or refusal OF the State au-
thorities to call on the President for aid, with
out such call to 20 into the State with the
army and navy and suppress such "domestic
violence" He can enlist white or black mill
tia, as he pleases, and use them against the
freemen OF the United States He can call
such domestic violence rebellion, and aus
pend the writ OF habsas corpus whenever he
deems proper.
The act transfers from the States to the
President and his subordinates nearly all the
powers Of tho States for the protection Of the
liberties and the lives OF their citizens. It is
the grandest engine Of opprcssion ever devised
BY wicked Legislators for the destruction Of
free people.
lis putting the military power Of the Gov
ernment over the civil, in more obnoxious
form that was conferred on President lincoln
during tho bloodiest period OF the civil war.
The civil power OF the President In seeing
the laws faithfully executed" Is subordinated
to his power as command er-in-chief Of the
army and nary.
Truly may it be said now that "our fathers
established q general government, but our leg
islators at Washington have chang ed Ii to he
government OF a general" The military fam
lily be has about him Is In opposition to all the
precedents Of the past. The title Of his ennis
sary TO San Domingo, General 0rviIle Bab-
cock, aid.de-camp to his Excellency General
Ulysse: 8. Grant, President Of the Uuitcd
States" was before unknown 70 the country.
Everything at the White House smacks Of the
camp. The execution OF the Ku-klux act Ia
North and South Carolina, proceeding the
Presidential election, Is Intended to foreteli
tale Of woe to Grants opponents in 1871. Yes,
the uprising Of the Democracy of Texas,
(whosc Lone Star gladdeled our hearts amid
the darkness and disasters OF California and
Ohio which, by its splendid majority Of 30,-
900 condemned the Administration, has warmed
the powers at Washington Of the danger OF
letting the Southern people alone.
Peace was Grants promise to the South.
but cruel AID relentless war was in his heart.
He can send the peaceful followers Of Penn
with words OF gentleness, soft as mothers
smile, to the red men Of the forest, bat he
knows no law OF kindness for his white brethren
at the South. Churches may applaud the for
mer as noble example Of Christian charity,
but posteriy will record Il as an act OF gigAn-
tic hypocrisy.
'Seems he dove his feathers are but Dor.
rowed,
For he's disposed as tho hateful raven.'
Under his proclamation suspending III.
habsas corpus men are Hying terror STRICKEN In
every direction; homes are deserted, and
caves 10 the mountains are sought for shelter
from tho crdsl hand of the soldier. Innocenc , i
knows no protection from tho grasp Of the in