The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-31
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS.
INTERFRRRHOE AT
TEE SOUTH.

TIE SOUTH.
A Timely aad Thoughtful Artlcle. a,
From the Estion.l j
We presume people are not generally satis-
fed with ths condition of the South, and there
are numerous signs that the most ardent
flienda Of the enforcement act begin to doubt
Its value very seriously. Passing such an act
for the purpose Of suppressing Eu.Klux ont.
RACES they begin to see>somewhat resembled
the smputation of limb in order 30 get nd. OF
a boil. The Eu.Kluxery, ifthat he the proper
term, has been suppressed; but the Indirect
effects OF the measure, which ere the ones
which 1t Is most difficult to get an average
politician to bestow any thought upon, now
begin to show themselves. One OF the very
first was, of course, to arm the Federal
Government with enormous power over tbs
State Government-power such a,Jithsd never
possessed before. As we pointed oat ID
these columns at the time Of its passage, 1t
declared "thst to be d rebellion against the
United statss' which was nothing moro than
violence to individuals. and permitted the
writ of habeas corpus to be suspended in time
OF peace; it authorized the President to en-
ploy the military forces in suppressing opp6.
sitlon TO The State Law, without an application.
from the State authorities; 1t extended the
prohibitions Of the fourteenth amendment to
cases Of private wrong; and clothed the ma
tional courts with Jurisdiction over ordinary
crimes and with the Junction of ordinary poI
lice repression When We said all this, IL
was mere theory or prediction; we now see It
verified In practice. The act has actually con-
verted the general government into su.
preme srbiter Of State affairs at the South, and
has taught The factions which i1 nearly every
Southern State are contending for the posses
sion of the treasury to dlsregard the local
public opinion and The stale constitution and
laws. and look to Washington tor the meanl
of overcoming their opponents. The worst
Of this is, too. that the gen eral govern.
ment does not interfere under some
clearly defined code OF procedure, but In the
exercise Of vast senal.mllita:y discretion,
which makes all things seem possible to the
adyenturers,by whom the South 10 splundered.
The condition OF politics In that region at this
moment bears q close and striking reteEd.
blance to that of the Spanish American repub-
lies, inasmuch ca in both two SETS of sdventu-
rers are constantly Striving ioitas 9. mastery; aN
opinion and the 1Nws. In South America,
however, they speedily take arms" andnend
their quarrels by civil war; things do not reach
this pass,in orir Southern States e0lely because
the President stsnds ready to Interfere, ss
soon as the parties prepare to come to blown;
but II there were q power south OF tho Bio
Grande which would prevent the polidcans,
life In that region would ,clo0ely res6m6lep1b-
lie life In our own States lately In rebelllon:5
This readiness Of the President to inter-
fere, however, 80 fur from n0derating the.
rage OF the contestants, and turning their
attention to the peaceful arts. stimulates their
Zeal and increases tbeir Indifference TO tna
regular and lawful modes OF getting and
keeping rower. There is little hope Of their
spending their time Ia persulIding their fei1
IoW-citizenB Into support Of them, or coming:
to terms with their enemies, 'Fhen they feel
that visit to Washington, or success m.get-
ting .the cn5tomhonse party" on their SIDE,
may give them all they vsutIin the fwmkisDg
about the election. OF the State Legislature.
That is, the lawfulneRs OF the counts dsput!
ed; and two bodies, each calling itself tha
state Legislature, meet .ln the capital, each
hurlIne defiance at the other, South Ameri-
can fashion. II such q thing occurred at Tho
NurIU.-Lne g1rIlemeut would be. eonEhs
through the State courts, or (more probably,
the politicians engaged In ths conflict would,
know so we'll the eaeGt their perform.
ances would have on the public mind; that
one set would give way. OF come ether .modo5
Of adjusting the difference be found. In Ala
bama, however, neither tho State courts nor
the local opinion count for anything In the
matter; the whole difference is laid beiors;ths'
United States Attorney General, and no sup1
piles modus utoendt, In an opinion which ID
accepted as law, because 1t 10 known that 1t
NAV be backed, II the President gets his
bloed up, by Federal bayonets. 30 also In
Louisiana there is dispute about the election
OF Governor and Legislature between two
sets OF rascally adVent1rers, who carry Ton
and it is again 10 due course carried before
Federal Judge, who actually restrains by an
Injunction the State board Of canvassers from
counting the votes, and before the President,
who, without any formal inquiry into the
facts, promptly recognizes al Inc real State
idministration, and promises 1t, through the
Attorney.General, that 1t will Il be-, II
necessary, supported with military force.
this, too, being the party which contains
General Grants brother-in-law. Casey, as one
of Its chief men; and this Casey being .
United States Official, who last year used
United States revenue cutter for Twelve oays
reach OF the lawful pursuit Of the sergeant at.
arms. It Ia to be observed also that the sec
tion from which Judge Durell processes 10
have derived bis authority to interfere simply
gives any person who may have been denied
Ihe right to vote or hold office on account OF
race. color, or previous condition OF servitude,
the power of bringing IAN appropriate suit or
proceeding to recover possession or the
oflce,n and gives the United States courts
Jurisdiction OF all offences committed against
lhe provisions of the act. On this we see
within one short year subordinate i0d9e
builds up the right to control State election,
and he Issues his Injunction against the State
government with as little ceremony az II It
we're a mere ''board" of supervisors or OF
There is one oaer point to which We Wish
IN cali the earnest attention of our readers.
There can hardly -devolve on the executive
branch Of the United stateS Government
graver or more delicate task than that OF &C.
olding which of'two bodies claiming to be the
government of State Is the lawful one. II ID
q task which the President iB sometimes forced
to perform, but which he ought to avoid per-
forming as long az he can, 80 that the people
of the State may have every possible chance
of performing It for themselves, for It Is EN-.
phatically their concern. He ought not, how
ever, under any circumstances, TO undertake
it lIahtly or hastily, or without making, lor
| his own Justification and for the Information
of the public, 8 full statement Of the reasons
which have governed him In his decision, ana
of the sources from which he has derived his
knowledge of the facts. In the Louielane
| afYsIr, however, President Grant has soted
hastily, appears to have made no proper IN
ouiry. and has offered no public jusnacaton
| of his course. Moreover, body OF highly
| s.,ahI. ,Jtyzanu of tho State who do