New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-28
state Rights Shield Fraud.

The Picayune explains that by "the swing
in our local politics" it means that the Fed
eral Government has no right whatever to
interfere in State election under any cir
cumstances. It believes, we presume, that
the right of the Government to prerent fraud
in a local election cannot be conceded with
out thereby admitting the right to peypetrotc
fraud, and that thus our liberties would be
crushed and great despotism established.
This view is natural to State rights man of
the Calhoun school, but very erroneous. 1t
grows out of the inexplicable notion that
liberty depends upon the autonomy of the
States, which implies that a large State must
Of necessity be despOtic. The merging of the
sovereignty of thirty-seven States into the
sovereignty Of one great free and glorious
nation, to our mind, only strengthens free
dom, and secures us from disntegratiOn and
consequent anarchy. The Picdyune is stick
ling for the shadow and rehearsing the cant
of liberty while the substance escapes. To
save the rights of the State it would deliber-
ately sacrifice the rights of the people.
See how the doctrine of States rights works
| in Louisiana! The Picayne says che Fed
eral authority in no shape or form must inter-
fere. Let us then suppose case, which, may
only prove too true. A corrupt State gov
| eminent has held an election under corrupt
| law, which corrupt State courts sustain, and
| at WHICH UeU. IcCelNcS
| lty of the legal votes for local office. But
he is defrauded by those whose duty it is to
protect him, and the commission is given to
another. Has Gen. Beauregard any remedy
| that is not an absolute mockery? He APP
| peals to the State courts in vain. The courts
may be VIGOROUSLY corrupt. Although he
may prove his right to the office beyond ques-
ton, they either do not or cannot give it to
him. Here, then, his resources are exhausted
according to the Picayame. 1.-THE Governor
is against him the State courts may be defed
and the judges dragged by force from the
| bench, but still the Central Power must re-
main a passive spectator of scenes in the
name of liberty that would make the angels
weep. The "rights" of States must not be
Violated" and thus the way is distinctly
paved for the Executive of each State to
usurp the power of the people and make HIM
self despot. If the people rise against a
tyrant in France, they can overthrow him !;
but under the Picayune's doctrine of States
rights, if they rise against tyrant Governor
here, he, and he alone, has power to call for
Federal troops, and the President is bound
to furnish them to him ''to suppress domestic
instruction" Witness last winter.
If Beauregard is counted out by WarmOth
and kept out by plant State courts, the
Picayaie insists he shall not have the Office.
We insist that he shall have it, if he is elected
, to it, in spite of Warmoth and his State
courts, if this nation has power enough to
J give it to him. The Federal election law
furnishes no facilities for the preparation o.
fraud. 1t is only preventive measure, and
as such is appealed to now. The Picayun
either does or does not recognize the fifteenth
| amendment as part of the Constitution
If it does, it must admit the constitutionality
, of the enforcement act and the jurisdiction
t of the Federal courts to precent fraud in loca
3 elections. The principle for which the Plea
Q y,ne contends was annihilated by the wal
0 then eliminated from the Constitution by tn
d amendment, and, making its appearance
e anew at the Cincinnati Convention, has jus
Q been utterly and forever overwhelmed by tn
= people at the polls.--Nep Orleans Nation'
Republican.