Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-25
The Ku-KIux Act peclared Unconst !
From the 1Nilmi ir1otnn Journal.


Governor Vance stltes that he was in
formed by the Hon: Reyerdy Johnson that
the Supreme Court oi the United States
have decided inronc Of the South Carolina
cases that; the act,of Congress commonly
known rs Tie Ku-Kll|x Act is unconstitu-
tioial, but that.the esinion OF the Court
will be purposely Withheld until after the
election!
This decision ofstkd Court will. When {!
announced, put the finishing blow to Radl-
calism in North Carolina. United States
Malshals, AMI Judges like Bond and BUS
tced, who disgrace their country will no
longerbe able to oppress our people /
The Importance Of ehis decision cannot
be estimated We can scarcely real
ize that the day has actually come when
civil law reigns supreme in North Caro-
lima; yet with a. decisions of p Supreme
Court of the UnitedStates declaring the
Ku-Klux laws to be unconstitutlonal,
backing up the withdrawal Of the power
from the President to suspend the writ OF
RabeoS Corpus, it may be safely said that
he day of bavonet rule has passed.
We have been through terrible ordeal,
but we verify believe that better days are
before US We cannot ever-estimate, we
say; the Importance Of this decision. Its
first effect will be to put an end to the
thousands of indictments in the Fedela!
Courts. Carrow and Bond will no longer
be able to frighien voters away from the
polls by. threats of Indictment against
themselves or their friends The people OF
North Carolina will at last be freemen
once more. Thank God for the happy day
It is rarely, however, that anything
comes to us in this world, either of un-
mixed good or unmixed evil, and SO though
we are overjoyed at'the great benefits to
flow from the decision when announced,
we are compelled to- admit that the. fact
that it is not announced is an outrage Of
so gross q character as to disgrace the
Court thus withholding its decision from
the world ,.
But this is not the first time the Su-
preme Court of the United States has dis
graced itself in this manner. 1t was Mr.
Justice Grier, if we mistake not, in the
Garland or McArdle case, who asked that
his disapprobation -ot the action of the
Court in refusing to announce its opinion
after it had been formally agreed upon
might be entered of record. Judge GrieI
said that the Court was subjecting itself to
censure and deserved censure. In tina!
case we believe the object of the Court
was to deprive acitizen Of the benefit O
the law by giving time to Congress to ma.
ture additional legislation taking away from
the Court its Jurisdiction in the premises
In the present case the object of the
Court is no less plain. 1t is the purpose
to enable President Grant to proceed with
his scheme Of threats and intimidation
until after the electson. If the decision o.
the Court was announced Grant woulc
suddenly collapse and lose all chance O.
reelection.
1t is a. sad sight to see Judge shame.
lessly playing the partisan on Che bench
1t is part that no.J udge ought ever te
have the opportunity Of playing the sec.
ond time. For the first offence of thi:
character Judge ought at once to be i'm.
peached and degraded from the Bench.
The liberties Of no people can be safe
with corrupt and partisan judiciary.