The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-02-13
The Military Occupation of ChT-


The Military Occupation of CbT-
CagO.
The Legislature of Illinois reflected
the sentiment of the Western people,
when it SO signalIy rebuked GRANT and
his Bayonet rule short time since
The special committee to which the
subject Of GRANTS mil airy occupation
Of Chicago was referred made report
showing that the military intervention
objected To by Gov. PALMER was net
only illegal, hut eniirriy unnecessary,
aud fully sustaining The course Of tie
Governor in pro|rstin" against such an
interference in State affairs by United
States troops The committee also re-
ported 4 series OF resolutions condemH-
ing the Mayor Of Chicago for his part
in The matter, and characteriZing his
conduct ~ Illegal and afEprling dan
gcrous example. ccn>uring Gen. SiiERT.
DAN for accepting the alleged authority
to control the municipal affairs of Chi
cago 10y military power; denying the
iIht Of officers of tic army to inter.
rerc in the internal affairs Of the State;
prononncing the order given bv the
General Of the Army at Washington To
four companies of infantry to act as po-
lice in Illinois Illegal and Of dangerous
example; requesting the President to
modify the orders to the troops station.
cd at Chicago, AMI cordially approving
Gov. PALMER's action in the premises.
When the nature of this report be.
came known, great constcrnation was
created among the adherents of GRAST,
and Springfield was at once hesieged by
a delegation of Federal otIiceholders,
and other thick and thin supporters of
The Administration, who brought every
influence in their power to bear upon
the Legisla ure, in the hope OF proven.
Ting the adoption Of these resolutions,
the passage of which,t was urged, would
greatly injure Grants prospects for re
nomination. And when the res'!iutisns
were brought up for consideration, the
GRANT faction at once proposed the fol
lowing substitute:
RESOLVED, That in the judgment Of
this House no Just cause of complaint
exists against President Grant, Gen.
Sherman, or Sheridan, for any act done
by them, or either of them, in their ef-
forts to preserve the peace and tram
guilty and property OF the Citizens Of
Chicago at the time of and Immediate
ly succeeding the terrible calamity
above referred to.
After good deal of discussion and
considerable filiibustering this white
washing proposition was voted down
by - to Al and a series of resolutions
approving the Governors course, which
had previously been agreed on in the
Republican caucus. was introduced and
passed in place of the original resolG-
tons and the whitewashing substitute,
without debate, and by large majori,
ty. These resolutions declared that the
military should be in strict subordina-
ton to the civil power; that any infrac-
ton of this principle is matter of Vi
tai concern, establishing precedent dan
gerous to liberty that while the militia
ry Intervention in Chicago was unlawful,
and an infraction of both the State and
United States Constitutions, yet "we
exonerate the Federal Government and
Federal military authorities from intent
to wilfully trespass upon the constitu-
tional rights Of this State, or TO inter-
fere with its properly constituted au.
thorities during the emergency created
by the recent fire." which was in reality
an expression of the belief that the ac-
ton of the military officers and their
sHperiors in Washington was the result
of profound ignorance of the provis-
ions of the Constitution and the laws /;
and finally, that the protest of Gov.
PALMER against the violation of the
Constitution was the performance of a
duty imposed upon him by bis office,
and establishes a valuable precedent,
which is hereby approved.
The GRANT men, tlemoralized but not
utterly discouraged by this defeat, after
ward made desperate effort TO neutral,
ize the effect of these proceedings by
administering dose of soothing syrup
to GRANT and all concerned in the shape
of a set of resolutions commencing the
President, SHERIDAN, Gov. PALMER and
others for their noble conduct concern
ing the suffering people in their time of
calamity, evidently expecting to get
them through by the shallow device Of
including the Governors name among
those who were to be the recipients of
the legislative thanks. These resolutions
after rariouS delays haze been finally
acted on, and defeated BY Uote Of 69 to
59-another triumph for Coz Palmer
and another rebuke for Grant and his
subSerrient supporters.
Eyfn the report of the debate in the
Senate on the adjournment resolution
the following occurs:
NJ. Schurz-I will merely remark that
if the Senate resolves TO adjourn without