The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-05-02
Speech Of Hon. Lyman Trumbull.

AT TIE GREAT MEETING OF LIBERAL REPUB-
LIcANs AT COOPER INSTITUTE, NEW
YORK, FRIDAY EVENING,
APRIL 18th, 1872.
Mr.. Trumbull began his address by referring
to his appearance in New York sixteen years
ago. in Tie Fremont campaign. The party
then formed, did not succeed till 1861, when 1t
elected Lincoln to the presidency. He then
traced the struggle to the close of the war and
enumerated the results attained by that.
All the States are restored to their former re-
lations in the Union, and what now is there to
disturb the happiness and peace of this people? /?
One cause for complaint which produces alien
alton in the late insurrectionary States, and
keeps alive the hates and animosities engen-
dsred by the war. is the continuance OF polltl-
cal disabilities after the occasion for them has
passed away. In consequence of this contlnu-
ance the governments in the late insurrectlona-
ry States have fallen iato the hands OF mex
perienced, and in many instances OF corrupt
adventures, who have plundered the people OF
these States scarcely less than you IN the City
of New York have been plnndered by your your
former city government. (Applausel why
are these disabilities continued? Why are
they not removed, and all the people enfran,
chised? I think there are two causes, anu
two alone, which prevent it-one mercenary.
and the other political. (Applause.) Inc
mercenary one, that these adventurers shouio
exclude from the Offices in all these States the
former leading men that reside there OF large
experience and capacity; and although they
were traitors during the war, they were not
thieves nor plunderen. Loud cheerlng.)E-
Their exclusion has thrown these governments
into the hands of men who have used their
power to plunder the people over whom they
rule, and the debts of the Southern States have
been swollen in some intances twenty fold from
what they were before the war began. Inc
debt of Alabama was less than S6,O00,OO0 IN
1860, and at the present time its contingent and
absolute debt is near Sz0,000,000. The debt OF
Florida, which was but 900 at the COM
mencement of the wa:, has been swollen to
$4,000, 600; that of Georgia from S3,0OO,0 ,000
TO $44,000,DG0! These people have very little
20 show for these vast debts which have been
incurred and put upon the people. The poltl,. !.
cal difficulty was illustrated by the case OF
Gov Bullock of Georgia, who had used TINS
political disability as 81, much capital on which
TO trade and had succeeded in fastening on
Georgia debt, the discovery OF which caused
him to flee from the Safe. Another cause OF
dissatisfaction was the abuse of patronage by
the government Officers in some localities are
taxed part of their salary for political pur,,
poses, and if they do not perform the political
duty required of them, they are expelled.
Passing from this question of the civil ser
vice system, which would occupy an hour. to
discuss properly before you, come to another
measure which should create alarm throughout
the country. 1 alIude particularly to the as.
sumption of unwarranted power on the part OF
the Federal government and the departments
of the Federal government. (Cheera) Da-
ring the war extraordinary powers were exer-
/. cised by the government-powers never before
called into being; and although, in my opin-
ion, there never was any occasion at any time
during the war to exercise any qnconstltutlonal
authority on the part of the Federal govern
ment, / believe that the Constitution confers
upon the Federal government all the powers
necessary to be exercised even in war or In
rebellion such as we had, because 1t authorizes
Congress to pass laws for putting down insur-
rection and rebellion and when it has the au-
thority to pass laws for that purpose all the
power necessary to give it effect is given also
I will detain you few moments in pointing
out how the Federal government has en-
croached upon the rights of the States. 1t Is
doing it by legislation to some extent. recent
ly at almost every session of Congress laws are
passed taking away from your state tr1ounal
jurisdiction Of the citizen and transferring 1t to
the Federal courts. Some of these laws that
have been passed for that purpose have been
declared unconstitutional by the courts. Bills
are introduced into Congress creating addition
al circuits throughout the whole country, with
new judges, and you will have to seek redress
for grievances, not in the courts established by
yourselves in your own cities and localities, but
in courts presided over by judges appointed by
O central power, over whom you have no con-
troll. He then referred to the action OF the
military authorities in Georgia, on one occa-
sion issuing an order prohibiting certain men
from sitting in the Legislature, though elected,
which, under the law, was felony, yet no pun
ishment was ever meted out to the offenders
The law of Congress prohibits army othcers
holding civil Offices, yet the house was filled
with army officers acting as secretaries. HOW
long can this people preserve their Liberties II
thew quietly submit to this encroachment OF
those in authority upon them? applause
The safety of citizens is to be found In local
laws which the people themselves administer
fapplause,) not in the central government
where all powers of the government are COM
bined. If this encroachment Is allowed TO 60
on, the day is not far distant when this repuo-
lie will be converted into an imperial despot-
ism, and he cared not whether that power was
vested in any one person or IN hve hundred
persous called Congress. The doctrine IS now
DOlQIY prOClalueU tildI GuC Ct<tISo Va eAAO AAOA
have such powers only as are conferred upon
them by the constitution of the United States,
when directly the reverse is true, and the States
have all the power except such as the constitu-
tion of the United States has conferred upon
the United States, or has withheld from them.
The difference is this: The government of the
United States is government OF derlvatlve
power. Thus in the State the government is
Inherent; they have all power not denied them,
NO ~aie power WEI except such as is given to tap
nlausel-and such the constitution of the Uni
ted States says in terms, for it declares in one
of its amendments, Gall power not conferred
by this constitution of the United States Is
reserved to the States respectively or to the
people of the States"
But pass to another loud complaint of the
j IL =. L. Aoorr