Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1873-03-15
THE STATE PRISON EMBROGLIO.
-.sBAYONET RULE"

We are al familiar with the contem-
plation of the dreadful consequences
which are inevitable when Greek meets
Greek. We have Just had an illustration
of what must come when Nirginlan
meets Virginian Each stands upon his
rights: and while each, as a good Demo
graf and faithful adherent Of the Reso-
lutions of '9S processes to stand IN dread
of the fearful results of opposing the
military to the civil power. one de1es
the State with an armed guard, and tine
other retaliates by invoking the militia
forces of the commonwealth, We inter
pose no CONSTITUTIONAL objection to
the summary proceedings resorted to by
the Governor as President Of the Board
of Prison Commissioners and command
er in chief of the military establishment
of the State. bat We refer to his act OF
calling upon the troops under his com
rand in this emergency merely to make
such a record thereof as may be employ
ed to estop all future nonsense regarding
the Presidents resort to like measures
when, in his Judgment the interposition
OF armed force is needful. 1t Is not the
Republican OK that is gored now; and
while we can readily see the improperly
of Juggling a sovereign State into court
to maintain its own reserved rights,
when in no case is it compatible with
the vindication of such sovereignty to go
to the courts of the States own making
to secure their maintenance, still we can
not waive our privilege of making tins
point against the exemplars of party
who have inveighed with SO much We
hemence and SO long continued emphasis
against the dangers of giving the mill
tary precedence of the civil powers of
the State. Indeed We cannot avoid TAX
ing notice of the stress which Denver
places upon his surrender of the Prison
to the military force with which he is
confronted. Ii there be any point in
the matter he has certainly saved it.
With regard to the controversy which
has thus been brought to q technically
violent" ending, We have to say that
with all its ludicrous aspects, land they
have been, as everything which involves
militia mastering always is,provocative
of a good deal of genuine fun as well as
some painfully manufactured laughter)
that expensive as the resort to military
measures al~ays is, the speedily accom-
plished results and the full certainty that
the Prison and its nearly four score des-
perate convicts are once more under the
restraint of an indisputable authority
this assured condition is well worth the
price that its bringing on has cost Either
Denver was or was not in authority over
those prisoners; and if he were not,
then, by all means, it was matter of
imperative necessity that he should be
dispossessed of all power to assume an
authority there-and in such q case it
were farcical to have recourse to the slow
and perilous process of the Courts. If
the Lieutenant Governor is the victim Of
an unlawful proceeding upon the part of
the Governor and the Board of Commits
sioners the Courts will award him full
Justice; but when the custody of seventy
FIVE or eighty eonvicts is a question of
dispute between the chief officers of the
State Government and man who has
been shorn of authority by law, there is
no time, rs Lincoln aptly said, to swap
horses" The Governor has disregarded
the Democratic platform; but he has
acted with wise and well-timed promp-
titude and resoluteness
WHILE the Protestants of England are
exhibiting a pitiful intolerance toward