New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-08

=" AS rule, yOul always hno" "noio W LII"
"me.n
Upon the whole, had MT the party in power
better skip its financial record and go to the
country on some earlier part of its record to
which it can "point with pridef"
ENFORCING THE LAWS At TIE SOUTH.
The action of the Federal Government in
REFRESHING disorders in Alabama, Tennessee,
and other disturbed districts of the South,
threatens to bring us face to face with new
problem quite as difficult of solution as that
of the War of Races. If any such reign OF
terror really exists in the reconstructed States
"a the partisans of Third Term would have
us believe, all good citizens will be predis-
posed to approve the most vigorous measures
for it's overthrow. But there is grave
danger lest, in an inconsiderate zeal for
the enforcement of certain statute, the
President may be led into the usurpation OF
mowers which do not belong to him. In send
ing small part of the army to those localities
where its services are most likely to be called
for in preserving the peace and REFRESHING
domestic violence the President merely takes
a wise precaution but when he allows
Attorney General Williams to send his deputy
for alleged crimes of murder and assault, the
case Is very different. Nothing can be more
certain than that these Offenses are properly
cognizable by the State authorities alone. and
it is only by a strained Interpretation OF the
very doubtful and dangerous Enforcement
laws that the Federal courts can assert any
jurisdiction over them.
The purpose of the Enforcement Acts was TO
protect the cOlOred people in the rights OF
citizenship and suffrage, and generally to pre-
vent unjust and injurious determinations OF
race. But it will be seen that they are now
appealed to whenever riot, lynchlng or muir
der occurs which can be ascribed by any
stretch of probability to political animosltles.
A Northern white man was killed last summer
in Alabama for some reason unknown, ana q
Federal marshal has just arrested several per-
sons indicted for the Offense under the Enforce
mept law of 1870. That statute OF course mas
no reference to murder, but one of its sections
makes it a penal Offense for any person by
force, bribery, threats. ETC., to "hinder OF
"preyent OF conspire with Others to hinder
cor prevent any citizen from performing
"auy preparatory act requisite to qualify him
{" to vote. or from voting, at any election"
indicted for conspiracy to prevent Mr..
Billings from voting in November by killing
him in August This is making farce OF
the law. And things almost as bad have been
done in Tennessee, where Governor Brown
has addressed manly protest to the Presl-
dent against the action of his marShals IN
arresting persons for completely in the Tren-
ton massacre, "and conveying them under
"guard to Memphis, nearly 100 miles dis
"tant, to answer for the same Offense
charged against them by the State courts"
In this case the crime was breaking open
jail and lynching a number of negro prisoners
confined on a charge of conspiracy to murder;
there was nothing in the circumstances of the
outrage to make it proper subject for Fed
eral interference; the State laws provided for
it ; and the State authorities were especially
active in ferreting out and arresting the
ouity parties Yet the President chose to
toka tho case ont of the Governors hands,