The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-12-18

81, 1870, with amendments, was passe'
to enforce its provisions, the object o
this being to guarantee to all citizen
the right to vote and protect them In tn
: free enjoyment Of that right. Being en-
Joined by the Constitution to take car
that the laws be faithfully executed, anC
convinced by undoubted evidence tina
: violations of said act had been com
mitted, and that widespread and fla
grant disregard of it was contemplated
the proper officers were instructed anG
the offenders notified that troops were
stationed at convenient points to ai6
these officers, if necessary, in the per
formance of their official duties. Com.
plants are made of this interference by
Federal authority; but, if said amend
lment and acts do not provide for such
interference under the circumstances, as
above stated, then they are without
meaning, force or effect, and the whole
scheme of colored reimbursement is
worse than mockery, and little better
than a crime.
Possibly Congress may find It due to
truth and Justice to ascertain, by means
of q committee, whether the alleged
wrongs to colored citizens for political
purposes are real, or the reports thereof
were manufacturedfo for the occasion. The
whole number of troops In the States of
Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida,
South Carolina, North Carolina, Ken
itucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Maryland and Virginia, at the times of
| the election, were 4, ,082. This embraces
the garrisons Of all the forts from the
Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico.
ARKANSAS.
Another trouble has arisen in Arkan-
sas. Article 13 of the Constitution of
the State, which was adopted in 1868,
and upon the approval of which by Con
ress the State was restored to represen-
tation as one of the States of the Union,
provides in effect that ''before any
amendments proposed to this Constitu-
ton shall become a part thereof, they
shall be passed by two successive As
sembies, and then submitted and rati-
fed by majority of the electors OF the
State voting thereon. =
On the 1lth of May, 1874, the Govern
or convened an extra session of the Gen
eral Assembly of the State, which, on
the 18th of the same month, passed an
act providing for convention to frame
a new Constitution. Pursuant to this
act, at an election held on the Both of
June, 1874, the Convention was approved
and delegates were chosen thereto, who
assembled on the 14th of last July, and
framed new Constitution, the schedule
of which provided for the election of an
entire new set of State officers, in amRn-
ner contrary to the then existing election
laws of the State. On the 18th of Octo-
Der, 1874, this Constitution, as therein
provided, was submitted to the people
for their approval or rejection, and ac-
tcording to the election returns was APP
proved by a large majority Of those quail
fled to vote thereon, and persons were
chosen to ell all the State, county and
township offices. The Governor elected
In 1872 for the term of four years, turned
over his Office to the Governor chosen
under the new Constitution, whereupOp
the Lieutenant Governor also elected Ii
ll872, for term of four years, claiming
to act as Governor and alleging that said
proceedings, by which the new Consti-
tuition was made and a new setof officers
were elected lWere, tneonstit1iohai, Il
legal and void; called upon me- as pro
vided in Section 4, Article 4, of the Con
stitution to protect the State against do
mestio violence. Tks Congress Bnow In
1vestigating the politicafatfairs Of Arkan-
sas, I haxe declined to interfere. ~
THE CAUSE AND REMEDY FOR THESE
TROUBLES.
The whole subject of Executive in
reference with the affairs of State is
repugnant to public opinion; to the feel
ings.Of those who, from. their official
capacity, must be used IN such inter
positions, and to him or those, who must
direct it. Unless most clearly on the
side of law, such interference becomes
a crime with the law to support it. l
desire, therefore, that all necessity for
Executive direction in local affairs may
become unnecessary and obsolete. l
invite the attention not Of Congress,
but Of the people Of the United States,
to the causes and effects Of these IN
happy questions. Is there not a dispO-
sition on one side to magnify wrongs
and outrages, and On the other side to
beittle them or justify them? If pub
lie opinion could be directed to a cor
rect survey of what is and to rebuking
the wrong and aiding the proper author
tiles In Furnishing it, better state of
feeling would be ineulcated, and the
sooner we would have that peace which
would leave the States free indeed. to
regulate their own domestic affairs. 1
believe that, on the part Of our citizens
of the Southern States, the better part of
them, there Is q disposition to be law
abiding, and to do no violence either to
individuals or the laws existing, but do
they do right in ignoring the existence
of violence, and bloodshed in resistance
to constituted authority? q sympathize
with their prostrate condition, and would
do allin my power to relieve them, ac-
knowledging that in some instances they
have had most trying Governments to
live under, and very oppressive ones In
the way of taxation for nominalimprove-
ments not giving benefits equal to the
-hardships imposed, but can theyproelaim
themselves entirely unblamable for this
condition7 They cannot. Violencehas
been rampant in some localities, and
has further been justified or denied by
those who could have prevented it. The
ttheory-i is raised that there is to be nc
further interference on. the part of the
General Government to protect citizens
within State, where the State authori-
lties fail to give protection. This is a