Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-01-15
History Repeating Itself.
[From the New Orleans Picayune ]

On The 4ih OF January, 1875, an officer Of
the army Of the United States occupied the
(. hall Of the House Of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana. and while there.
with bayonels in the hands Of regular soldiers,
arrested a number Of persons on The floor OF
the House, and who had been acknowledged
as members by The presiding officer and other
members, and rejected and expelled them from
the hall.
No citizen in any manner acquainted with
the Constitution and the law Of the Union,
who does not know that this was a most au-
dacious and manifest violation of The Const-
tuition and laws 1t is the beginning Of an
end which thoughtful men have been con-
vinced was coming, the beginning of regh-
lar contest for the preservation of the Consti-
tuition and laws, liz which the people are 30 he
on one side and those who command their
military forces to be on the other.
| History repeats itself This is not the first
time in which a military commander of the
| United States has defed its Constitution and
trampled upon its laws in this city. In the
ear 1906, James Wilkinson, commander Of
The army, arrested the persons OF two Of its
inhabitants and sent them to Washington
| City. His return TO The writs OF habeas corpus
directed TO him we quote:
The undersigned, commanding the Army
of the United States, takes on himself the re-
sponsiblity for the arrest of DR.. Erick Boil
against the United States, and has adopted
measures for his safe delivery to the Executive
of the United States No man can
hold iu higher reverence the civil institutions Of
bis country than the undersigned, and il is to
maintain and perpetuate the holy attributes
of the Constitution against the nplifted hand
of violence that he has nierposed the force Of
arms in moment of extreme peril TO seize
upon Bollfban as he will all others, without
regard to standing or station, against whom
satisfactory proofs may arise of a participation
in the lawless combination
JAMES WILKINSON,
Headquarters of the Army, New Orleans.
Congress noticed this conduct in 1907. We
quote from the speeches Of we'll known states
men, follows:
Mr. Elliott. of Vermont after reading this
document said Here is q return, not of obe-
dence TO the laws and high reverence for civil
institutions, but Of dsobedence and defiance
The Constitution is violated in order TO pre-
serve it invioatel Frustrated in the dust by
military power, for the purpose Of maintain
ing and perpefuatinQ its holy attributes.
John Randolph, of Roanoke, said In
what way has every free people become slaves?
The common recipe is Take qnantim sufi-
cit Of plots and Of military force. always kept
ready for the purpose, and the end is accom-
plisbed and say this must, If you give your
sanction 10 such acts, be the death Of your
Government. Has any revolution taken place
in the affairs of France v ich was not pre-
ceded by plot? Are we sure that time and
chance, which happen to all men and all ma
tons, may not happen 10 US
If a military man should take--I will not
say member of this House, but any one Of
the miserable citizens who inhabit this place,
and escort him under guard to New Orleans
| say the military man ought to be precipita-
ted from the top OF the Capitol would
| teach the military that they are TO be subor-
dnaie 10 the civil power, aud that IT they I'M
derlake to violate the Constitution Of the
country they should pay the penalty of their
lives. II you do not guard the people from
such excess Of military power the time will
come when yon will be kicked out Of doors at
the point Of the bayonet.
| None can doubt that there Is embodied in
these quotations the soundest principles of law
and the expression Of 4 most elevated declara-
| ton of patriotism
| We have had Legislature mpanneed by a
| United States Marshal, nnder a judicial order
issued without the least title OF authority.
| In this instance the mask has been thrown
oif-mliiary power with all The panoply of
war, stalks into the legislative hall and deter
mines on the question OF sitting members.
! During the discussion OF the Louisiana mat
ter in the United States Senate on Friday, Mr..
Morgan gave the bloody shirt Of the Ku-
Kiux his old familiar shake, and this time in
the face of Mr. Gordon. Mr.. Morton thought
that intimidation Of Republicans was clearly
proved in Georgia, which changed from Re-
publican majority of 10, 600 TO Democratic
one, ranging from 40, 900 to $4,000. Mr..
Gordon, however, replied that Georgia had
changed politically for the reasons that Indi-
ana, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania had changed politically. The
hill was palpabe one.
A STANDING Army "A late Washington
telegram to the Cincinnati Commercial says
that g one of the plans of the Southern Re-
pubiicans, which has been determined upon
by the caucus committee, is TO propose the in
crease of the standing army TO loo, 600 men.
There is no prejudice more deeply rooted in
the American mind than that against large
that such a monstrous proposition as that
mentioned by the correspondent is seriously
entertained by any
| The signs of the times in the great manu-
featuring districts of Massachusetts are decid-
eddy favorable The Atlantic Cotton Mills nj
Lawrence, which employ nineteen hundred
operatives, start running on full time to-day,
aud at Fall River the weavers have sensihiy
resolved that they will make no strike, but go
to work again.
Some shrewd operators made great deal
Of money in New York on Saturday afternoon
by circulating forged despatch concerning
the financial market in England. An i'm
mense excitement was created in the Gold Ex-
change, the gamblers having made ventures
to the extent of Que and quarter million on
the strength of the forgery.
The report OF Adjutant General 3ond ofthe
Maryland National Guards, has been transmit
led TO the Governor. The whole force con-
sisis of two regiments of infantry and one bat
talon of cavalry in Baltimore city, one
company of infantry in Cecil, and one of cav
airy in Anne Arundel county. The whole
force numbers less than fifteen hundred men
Wendell Phillips has addressed letter 10
the Secretary of War, approving General
- action o,1 ;,1cu,an. - ~ ttos..,