The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1875-03-31
THE LATEST OUTRAGE.

THE LATEST OUTRAGE.
We find, with reference to the Kellogg
Government, that Gen. Grant says 1t
was gigantic fraud, and neither he
nor McEuery was entitled to the office
of Governor, but having found a usur-
per in, he takes him by the hand and
sustains him. Well, we come up to
the organization of this recent Legis-
lature. There seems to be u division.
He says that the Democrats asked for
the interference of the military first,
and then the Republicans afterwards
asked for it. He looked upon it as
mere matter of party, not AS matter
of principle. Then the military went
in there, and what did that military
do? They went in, and as General
Sheridan says himself, MIR. Kellogg
said to the army, or to the military,
put this man in and put that man out,
and the Legislature is set up by the
military upon the point of the bayonet.
And that is done under the pretence of
keeping the peace. The Legislature is
qualified and organized surrounded by
armed soldiers. That is a new way of
qualifying members of the Legislature,
! and contrary to the genius and theory
of any free Government. If we can 90
back to the time of Cromwell, when an
officer rode into Parliament Hall,
booted and spurred, and drove out
members of the Parliament, we can
find parallel case. How has it come
that all these things are being enacted
in this country? In the progress of in
thiS and
worse. 1t is state of things that
ought not to be tolerated.
DANGEROUS PRECEDENTs.
Mr.. johnson then read the Presi-
dents proclamation to the people of
Arkansas on May Is, 1874, and SAID:
What does that mean, Mr.. President?
In this case recognizing in the pro-
clamation Baxter as being the genuine
and true Governor and the lawful
authority of the State. How can this
be by the simple recognition OF the
President of the United States? If
these proceedings are permitted, are
allowed to stand as precedents, it will
change our own form of government. Ii
it is assumed by the States readmitted
under the reconstruction acts, as the
President assumes In his proclamation,
that their Constitutions are to stand un-
changed, immovable, and unalterable
for all time, unless it can be done by
the Federal Government, then our
form of government is changed. Here
is blow struck at one of the funda-
mental principles of the Government
directly. To deny the States of this
Union authority to change their funda-
mental law will be to subvert their
government. This principle is guar
anteed by the bill of rights and by the
Constitution of the United States. and
it cannot be denied by any one who
has any regard for the rights of the
States and for constitutional law that
the people have a right to change,
alter, or to amend their form of gov
eminent in their own mode and man
ner within certain limits. Those limits
are prescribed by the Constitution, and
are that it must be arepublican form of
government. If that is so, should
like to know where the authority is to
interfere with them. These ideas have
come from these usurpations Of power.
Let me refer again to the Presidents
message" earnestly ask that Con-
gress shall take definite action upon
this matter, and relieve the Executive
from acting upon questions which
should be decided by the legislative
branch of the government. A threat
the iron hand, though clothed in
silk, is laid upon us. If you don't do
SO and so will do it. If the resoln-
ton under consideration inquired in
regard to this threat, into the proposed
exercise of such a power as this, it
would be more legitimate than the one
now under consideration, which is for its
Endorsement.
THE PROGRESS OF UsURPATIoN.
Hence we see how this power travels.
An empire laid off in the South COM
manded by military chief. Then we
come along to the Force bill; then we
come along to the Endorsement by Con-
gress. and looking over these things we
inquire what lies behind all this. Don't