Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-03-04


News Axp Orrr1 NorYxos.-Whilst
aiselsiming concurrence in. or response
bility for. the stricturess to be found
elsewhere. Of cur correspondent, .Rss
IN Usee," upon the management and
conduct Of our party in this State BY
the dominating influence which 1t pres
emit, and for some years back. has al
most exclusively Influenced It's actiop,
stiIl we know Of no good reason for
Withholding the views Of the writer from
the public, particularly a. his avowed
purpose 10 the puri6cztion Of the party,
not its damage or defeat. Besides,
"Rns IN Urbe" is personally known to
Us to be an able, earnest and consistent
democrat and believed to be incapable
of willful misrepresentation for any
purpose. His ability, true democracy
and honorable personal character ad-
mitted, and surrendering, as wedowith-
/, out murmuf al riAss, past and ext
gent in the party to his vengeance. new
srtheless, we feel called upon to protest
against his description Of the last leg
islature. Wanting in many important
respects we believe it to have been, but
our correspondent certainly overstates
the case, and certainly mistates the
facts, when he says that "all impartial
and sound-thinking men admit that
the last legislature Of the State, taken
as a whole, was the most corrupt, venal
and imbecile body that ever assembled
in the Capitol" We doubt whether
any impartial man admits this charge
and we are confident that no man, i'm
partial or otherwise, can prove it.
Though the Force Bill has passed the
Lower House of Congress, it is still re-
garded as doubtful whether it will be
reached by the Senate and acted upon
before adjournment. The Civil Rights
Bill, however, has passed the Senate as
it came from the House, jury feature
and all. and only awaits the signature
Of the President to become q law
Grant will, Of course, sign it without q
moments hesitation. Relieving, as we
have long done, that things have to be
worse before they can be better, We
have doubted from the beginning the
wisdom of our party congressional lead
ers in obstructing by parliamentary ex-
pedients the passage of the revolution
airy measures inaugsirated by Grant and
fostered by the present Congress. Un-
der this view Of the case, it is to be re-
GREETED, that the Bill in question is not
quite worth the white paper it il writ
ten on. 1t is not even Of doubtful L.
gality" but gross and palpable viola
ton of the Constitution. and it is un-
questionable that it will be % construed
BY the Courts. At least, this il the
judgment Of the ablest lawyers in the
Senate. We shall content ourselves
with quoting the opinions of Mr.. Carpen-
ter, incomparably the first legal mind
on the Republican side of the Senate.
"All Of the provisions ofthis bill are in
conflict with the Constitution ofthe Uni
ted States as expounded by the Supreme
Court. 1t may be said that those de-
cisions are incorrect. If this were con-
ceded. still it must be admitted that the
decisions exist, and that they prescribe
for the Judicial Department of the
Government rule that must be applied
to this bill, and under which the courts
must hold it invalid and void. And Of
what advantage can it be to the color.
ed citizen to declare that he NAV bring
n suit in which it is certain he cannot
recover; n suit which must be attended
with vexation and expense, and result
in defeat and disappointment" And
again: THE colored citizen is author.
ICED to bring q suit in which everybody
knows he cannot recover. The Su.
preme Court Of the United States. in
two well-considered decisions, have
settled principles upon which the valid
ity of this bill must be denied; and ev-
cry Circuit Court in which a suit NAV
lie commenced uzder its provisions will
be compelled. in proper judicial subor-
dmation, TO rule against recovery
Its only effect, therefore, will be to in
volve the colored man in litigation in
which he is certain to be defeated. keep.
ing the promise to his ear and breaking
it TO his hope"
The summary following tells its own
story of the extent Of rlundering to
which the people of Arkansas have been
subjected by the carpet-basgers which
Grant declares his purpose to restore to
power in that State. should Congress
fail to restrain him from so doing. In
1865. the whole bonded debt of the
State was sS.Ss0.OoO. I. had NO float
ing debt. and had over $500, 900 in the
treasury. From July. 1865, to October,