New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-19
FEDERAL GUARANTEE OF POPULAR
ELECTIONS.

The report Of the bill adopted BY til
Republican caucus proves just what "
supposed It is an act amendatory of tn
present law defining and Furnishing insuI
rection. It is not directed against an
State or section, but applies alike to all VIII
may anywhere disobey or resist the law
The act, in effect, adds the power to sus
pend the habeas corpus to other power
conferred by law upon the President.
goes much further. ANY conspiracy or at
tempt to overthrow State government, O.
any department, or to defeat the executio,
of it's laws. is declared felony and mad
punishable with fine and ignominiou'
Imprisonment at hard labor. Successful
subversion or usurpation of State gov
eminent, or department, is punishable il
the same manner.
+ The act likewise regulates elections hello
under State laws aud provides for insur
ing fair election and fair count by
assuming for the United States the duty
of inforcing the election laws of State.
These provisions apply to the whole
United States and to every district. Il
then Congress shall decide to give the
federal government the jurisdiction which
it assumed, it will be because the whole
people will have determined to do
so. Perhaps it may be further
step by the whole American people
in taking to themselves the re-
sponsibility of seeing that the people Of
State or part of State, shall be amen
able to the national constituency. It may
be the general determination that no fac
ton in Massachusetts, or California shall
take refuge behind the corporate rights of
State, to agitate the peace Of whole
country and nationalize local disaffection
into civil war.
Such may he the effect of this law if
enacted, but we repeat 1t is applicable
alike to the whole Union and to every
State and District If this policy, SO
systematically pursued by Democratic
leaders of the South, shall have the effect
of Matchmaking what they call consolida-
ton, they will have none to thank more
than themselves. The principle of
supreme national constituency was con-
troverted and decided by the war. Sooner
or later the principle might, and undoub-
teddy would have asserted itself in
governing every individual citizen of
the Union, directly by the whole body, Of
citizens of the Union. The barrier right
Of State to judge for itself all federal
measures affecting those citizens of the
Union resident within it's limits has been
leveled, never to be reared again under the |
present constitution, or under the present |
of that instrument. The
exercise of these established powers nigh: |
have remained in allegiance according to |
the exigency, but the Democratic leaders
have precipitated their exercise. The
of the constitution and the |
acts were all an assertion
Of national power rendered Immediately
necessary by the attempts to defeat the
will. These measures were really
he work of the men who put on
black muslin masks, and Others who
Enacted that failure to make bargain
o work should be deemed misdemeanor,
md punished the violation Of such bar
,ain by holding the offender to igno-
ninious labor. These ingenious devices
0 repeal the DEGREES of war, by neighbor-
lood combinations or acts of State leg
Station, gave to the colored people the
light of suffrage, and fortified that right
y the laws which have been the subject
f so much Democratic invective. AS for
be pending law, the lawmakers at Clay
tatue may take the exclusive merit of
aving suggested and enacted it. The
'usion and Republican fight over the
reech-loadine ballot-box in 1872,
nd over the Warmoth Returning
;oard laws in 1874, can ad-
ance indisputable claims to the honor
having induced the federal government
} take the registry, counting and returns
T State elections from the hands of the
tate authorities, if indeed it shall be
one. The Democracy have avowed such
1xiety that Congress shall decide the
gality Of our State officers and legisla- .
RS, that their approval of the pending
II may surely be expected. Ii
Such, however, is progress The war
terpreted the phrase, "We, the people"
means that AS the whole people Of the {
nited States elect a President and Con-
ess, and choose through the power of q
ecutive appointment and senatorial
federal judges, they
ay do very much as they wish within a
e geographical limits of the United 6
ates. That the exercise of these powers
regard to the rights Of individual citi- b
MS has been hastened by the policy of b
emocratic leaders at the South is to our n
ind beyond question. 1
1t may be very ingenious to attempt to {
gain by domestic disaffection rights n
hich could not be affirmed by the sword. t
at while domestic grievance may be n
it will be found that the
nerican people can not be denational- b
ed, neither can simple principle es- s
blished by the war be obliterated by t.
scontent or party chicanery. The Con- U
rvative caucus may persuade itself that a
lmmany Hall will 60 any length in sup t
rt of its claims. Let the caucus, how s.