Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-02
DOES IT All DEFEND ON WHOSE
OK Is EORRn9

DOES IT All DEPEND ON WHOSE
OK Is GORED2
The Injunction Of the Federal Con-
stitution is direct and imperative that
"the United States shall protect each
State IN this Union against Invasion"
No condition whatever Is annexed to
this positive duty. Yet we have seen
the State of Texas subjected to a Sc
rics of Mexican ''invasions" for the
past ten years, without any pretense at
a serious effort being put forth by the
Unitsd States to protect her borders.
We need hardly specify the reason fOl
this gross negligence Of plain duty;
the troops that should guard the Rio
Grande have been on spoitical duty
elsewhere. We wish merely to call at
tention to the fact that, in cases of
invasion the constitutional proyis-
ion IS direct and unquestiona0le.
The same sentence of the Federal
Constitution, Article ", section 4, pro-
vides that "the United States shall pro-
tect each State on application Of the
Legislature or Of the Executive, from
domestic violence" From the burden
Of our telegraphic dispatches for the
past several days, there exists a formid-
able amount Of domestic violence" in
the coal regions Of Pennsylvania.
Armed bands Of hundreds march from
town to town, driving honest laborers
from their work, destroying proper
ty, and setting the local authorities
at defiance. The number Of these NAL
contents is estimated atforty thousand,
enough TO constitute a good-sized army
and conduct q prolonged guerrilla war
fare with the Businesses of the AIleghe-
MES as a base Of operations. But the
United States DO not interfere Why?
The simple answer Is found in the con-
stitutonal clause concerning domestic
violence" Neither the Legislature
nor the Executive have yet made zap
plication" to the United States. Only
this and nothing more.
In Tennessee the Federal Constitu-
ton seems to be operated differently.
There was no invasion Of this State
last August, nothing calling directly
for the protection Of the United States.
Unfortunately, however, there was a
case Of " domestic violence" terrible
enough IN itself, but of very limited
dimensions compared with that now
raging in Pennsylvania. The Trenton
Iynchers numbered some sixty, while
the Pennsylvania outlaws are numbered
by hundreds and thousands. They
were confined to a single county, while
the Molly Maguires terrorize onc-tbird
Of a State. Their violence LASTED a few
hours, while the mining strik-
ers have marched and counter
marched, robbed, murdered and burned
at intervals for months. They sought
TO punish a few jail-birds who they
feared would escape through the mesh
es Of the law, while the Pennsylyanians
breathe vengeance against honest work
men trying to keep the wolf from the
door, and against the lives and proper
ty of.their former employers. These
comparisons show that If the United
States was swift, through its Depart
men Of Justice, to seize the Tennessee
offenders, it ought to be swifter with
those Of Pennsylvania. But, further:
Gov. Brown fastened to the scene Of
disorder, inspiring the officers of
the place with his presence and
speedily securing the arrest Of all
suspected parties. Gov. Hartranft,
on the contrary, after direct appeal,
declines to take any action toward sup
pressing the violence IN his State, and
calmly dismisses appealing sheriffs to
keep the peace as best they may with
out State aid. If the United States
had any reason to doubt the ability or
VIII # this State to deal with its own
offenders, how much more reason for
such Doubt ezistsSin the Pennsylvania
case! If the United States felt called
upon to interfere when the officials Of a
State were doing every thing IN their
power, why does 1t not interfere when
those Of another State refuse 10 DO any
thing
We have yet to hear Of any United
States marshal in Pennsylvania or any
other Northern State, being instructed
from Washington to arrest iail-brcak-
ers OF lynchers. Yet, if the decision
Of Judges Ballard and Emmons be
correct, by which citizens Of Gibson
county are dcbarred the courts Of their
own State, and held for trial IN a Fed
eral court, these pennsylvania hu-
Klux should be treated likewise. If
the State 'in the pIentitude Of its
sovereignty was overpoEcred and ter
rorized IN thepersonof theTrcn.on jail
OF, what shall we say about the several
shcrias in Pennsylvania who confess
beng ovGP0wercd and apply to the
Government for assistance? Evident
y there is a hitch somewhere, notwith-
standing the fact that the same George
II. Williams who was Attorney Gener-
al and constitutional adviser Of the
United States" last August, holds the
same position today.
GEN. SPINNER, now % years Of age
and Treasurer Of the United States
for the past fourteen years, does not
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