The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-02-13
ANOTHER MOVE TOWARDS IMPE.
RIALlSM.

A Joint caucus Of Republican Senators
and Representatives was held in Wash
ington Thursday night, to come TO some
understanding regarding affairs in the
south. The joint committee Of caucusses
from both Houses, brought in report to
authorize tn. President 10 suspend Ms
,cyit Of hajsdS corpus in certain cases
and in accordance with previous acts
giving him power to Use the army and
navy ito maintain peace and suppress
disorder to appoint Deputy United
States Marshals and Supervisors of
Elections in Congressional Districts, whC'
in addition to their other powers, can
arrest any persons who may attempt in
tinldation, &c. And it is made unlaw-
ful for any of the reconstructed States
10 prescribe excessive poll taxes, or to re-
quire prepayment thereof as II qualiiica
tlon for voters at any Congressional cleo
ton, &c.
Words are almost entirely wanting to
expose the drspotic tyranny, and utter
subyersion of all the principles Of this
Government. which is toreshadowcd in
the above report.
The Radical party has surely become
insane at least, that |, the most CHART
able construction to De placed upon such
action aS this. Here Is report which
would at one stroke, give TO the Presi-
dent of the United States powers over
ccrtains States Of the Union equal TO
the most dcspotic ever exercised
bv the autocrat of all the Russias,
and far more despotic than would be
dared to be bestowed or exercised in the
Kingdom ofGrcat Britain. A large fac
ton of this party seems determined to he
deferred by no revolutionary move how
ever startling, nor TO stop ut anything
which will secure political ascendcncy.
If this cannot be obtained by the will of
the people, then such means As the above
must be rcSortcd to, and the people dcticd
What if this action Is only to he carried
ont. vet awhile in what is known as
reconstructed States" If the Gov
arnment intends To- use these States
simply rs conquered provinces, it made
a treat mistake in even declaring
them reconstructed. and restored to their
relation, as sovereign States. Having
done this. the General Government has
mo- more to do with the management of
their election, and taxes, than it has with
New York. West Nirgiuia, Massachu-
sctt, or any other State, and such lcsis-
lation is not only revolutionary, despotic
and tyrauical; it is simply imperti-
ncnt
But there is an objcct,in not keeping
these States rs provinces. In that con-
ditiou they would have no electoral vote
As States. they have, and it is to secu,e
these votes in 1876, that GRANT relies
upon such powers as above mentioned, be-
ing conferred upon him. HeiS determined
either to rule, ruin or be ruined, and
If he sees that the people will once yield
,o him such unlimited power, he can,
very easily, make it the means OF
strengthening himself Individually, until
he i, able to dictate his own terms.
With authority 10, arbitrarily, suspend
that great bulwark Of freedom, the
Io5,qS corpus, and use the army and
navy =. he plcases, 1t will be very easy to
make it appear that an increase Of the
army is needed, and this granted, it will
no, take long to obtain sufficient strength
10 execute coup dctat and pave the
way for speedy establishment upon
An imperial throne.
This j. not mere sentiment, nor Is 1t
extravaganza. GRANTS entire course;
his Interference in Louisiana. his recent
Arkansas message in which he directly
opposes the report of the Congressional
Committee appointed to investigate the
affairs of that State, and in which he
contrsdicts his own former action, all 90
to show shat he has an idea that the
United States is his property, and in this
idea he is encouraged by the fawning
and desperate ruling party in Congress,
not insane, neither are his sup
porters. But they have deep designs