The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-02-20
The President and the Writ Of
Habeas Corpus.

! 11uCcdS NO1t )lto.
The joint caucus Of the Republican
Senator's and Representatives, held in
Washington City, made q report
presenting a bill to authorize the
President to suspend the Writ Of
Habeas Corpus, and give him power
to use the army and navy to main
tain peace and suppress disorder"
This is clearly unconstitutional, and
not 10 b. found in the powers delega
ted 20 Congress, by the Organic law
of the land, except in cases Of inva-
sion or rebellion.
"Ihe privilege Of the mrit Of habeas
corpus SHALL NOT be suspended, an
less shea IN case Of REBELLION OR IN
vAsIoN, the public safety mMy require
it," Constitution U. S. Art. !, Sec.
9,T2.
Unless, then, the Federal Constitu-
ton DO changed, this high. handed at
tack upon the liberties of American
citizens, has no justification is a
death blow aimed at our republican
form Of government; reveals the in
tentions Of portion Of the republic
can party to destroy our actual in
stitutions, and rave the way to dicto-
rial dcspotism. The public press of
the country, with it's Argus eyes, saw
several months back what were
Grants intentions, gave the alarm,
and warned the people ia be Oh their
guard against such IL national calami-
ty ard degradation. Hence, the N.
0. BuNei;n's advice to the North and
West, to muster, arm and drill their
citizens, for an emmincnt struggle
with the administration and it's pre-
torians. This recommendation was
looked upon by large number Of
Conservatives, as brutum tulmen ;
partisan bitterness, and the rawlings
Of a faratical zeal. The telegam from
Washington proves that the visual "a
cnlties Of tho Editors Of that paper,
reach farther than those of others.
AS for us, we are not yet prepared
to believe that the American people
will submit to the suspension of that
writ which our ancestors brought over
with them from England which is
considered the stable bu!wark of per
sonal and civil liberty, and without
which republic in fact, as well as in
naue, cannot for a moment exist. 1t
is the essence Of that writ, that no
person shall be deprived of lis liber-
ty, withont due process of law. Eve
ry restraint upon mans liberty is,
in the eye Of the law, an imprison-
ment, no matter where or how tho
restraint is effected. When person
is detained with or without due pro-
cess of law, unless for treason or felo-
ny, plainly and specially expressed in
the warrant ofcommitnent, or unless
such person be a convict, or legally
charged in execution, he is entitled
to Ills writ OF habeas corpus. 1t is a
writ Of right, ec meritO justiciae. 1t
exists with fun force in England, a
constitutional monarchy, and it must
be suspended in the United States, a
constitutional republic, and the pow.
er to do it conferred to the President,
for all time to come, and exercised By
him, at his own will and discretion Z?
There is no rebellion, no invasion in
the land at the present moment. We
agree with Speaker Blaine when he
says, Che would never vote to confer
this autocratic power on any Presi-
dent, now or hereafter, even if no ac-
tual harm should come from it," but
We fail to see why he should consent to
it when applied to Louisiana or Mis-
sissippi. In short, it is the old Nor.
there hatred Of Northern men against
the South always willing to sec the
white population Of the South enslav-
ed, provided the balance of the Union
remain free. Now, how can We rea.
sonab'y entertain any well founded
hope Of relief from the present Con-
gress, or even from the Congressional
Committee who have just left We
are floating, Delos-like, on a trou-
blous sea of uncertainty, without
any prospect Of a fixed settlement IF
our difficulties, before the 4th Of
March, 1877.
GROWLER.