The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-03-04

well for the repute of the attempt at
free government on this Continent if
the proceedings i'm the National House
OF Representatives on Saturday last
could be blotted out of history. Not
only the lovers of free government, OF
republican institutionsin in this country,
but all men who hold personal liberty
sacred, must regard the action of the
majority of the House of Representa-
tives Ill passing the bill known even
in the Associated Press dispatches,
written under Republican auspices, as
the Force Bill, as crime against civil
liberty. 1t is not partisan cavu
which we raise against this measure.
1t is because il is subyersive of prin-
ciple older than any political party in
American politics, older than the story
of the Mayfiower-a principle which
EBglish-speaking people have for hun
dreds Of years been struggling TO
crystalize into the most solemn and in.
exorable statute, to be enforced with
the most inflexible vigilance. In o
country which boasts itself as The
freest on earth, it lie attempted TO re-
move the corner stone OF freedom
not in time of war, as. q desperate
means Of preserving, the nations life,
but in time of peace, for the aggrah-
diZement of one man. Imperialism
dares not go SO far, and can. net go
further. The Bayonet Bill received
majority OF twenty-one in the House
on Saturday. Mr.. Coburn calls It a
bill for the security of elections by the
sword :. for the securing of q third
term for the placing of the c liberties
of all citizens in certain States at the
mercy and pleasure of the President;
for moving the government of those
States absolutely into thee White
House; for,isuspendingi the writ of
hd6eds corpus, the sacred writ of free
dom, which for two hundred years
has been the uhtarnished glory of the
British Government, the impregnable
bulwark and title to liberty Ofothei
British subject, and Tor a much longer
period has been the chief desideratum
in government Of the English race II
a word, for the annihilatioa Of free
government and fljndivid dad libertyso 81 q
The thirteenth sections9t dbe bill, its,
crowning enormity, provides. that
whenever in any Stale, or part OF q
State, unla Will com ibinatioDs- of two
or more ineni shall zbei organized, and
able to set at 'dsfianee the heceastituted,
authorities Of said State, in every such
case such continuation Shall be deemed
a rebellion against the Got srhhfsM Of
the United States. and during the oOn4
tinuance, OF, Ibis combination it, shall
be lawful for. the President, of the
United States, when in his opinion the
public safety shall reqtiire II, 10 'sus-1
pend the privilege oi'ifhe writiof fha-
beas corpus. Ihejpriyilegeo eoflspspshd-I
ing the writ OF Aabeas corpus is linn;
tied in area by amendment TO the four
States Of iLouisiana,, Arkansas, MfsI
sissippi and Aiabsma, and in time; to
two years after the passagegoEtheb bill,
and to the end OF, the next session Of
Congress. This latter amendment in ,
dicates that the bill Is only Intended
to cover otheinext Presidential elsctiOa
and therefore lifts into iaeblaze of light 4
the infamous personal character Of
this piece of legislation. The Cousti-
tuition Of the United States, recogniz-
ing the supreme Importance of per-
sonal liberty, declares thatatsthe priyi-
iege of the writ Of habeas c0ipuA shall
not be suspended unless when in cases
of rebellion or invasion the public
safety may" require IT." This bill,
which is one of construction, proposes
to allow the ipresenti President-nOt
his successor-.O declare an unlaw full
combination of two men TO be a "re-
bellion" within the meaning of the
Constitution, and to enable. any two
men in either of four, States to give
Grant authority to deprive every citi-
zen in four States Of personal liberty
for two years. Should the question
ever arise in the Supreme Court
whether. or; not Congress has a right
to declare combination of two men
a "rebellion"-thati is, to declare that
a rebellion" which is not rebellion
this bill would perish by the way
side. Cases to be tried under this bill /
must be tried in the Federal Courts,
notoriously throughout many por-
tions of the South 10 be The tools of
the White House. Under the third
section of the bill any dmap-nOt a
United States soldier-whe carries an
open or concealed weapon in the
neighborhood of a place of registra-
tion or election OH the day OF such
registration or election is liable to q
fine Of. $1,000 and Imprisonment for
three years. The United States troops
must monopoliZe the business of in
at the polls
Can a more emonstrous measure than
this be conceived amOnga = free people
Make a President. ambitious for third
term the sole judge whether or not a
combination" of men is lawful or
unlawful or whether it exists, declare 4
a combinations Of two men 10 be are !
beliion, authorize this President to
proclaim at pleasure the, existence of
such combitation and imprison eve
ry citizen he chooses to impound with
in four SratesAdo all this in time Eof
peace, and have we a trace of free |
government left2-Enquber. s.s-i.-