, 1876-12-16
Analrs in soulh CaroIIna.
Military Overriding the Civil authorit!

Military Overriding the Civil Authority.
The New York Herald is terribly severe IN
it's deunciatiOn Of the use of troops for the
purpose OF inaugurs,Ing a negro Legislature
at Columbia, South Carolina. Here is what
it says:
1t cssr enough that the use made Of the federal
troops was without any Constitutional warrant AZ
the very utmost there Is nothing which they could
legally do beyond the preservation of !ocs! peace
Bat they undertook to decide what members are en-
rltl-i 10 seats IL a State legislature They assumed
10 OYeTrus the judgment Of the supreme court Ot the
State and 10 decide that Ella mnts seats should not
appear 70 present their claims. There Is no federal
law which authorizes ths kind OF interference. The
constitution and iaws Of South Carolina make the
legislature Itself the sole judge of the election Of Its
own msmDefs and their titles seats But the Ieer-
al troops took the question cut of their hands snd
decided advance that eIaOeFatic members sAou ~
not only be excluded from seaJs tut that they should
not es eu he allowed 10 enter the legislative hail 10
present the !suee Of their title There could not
be n more wAntCn, mOnStIous AMI mdeieusibie VIOLA
tiOn of law tlAn JLls assumption BY the Federal army
OF n TiSIt TO decIle who htI and WHO htd not oeen
elected 10 legislature. This not merely tie
opinion OF the Hsrdldit the opinion OF the sblest
republican lawyers. II We had space tor quo5anOns
We could slow that II WAS the opinion II Mr. kvaits,
Judge Selden and The most respected members OF ihe
bsr OF this State ylen similar outrage on law and
deceucy Was peTpetrated III LOUISIANA IN Jahuar!
1875 The whole sprerh of Mr.. Eyarts AZ the Cooper
Institute IN that memorable month was an ar unI NJ
TO prove that 10 such Ioger exists and vigorous de-
nuacEdtion OF The attempt 10 exercise II Even
President Grant himself WAS iOrceI 10 admit that
the federal government hal no such autho:l y 4
few days ai;er the great Indignation meeting IN New
York h. sent 10 COsIrSS svCiAl message On louSl-
aua 81 ans, Ia which he a3ni,tuG that th5 troops m
New Ostans had exercised then authority. de pro
fssei tzt the interference wIth the LOUISIANA legs
ature without his !lrecOn or orders ana wlIn-
oul his previous knowledge He tOh COngIesS that
hs first inform OF that TRANSACTION came 10 hun
through the uewspapers, after the thing hsd tetn
done he proceeded 10 make formal and emphatic
di.c elmer of am federal rht to Inte t-re VITA the
legislature Of a state. We nty be permitted by way
oil reminder 20 quote his Language =" My hist IN
tirI4t.cu said President Grant on, that OCCASION,
a. was from the prTS Of the murning OF thr 9tn OF
january did not know that any such thing WIS
anticipated as 10 orders or suggestions were given
TO any military officer III tie State pror 10 the occur
renee"
Now mark The language IN which Pres lent Grant
proceeded to deny and dIscaim all right OF Interior
encs. Ne stated tie tue doctrine On tins subject
vi h a precision and force which would have LETT Mr.
Evarts himself ground OF objection. 81 am we'll
aware" sad President Grant IN his special message
Of January 18th, 1875, THAT any military lnteIter-
ence by the UtsesS OF troops Of the United States
with the OrganK ton OF state Legislature or any
OF its proceedings, with any cIvil department OF
the government, Is repunnt % our IDEAS or govern
msnE conceive OI no case, not involving re-
belllOn in>uIrecton, where sdcn interference by
Authority the general government ought 10 he per-
mite! be justified" President GTant on that
occasion, shielded himself from censuTe by profess
ing that the interference with the Louisiana Le,s-
lature without Ia dl ectlOn, sanction or kUOwi
lelgr and to clear himself 1Ully he made the
sound s'atement Gf oonstItut oDal doctrine which We
hive Just quoted from his Louisiana message. But
can lie pretend ignorance now Can he expect any
tOdy 10 believe that what cone at Columbia
yesterday done without has sanction! Unless he
plead ignorance and disclaim responsibility now,
Us he did III the Louisiana case, he stans condemned
cut of his own mouth. But who viii accept such a
plea with respect TO the Transactions at Columbia
yesterday
Judged by MS own declarations the military inter
ference yesterday YVES utterly without warrant Or
Justl.citiOn For hun To repeat hls former plea of
ignorance this would lie rIl,cu Gus Ii he o.
deIei tiis plain violation Of Law, H. with Bany
reasons for supp0s,n would take ace he did not
prevent IT, hr must shoulder the whole ryspousIbty
u lgrl by Ii, declarations 10 Congress II Is
monsttous yOlatlon 6f law and OF tie sp'rt of our
Installations With that mr,S Ir on Te0Irt We 10 OF
see how he eau escape p!ei Oi ignorance II the
law Is such 5 lie lescTibeI It le has clearly made
hIIusef liable 10 impeachment by this lnt-risr-
enc with "A State Lr.l>ls,Hfe- Unfortunately Tor
klm tie nnpeach NJ power In tue han Is uf ms
eneTirS and there 10 reason why they should not
exercise Il. We presume tie fist buSsness Of the
House Of ReqroseHttJy :, when 1t ASSEMBLIES next
week, WA he "a vote his impeachment and appoint
c,umi.t Zee 10 draw ul the arIIc,S IL Will easily be
IN de 20 appear tIaJ Pr = eat Grant has not only
vol tel the constitution buJ slHnr-i against kuOW-
edge IAe pissu,e We nave quOteI from ES
leaves AiG without excise.