New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-07
TO UNITED STATES
niARSHAlS
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,

\,
Washington, Selte moer 4, 1876.
To the United States MARSHAL for the District of
louisiana
SIR-rhe laws of the United States hsv-
ing made il my duty 10 exercise general
direction over msrshsls in the manner OF
disch irgiDg their offices, l have prepared
for their use this circular letter of instruc-
tons as to the coming ele Misunderstanding
the same also as reply once for all to nu-
merous applications in like connection,
from private citizens in various States.
In the present CONDITION of legislation,
the Unted States occupy position toward
voters and voting which varies according
as the election is for State aud other local
officers only, or for members of Congress
and Presidential electors.
In elections at which members of the
House of Represen atives are chosen,
which by law include also elections at
which the electors for President and Vice
President are appointed, the United States
secure voters against whatever in general
binders OF prevents them from free exer-
else of the elective franchise-extending
that care alike to the registration lists, The
act of roting. and the personal freedom and
security of the r0ter at oil times as ,ceu
against riOief,ce on account IF any rote that
he m az intend to gire, as against conspiracy
because Of any that he may already hare
girem.
The peace of the United States, there
fore, which you are to preserve. and whose
violation you arc to suppress, precedes as
we'll as follows such elections: and protects
(amOng otheTsj the rights specified in tho
iast paragraph, so that any person who by
force violates those rights breaks that
peace and renders it your duty to arrest
bin, and to suppress any riots incident, Or
that threaten the integrity of the registra-
ton or election, to the end that the will OF
the people in such election may be ascer-
tanned and take effect, aud that offenders
may be brought before the courts for pun
ishment.
Notorious events in several States, which
recently and in an unusual manner have
been publicly reprobated, render it grave
duty of ali marshals who have cause to ap-
preEend violation of the peace CT the
United States connected as above with the
elections to be held upon the Tuesday after
the first Monday in November next. to be
prepared to preserve and to restore such
peace.
AS the chief executive officer of the United
States in your district you will be held re-
sponsible for all breaches of the peace of
the United States which diligence on your
part might have prevented, and for the ar
rest and securing of all persons who violate
that peace in any Of the points above emu
merated.
Diligence in these matters requires, of
course, that you be, and continue, present,
in person or by deputy, at all places of reg
lstratlon or election at which you have rea
son to suspect that the peace is threatened;
and that whenever an embodiment of the
posse comitotus is required to enforce the
law, such embodiment be effected.
You will observe that the especial" depu-
ties mentioned in section 2O2l of the Re-
Nfof M h f.1s.s a
to them, duties which otherwise do not be-
long to deputy marshals. Such special
deputies can be appointed only in cities of
2O,O0O inhabitants or upwards.
But the duties assigned to marshals and
their deputies by section 1922, or other like
statutes, belong to all duly appointed
deputies, whether they be general,
or be ''speeiaW within the meaning
of that ana the preceding section. Depu-
ties to discharge this latter class of duties
msy be appointed to any number whatever,
according to the discretion of the marshal,
in all States in which sheriffs have q similar
power. Section 2030 has no practical bear
ing upon this point in States where no limit
is imposed upon the appointment of depu.
ties by sheriffs, because in such States the
laws of the United States ''prior to the tenth
Of june" 1872, left msrehals also unlimited
a. to the number of their deputies.
In discbarging the duties above men.
toned, you will doubtless receive the conn.
and support Of all the good citisens
ofzthe United States in your respective dis. |