The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-07
A REPUBLICAN PROTEST..
I'm THE NAME OF LIBERTY
AND OF JUSTICE"
Every Republican "Should Disclaim
ALI Part in Such Proccedings"-
"The People Of all Parties Will Dis
claim all Connivance with the
Act"

We cannot let the armed occupation
of the South Carolina State House, and
the act of the federal troops taking upon
themselves to determine who shall con.
stitute the Legislature Of that State, pass
without protest of the utmost possible
solemnity and energy. According to all
accounts from that quarter the federal
troops were yesterday in possession of
the building--a military garrison with
its sentinels posted at the doors-and no
member of the Legislature was admitted
except those who brought a pass from
one of the partisans of the present Gov
ernor. Members who brought certf-
Gates of their election from the clerk of
the Supreme Court, under the broad seal
of the Court, were refused admittance by
armed men. The person named Den
mis-, who gave the written orders, with
out which no one was allowed to enter,
claimed that he was acting under a su-
perior, whose name he declined to give.
Of course that superior was Governor
Chamberlain, under whose orders the
federal troops appear to have been put
by President Grant, and who has taken
this method of deciding what persons
are members of the South Carolina Leg.
islaiure Y.. ...... |I. ~.
We protest against this proceeding, not
only in the name of liberty and Justice,
but in behalf of the Republican party,
whose good name and worthy record are
brought in question by this resort to mil
iiary force is question purely political.
Here is already incorporated into the his
tory of our republic precedent of as ar
bitrary nature as the act of Cromwell
when he turned the British Parliament
out of doors. The rule of all representa-.
tive bodies, that they are the Judges of
the election and qualifications of their
members is summarily set aside, and Mr..
Dennis, the furniture dealer, with the
federal troops at his back, usurps that Of
fee. Even the excuse that disturbance
and bloodshed were dreaded, and an in
surreCtion so formidable that Governor
Chamberlain would lack the means to
quell it, does not appear to have been
made. The usurpation is not masked
with any pretext; it sweeps away every
restraint of usage and precedent and of
law, and substitutes simple force for the
quiet formalities of ordinary legislation.
The Republican party is not powerful
enough in comparison with the opposition
to sustain the responsibility of such meas
ures, and it becomes every member of it
who desiresits predominance and useful
ness to disclalm all part in such proceed
ings. 9 D
But it is said that no violence has been
done. Whose then is the merit of avoid
ing violence? 1t is not due to Mr.. Dem
mis-, not TO Governor Chamberlain, nor
to the administration at Washington. 1t
is the merit of the people of South Car
olina. They have seen one of theirdear-
est rights wrested from them--that of
the peaceable assembling Of those whom
they have elected as their legislators, and
the organization of their Legislature &C.
cordingtO the lawful and received usa.
ges, and have endured this outrage with
out resistance. If they had persisted in
seeking an entrance into their State
House there would have been violence.
If the rejected representatives had at
tempted to pass the sentinel at the door,
they would have been thrust back by the
bayonet; ifthe crowd about the building