The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-09-09
JUDGE TAFT'S CIRCULAR.

The bitterness displayed by the Demo-
cratic press towards the Attorney General,
and the unanimity of their attacks upon
his circular letter of instructions to L. S.
Marshals, relative to their election duties,
is a very suggestive commentary upon the
manner and means by which sanguine
Democrats expect to carry the undivided
South" in the present canvass. If the
flaming head lines of partisan Democratic
journals are to be believed, disingenious
readers of them might suppose that this
offensive circular was the most unmitigated
piece of tyranny ever perpetrated upon the
people under representative form of gov
government. Dragooning the South"
"Throttling the South" "Bayonets VS..
Ballots, " 60 The Bayonet Conspiracy" and
other equally attractive captions delight
the eye of the indignant Democratic reader.
We opine, however, that the circular in
question will not excite the slightest appre-
henson or uneasness in any section of the
country where it's wholesome provisions are
not required. In Maryland, with the recol-
lection of the frauds, intimidation and
violence practiced upon one class of legal
voters in the city of Baltimore and its
adjacent sections of Political Egypt" by
virtue of which the highest elective officer
of the State to-day holds his seat, in disre-
gard of the popular will, and in defiance of
public sentiment, it is not in any sense
unwelcome, but will throw around every
voter, however obscure or unfavored the
protection of the Government under which
he lives, and which he has right to claim.
1t is not to be supposed, of course, that the
"political reformers, whose brutal per-
formances have SO often disgraced the
political reputation of the city of Balti-
more, like these instructions.
"No rogue e'er felt the halter drawn,
With good opinion of the law"
Sensible and bipartisan citizens, how
ever, everywhere, who respect the civil and
political rights of others, without regard
to race, color, or previous condition, will
interpret very differently the purpose and
meaning of these instructions. They know
that they are intended to, and will, if pro-
perly enforced as they doubtless will be,
by the strong arm of the National Govern
ment, either through its Marshals, or as a
dernier resort by either branch of its ser
vice, put stop to the outrage and violence,
the intimidation and disfranchisement that
has, in several Southern States, completely
reconsigned large proportion of their
colored citizens to state of political SER
vitude, even more debasing and degrading
than their former condition of physical
slavery. This is the evil these instructions
will meet.
The machinery which the Attorney Gen
eral puts in motion has already been pro-
vided by the law to meet the contingencies
that now exist. AS has been sensibly re-
marked, "the outcry which the promulga-
"tion of the circular has occasioned is,
"indeed, the best proof of the necessity
"that exists for it," Honest men will not
be effected by it, but our National Govern
ment intends that dishonest ones shall, if
they attempt the infraction of its laws,
feel its heavy and memorable hand surely
laid upon them.