The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-18
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iunatic chattering in the presence Of Death,
nor Of clown trying to raise a laugh at the
expense Of the auditors OF his stale witt
cis:ns. General GRANT is not poking fun at
the Democrats, although he bases his tele-
gram to General SHERMAN on the resolution
which Mr.. LORD offered last week, and which
was passed by the Democratic House OF Rep
rescntatiycS. The reader will OF course
be curious to know what that resolution con-
words upon which the President intends to
rest his right to Use the army Of the United
States to secure the defeat OF TILDEN and
toe election OF HAYES. A resolution of one
house OF Congress, which OF course has no
more force and effect as 4 law than an cdi-
to-ial in the Presidents organ, is the iusti-
Tying cause for proclamation OF war against
the people OF the United States. Let us
sec how this resolution reads. 1t was re-
ported to lis as follows by telegraph:
Mr. Scott Lord, OF New York, offered a
resolution rcciting that the right OF suffrage
prescribed by the constitutions of the seyc-
raj states is subject to the fifteenth amend
meDi. and that the exercise Of said right
shoUld be faithfully maintained and OBJ
served by the United Statcs, and that it il
asserted that the exercise OF said right i'll
some States, Notwithstanding the efforts OF
good citizens, WAS controlled by fraud, in
tilnilation, and violence, SO that the object
OF the fifteenth amendment is defeated; and
that all citizens, without distinction OF race or
color. are entitled to the rights conferred by
said amendment, and declaring that all at
ten3ts by force, fraud, terror, intimidation
or otherwise, TO prevent free exercise OF
the right OF suffrage, should meet with GER
tain, condign. and cffectual punishment;
and That in any case which has heretofore
occurred, or may hereafter occur, i'll which
violence or murder has been or shall be com
mittcd, by one race or class upon another,
prompt punishment Of tac criminal or GRIM
iEal. is imperatively demanded, whethcrthe
crime be one punishable by fine or lmprlS-
onment or one demanding the punishment
OF death.
The question was divided, and the de-
clal,ation or resolution was carried by lii
yeas 10 nays; the preamble by l2l yeas to
81 NAYS.
This resolution, it is easy to see, has been
perverted from its purpose by General
GRANT. lie has Intentionally misconstrued
il. He has assumed that this resolution au-
thogizes him to employ the army for the
purpose OF defeating Mr.. TILDEN. The
resolution itself was meant merely to indi-
cate that the Democratic party does not APP
prove OF unlawful proceedings on the part
OF any OF its members; and possibly TO call
upon the State governments to punish any
violations OF the Jaw, whatever the punish
mcnt prescribed by the State law. 1t was
hin. 20 Governor CHAMBERLAlN that he ought
to cause The Hamburg rioters to be indicted
AND punished il he really believed them to
be @uilty Of the charges which he had pub
liciy made against them. 1t was also Il de-
car:tion' to the northern people that the
Democrats OF the House OF Representatives
were opposed to whatever was unlawful or
wrong in the deeds done ut Hamburg on the
occasion referred to. But this simple reSo-
luton has been tortured by General GRANT
into authority for cotrcing the southern
States into the support OF HAYES.
Tire miserable trickstcr awaited the
Adjournment OF Congress before send
iuc his infamous and reasonable telc-
.ran.. The resolution was passed on the
10th, but he took good care not to put his
traitorous construction upon it until the
House had adjourned for the session. He
held it back until adiournmcnt and not one
dav longer; thus manifcsting Il deliberate
design to cover up his infamy with stolen
cloak. II he had not known that he was
perycrting the language OF the resolution,
he would have sent his telegram to SlER-
MAN several days sooner. II he had not de-
signed to commit il fraud upon the House,
he would have let his purpose be known to
that body. Compare the resolution rs
quoted above with GRANTS telegram TO
SHERMAN us quoted below, and the reader
will perceive that the President was guilty
OF downright hypocrisy and dlsgraceful
stimulation and cllacancry. He says:
"The President directs that in accordance
with the spirit OF the above you arc to hold
all the available force under your command
not engaged in subduing the saYages on the
western frontier in readiness to be used
unon the call or rcquisition OF the proper
legal authorities for protecting all citizens,
without distinction OF race, color, or polltl-
cal opinlon, i'm the exercise OF the right to
vote, as guaranteed by the fifteenth amend
ment, and 10 assist in the enforcement or
certain, condign, and etlectual. punishment
unon all persons who shall attempt by
force. fraud, terror, intimidation, or other
wise to prevent the exercise Of the right Of
suffrage as provided by the laws OF the
United States, and have such force so dis
tributed and stationed as to be able to rem
der prompt assistance in the enforcement OF
the law"
In accordance with the spirit OF the
above - is good. Enforcing Il spirit is too
good.
When it is remembered that Congress has
no power to pass any such laws as GRANT
prctends in this telegram that it is his duty
to enforce, the purpose OF the President to
perpctuate by force the rule Of the Radical
party cannot well be doubted In 1875 the
Supreme Court OF The United States declared
in substance that the enforcement act was
unconstitutional i'll that it prescribed penal
ties for acts which even ii committed
were not cognizablc by the United
States courts. Mr.. MORTON introduced
into the United States Senate bill TO rene
dy This defect in his enforcement act, but of
course it failed TO become u law. The De-
mocratic House would never have passed it
il il had reached that body, as it did not.
SO that General GRANT is not only violating
the Constitution OF the United States, but