Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-10-26


Asa ~ cssssaG Bsllsfia@. Oef. lsti.
eTnR Pnesuutnf's piscssMAasnr.-
Rtendeat y0rwt. hae isssesl hia Pro-,
clamation. sonetine thressepfd. 70 help,
re-elect Ckambcrlain Govefnof Of th&
Suite ofSeuth Csrolina. Ii tlis -.
ttonfdisafy document tke .Rs1ai3snt -.
sele01ly sVpsuled q ~ censsitr1iea.
&C - usitaa States = NJ onahosily>-l
Let bin, theseiore, Be iudEed by the
ConstitutIoa. Tie peeam6le TO this
Proclanstiun recites the specific acts
of''iosurrsctiou and domestic violence"
which are to be suppressed, - follows:
That certain combinations Of men
against law exist IN many counties OF
said State, known - rifle clubs who
ride up and down BY day and night in
arms. and numbering some peaceful cit
i1ens and intimidating others, which
Combinations, though forbidden by the
laws a the -Staae. cannoe Be controlled
oe suppressed ht the orjinary course of
justice" This il the alleged crime. tke
full statement ofths so-calIed '.insurrec.
tion." Now the constitution says, "A well
regulated militabeing neeess afy to the &c.
eurty Of afree State, tke right ef ftkeyeo-
PIE 70 Keep s1d Se~ ~.s s&sH net 6e ia-
JTaegd." II says. also. that there shall
be no abridgment of "the right Of the
people peaceably 10 assemble and to
petition the government for . redress
Of grievances" II likewise says that
''the right Of the people to be secure in
their persons, houses, papers, and ef-
fects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures. shall not be violated, and no
warrant shall issue, but upon probable
cause. supported BY oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the person or thing
tobe seized" The Fourteenth Amend.
ment says that no State shall "deny 10
any person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection Of the laws"
Admitting, for the sake of the argu.
ment, that there may be some resistance
in South Carolina to Governor Cham
berlain and his measures, and that he
finds it difficult to make head against
these combinations, does not the Presi.
dents attempt to aid him in dong @
involve himself in a still more seriou.
violation of the letter and spirit Of the
clauses Of the Constitution quoted p
Granting that there has been. BONE
wrong done, has not the President beer
guilty Of . much graver wrong in the
means he designs to use to put down
the minor ofiense! The appeals made
to him are in the strictcst sense parti.
san appeals. The evidence upon which
he assumes to act is, in the full mean.
ing of the phrase, sr psvte evidence
The proofs furnished are of the flimsies,
and most inconsequent sort. and all the
assertions and pretences Of Governor
Chamberlain have been emphatieally
and categorically denied BY men in bigl
Official position in bis State, Republi.
cans Of at least as good standing in theiI
own party and in the public estimation
as Chamberlain can claim-yct, upon
this insecure and suspicious fabric the
President Of the United States dares is.
sue against the citizens of one Of the
original thirteen States. such Procla.
nation as the Governor-General Of In
dia would not venture to utter against a
bloody revolt in Behar or Scindia. nor
General Kaufman even against an out
break in Khiva or Khokand. The time
for indignation and protest has gone by.
The time for solicitude and apprehension
is upon US. What are the American
people coming to when these things can
be done. upon such pretexts and in this
manner. . .,-.f