National Republican., 1876-12-13
WEDNEsDAY::::::::::::: Is, lS76.
GOVERNMENTS REPUBLICAN, In FORM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10, ls76.
GOVEREMKNTs REPUBLICAN Ii FORM.
The Constitution of the United States
guarantees to each State in the Union "a
government republican in form" This
means q popular government. 1t means q
government that is the result of the popu-
lar will which may be expressed through
the medium of the ballot-boX. The de-
sign Of the elective franchise is to enable
all those citizens who are entitled to its ex-
ercsse to express with perfect freedom
their political views and wishes through
the medium of the ballot, in lawful and
peaceful manner. Whenever one class of
citizens attempts to domineer over another
because of its numerical superiority or be-
cause of its wealth, or its bullying pro-
pensities, and shows defiance Of law and
the peace of the community, the value and
efeetof the freedom of the ballot Is de-
stroyed. The fundamental principle un-
derlying all governments republican in
form" being the consent or will of the gov
erned, anything which dominates, warps
or falsiies that will or consent is neces-
sarilY destructive Of the governmental
theory. To prevent by force or fear, by
bribery and corruption, by violence, as
sassinatIon or murder the free expression
of the desire of the elector as 1t is per
mitted by law; is TO sap the foundations of
the Government. But if to this is
added a terrorism which utterly pre-
vents the arrest trial and punishment
according to law of the dominating class
which resorts to violence and bloodshed
in order to prevent q fair election and by
fraud and violence assert the viii of the
minority, this condition of affairs is one
of revolution. The wheels Of Govern
ment are blocked. The temple of justice
is closed. The mob reigns supreme. Re-
publicanism is dead, and the Government
is without forra and void. AL is remsnded
to chaos. Night dominates right Ths
people collectively are marshaled into
clans, and each one does battle under its
fsvorite leader. Race Is arrayed against
race, faith against faith and creed against
creed. There is no guarantee to safety Of
life, no protection to property. and neither
iperty Of thought speech, nor religion.
That such is the present condition of
most of the States lately in rebellion very
few intelligent persons who have taken
pains to inform themselves can doubt The
next question that naturally suggests it.
selfto thinking people is, Whist is the
proper remedy for this state of affairsi
What is the duty of Congress in the prem
isesf What becomes OF the guaranty
of Government, republican in FORM"
contained in the Constitution?
twill be recollected that Senator Bout
well during the last session made an ex-
ceedingly able report upon the affairs of
the State of Mississippi, which State he
visited as chairman of committee of the
Senate to investigate the manner of the
pretended election of 1875. In that docu-
ment be cited testimony showing beyond
peTsdventure that violence and crime
had been used to such an extent as to keep
large portion of the Republican vote
from being polled. The revolution of the
State government soon followed. Mr..
Boutwell, further demonstrated that those
crimes, including murders the most
cold,blooded, assaults, whippings in the
night time, firing of buildings and charging
the incendisrism upon the inoffenslve
negroes as pretext for their murder, were
none of them punished. The truth was
maintained that there wss no law there
except the unbridled will of the late slave
owners and their followers. Senator
BoutwelPs report reached the conclusion
that Mississippi had no government re-
publican in form," and that it was the
bounden duty of Congress to devise means
for making good the Constitutional guar
antee.
The evidence cited in that report was Of
a character to shock all Christendom. The
tales OF horror related by some of the. wit
nesses find no parallel in the annals of the
Ozark Ages" Ard yet none of the
atrocities were punished. Why? This is
a question at once asked in all orderly
communities. The answer is simply be-
cause the governing power of terrorism
extends to the officers of the law. Courts,
grand and petit jurors, trial justices, con-
stables and sherifs all hold their positions
and their lives at the will Of this reyolu-
tionary mob. The latter do not consider
'killing q nlgger" murder. Few of the
officers would dare even attempt to arrest
the criminals, if any one could be found
with the courage to make accusation and
swear out q warrant for the purpose. II
one were accused and brought before a
justice and held for examination, his COM
panions in crime would assemble at the
hearing, and so dispose and demean them
selves as to deter the officers and the
magistrate from convicting or Furnishing
him for the crime. False swearing is easy
for men who delight in murder. The con-
viction of White Liner" therefore, OF
a crime perpetrated in 'the cause" IL
quite impossible where his companions
can obtain an opportunity to tes-
tify. From these facts it may be
seen how utterly impossible is the su-
premacy of law in those States dominated
by the Confederate League. The popular
sentiment of the governing class" is
against it. The late slaves have been
emancipated and clothed with the elective
franchise. They have had q slight taste
of liberty and of set-government snd it is
not saying too much TO aver that they
esteem their newly found privileges much
more highly and more in accordance with
their real worth than the late governing
class" who now dominate them by might.
The latter do not desire the right OF self
government. They demand and assert the
birth-right to govern others. The former
are satisfied to be let alone in the enjoy
ment OF their new-found liberty and its
attendant privileges. If they are fairly
beaten at the polls they submit in peace.
Many Northern people wonder that these
negroes do not resist and fight back
when thus sssailed. First, their cowardly
assailants disarm them. They make
them yield up all their old rusty shot
guns and horse pistols. Then it must
be remembered, too, that the bondage OF
twelve generations is not conducive to a