The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-09-14
Antaetspatkt gsg1stelliaeueer.
BAY0NRf RULE IN THE NATION.


BAYONEF RUE IN THE NATION.
"A Long Stride Towards Capitalization
~ and Despotism. ~"
% The following letter of instruction from
Attorney General Taft, which is intended
2 10 affect the elections in the Southern
States, is menace to the liberties. of
every State in the Union. It is the most
dangerous step which has ever been taken
towards an overthrow of every vestige of
State sovereignty, and the creation of a
despotism in our government. When
,ver it becomes an admitted fact that the
President can authorize. his United States
marshals and their deputies, who are un-
der his, appointments, and: subject to his
removal, to take control Of the nation as
completely as they are authorized to do
III this letter, there viii be no difficulty
; in proclaiming himself dictator, emperor
or king, as he may choose. The judg-i
ment of the United States marshal = or
his deputy is made supreme, and when
3 ever he thinks that any public meeting
is calculated to intimidate voters he is
authorized to disperse it. All the pow
ers of the State, from the Governor down,
and all the United States troops in the
vicinity are subject to his orders. The
theory advanced in the letter is not con-
ssistentgwith theform ofour government,
and cannot be put into execution. In
deed we do not believe it was ever in
tended to be carried out. 1t was simply
intended to furnish little more grist for
the outrage mill, which has about ceased
running. If these marshals in the South
CAN contrive to get up some disturbance,
they will accomplish The desired end.
This letter, however; is not calculated to
benefit the Republicans with the iude-
pendent voters of the North, for they are
lot yet prepared to cast their liberties
into the keeping Of any one man, how
ever good and pure he may be-much
less are they willing to coufide those lib
critics to the caprice of a single man ele-
vated to Office by the Belknaps, Schenks,
Babcocks, Grants, Mortons and Blaines
OF America. The letter is addressed to
Gen. Sherman for the guidance of
TT 80 ca : = nr.,L s1ss n,,Sl ~s,,-s<seS, I'll
lows: m 7uao
WASHINGTON, September 4, 1876 .
SIR-The laws of the United States
having made it my duty 10 exercise gen.
eral direction over marshals in the man.
ner of the discharging of their offices, l
have prepared for their use'this circular
letter of instructions as to. the coming
elections, intending the same also as
reply, once for all, to numerous applica-'
tions in like connection from private cit
izens in various States. In the present
condition of Legislation, the United States
occupy position toward voters and
voting which varies according as the cleo
tion is for State and other local officers
ouly, or for members of Congress and
Presidential electors. In elections at
whichSmembers of the House of Repre-
sentatives are chosen, which, by law, in
clude elections at which the electors for
President and Vice President are ap-
pointed, the United States secure voters
against whatever, in general, hinders or
prevents them from a.free exercise of the
elective franchise; extending that care
alike to the registration lists, the act of
voting and the personal freedom and Sc.
carity of the voter, at all times, as we'll
against violence on account of any vote
that he may intend to give, as against
conspiracy because of any, that,he may
already have given Tie peace of the
United States, therefore, which you fare
to preserve and whose violation you are
to suppress, protect, among others, the
right. preferred in the last paragraph,
and any person who, by force, violates
the rights, breaks that peace, and renders
it your duty to arrest him, and to sup
press any riots incident, or that threaten
the integrity of the registration or elec-
ton, to theSend that the will Of fhe peo-
pie in such election may be ascertained,
aud take effect, and that offenders may
be brought before the courts for punish
nlent. Notorious events in several States
which recently and in an3unusual man
ner have been publicly 4reprohated, rem
der it a grave ,duty of all marshals who
have cause to apptehend violation of
tie peace of the UnitedStates, connected
as above with the elections, to be had
upon the Tuesday after the first Monday
in November next, to be prepared
to preserve and to restore such
peace. As the chief executive officer of
the United States in your district, you
will be held responsible for all breaches
of the peace of the United States which
diligence on your part might have pre-
vented, and for the arrest and securing
of all persons who violate that peace in
any of the points above enumerated
Diligence in these matters requires, of
course, that you be and continue to be
present, in person or by deputy at all
places of registration or election at which
you have reason to suspect that the peace
is threatened, and that whenever an en-
bodiment of the posse com1atus is required
,.nforce the laws, such embodiment be
ea.ected. You will observe that the
Especial" deputies mentioned in section
2e21 Of the Revised Statutesnhave pecu-
liar duties assigned to them duties
which otherwise do not belong to deputy
narshals. Such Especial" deputies can
ba appointed only in cities of twenty
thousand inhabitants or upwards; but
the duties assigned to marshals and their
deputies by section 2,022, or other like
statutes, belong to all duly appointed
deputies whether they be general or be
special within the meaning of that and
tie preceding sections. Deputies to dis
charge this latter class of duties may be
appointed to. any number whatever, ac-
cording to the discretion of the marshal
in all States where sherifEs have similar
power. Section 2,OS0 has no practical
bearing upon this point in States where