Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-08-16
BLUE JEANS CALL.
The Naked Facts In Regard TO His Re.
quest for Federal Ada Guberua.
material Pass for a Cattle Train.

quest for Federal Aida Guberua.
material Pass for Cattle Train.
WASHINGTON, Aug, 1S.--There has
been considerable newspaper discus
sion over the demand OF Blue Jeans
Williams upon the President for
troops, and the question has been
raised concerning the language in
which the demand was couched, and
the reasons why it was not complied
with. The facts are as follows
About Q o'clock on the Goth OF July
the President received the following
telegram:
INDIANAPOLIS, July 26, 1877.
To the President, Washington, I'D. C.:
In view OF the threatened domestic
violence growing out OF the railroad
strike, / request that authority be at
once given to the COmmandant of the
Arsenal to render me all the aid pos
sible in preserving the public peace,
(Signed,) ID. WILLIAMS,
Governor OF Indiana.
The President sent at once for the
Secretary OF War, and had a consul
tation about the matter. Both were
very anxious to oblige Gov. Williams,
and especially so because he ha.
always made such violent opposition
to the infringement by the Federal
Government on the sovereign rights
OF States, and was elected on a plat
form which declared that the inter
ference OF the Federal military with
purely State matters was tyranny
and usurpation. The Constitution
authorizes the President to send
troops into State only when the Leg
islature calls for them, or the Gov
ernor, in an emergency. when the
Legislature cannot be convened, and
the constabulary or military force
OF a State has been shown to be una
bic to maintain the peace. In every
instance when troops have been
sent into the South these conditions
have been complied with, and yet
the President has been criticized by
Gov. Williams and his party for ans
wering the Constitutional demand
The question that came to the Presi-
dents mind was, IL it was violation
OF the Constitutional rights OF a
State to send troops in answer to q
formal and legal demand. how much
worse it would be to send them In
answer to Gov. Williams informal
demand. Secretary McCrary sent
the following reply:
WASHINGTON, July 26, 1877.
To Governor James u. Williams,
Indianapolis:
In the absence OF a formal call up
on the President, under the Consti-
tuition and statutes, for military aid
in supresslng domestic violence, the
Federal troops can only be used in
protecting the property OF the United
States and enforcing the processes OF
the Federal Courts
GEO. w. McCRARy,
Secretary OF War.
An Indianapolis gentleman tells
the following incident OF Gov. Will
.iams' conduct. He says "A son-in law
of the Governor is a cattle driver,
and had train full of stock In trans
it when the strikers enforced the
blockade. He went at once to Indi-
annapolis, and the next day returned
to where his train was detained
bearing a letter addressed ito whom
it may concern" and signed by
James ID. Williams, Governor, say
ing that the bearer was his son-in-
law, and he hoped the strikers would
not subject him to Inconvenience and
loss by delaying his train. This par
ticular train and no other was al :
lowed to go on, and Gov. Williams
thus placing him solf under obliga-
tons to the strikers, was unable to
interfere with them. and so had to
call on the Federal Government for
troops.