The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-01-25

his decision on the real merits Of the
case aud not on his " or his party's
incllnations, The commander OF the
military forces has orders, which he
considers still in force, TO conllne him
self to preserving the peace OF the
State. Such a position is wholly in
compatible with the laws of the United
States. The army cannot under any
circumstances be employed for such u
purpose except as specifically provi'
ded by the Constitution and the laws
Cor the protection Of a State against
domestic violence or instruction.
We are thus particular in stating the
law in order to show who arc the zeal
aggressors in Louisiana. The Mich
oils government needs no protection.
If a collision occurs the Packard fac
ton will, of course, get the worst OF it.
II General Augur interlcres "to pre-
serve the peace" it will be for the pro-
lection Of the Packard faction. Gen.
Augur seems disposed to act as fairly
| as his orders will permit, but if he in
t]erferes in this matter as the case now
stands, he will be in the eye Of the law
merely u lawlcss intruder, He will be
IN az awkward position, and one that
he does not deserve TO be placed III
but, il he considers it his duty to obey
orders without considering their legal.
ty, he auSt take tue soldiers risk, The
Nichols government, in its WI and in
our opinion, is the true government.
Packard and his faction are in insur'
rcctiOn, II the true government un'
! dcrlaf' , to suppress an instruction
aui ur,nuierS without authority OF law
, co.,. ~ ..yn, the iUtruIcr3 must take
one c,n- 4GcH2es. Under such cir
cums'ancr., the Nichols authorities
will be justified in regarding the intru-
dcrs us the aiders and abettors Of the
insurreclionists and treating them &C.
cordingly.
In the event President Grant res
ponds TO q call for protection from the
Packard government, issues his proc
Iation and observes the form of law in
furnishing protection, the Nichols
government will be placed in a posi-,
ton of very grave responsibility. The
president cannot decide directly the
question Of the rightful government of
a State. All he can do is to determine
that question coliaterally in meeting
an application for protection. He is
liable to err in judgment. He is still
more liable to d~esignedly err for his
own or his party's purposes. The men
now supporting the Nichols govern
ment in Louisiana believe they are
right. Must they relinquish everything
and resign themselves to the tender
mercies Of plunderers merely because
President Grant says SOL We take it
such is not the spirit Of our institu-
tons. If they believe themselves
right, and think the game worth the
risk, they ought to endeavor to main.
tain themselves against every effort to
destroy their government. The people
once before installed the government
of their choice, but it melted away be-
fore the advance of a company of Uni
States troops. Unless they were bet
ter prepared for that same emergency
again, it would have been better never
to have attempted TO install the true
government of the State.
OF course the cry will be raised that
the expression of such views means re-
bellion against the constituted authori.
tiles Of the United States. This scare
crow of CONSTITUTED authorities is be.
coming very much attenuated. When
the CONSTITUTED authorities" become
usurpers and lend themselves to such
schemes as are presented in the Pack
ard and Chamberlain pretensisns, they
ought to be resisted. Nothing has
been gained by submission. Submission
always emboldens usurpers and con-
spirators against liberty. The Kellogg
government was pronounced q fraud
and q sham by both houses of Con-
gress when both houses were R%epubli-
can. 1t was set no and maintained by
bayonets. The people of Louisiana
patiently submitted when Federal bay
onets CANT to the rescue. What they
have got for their patient submission Is
a new usurpation with bayonets to pro
tect 1t on the plea o! preservation of
the peace, and an assurance from the
president ofthe United States that he
intends TO support the new sham and
fraud, OF course, if the people of this
country prefer peace to free govern
ment and civil liberty they ought TO
But ii they propose TO preserve their