New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-07

sucn laws as IN Cneir judgment tne exl-
gency required. When, therefore, Messrs.
the political Levites re-entered again the
temple CT liberty they were surprised to
find very great change in many of its
aisles and TRANSCRIPTS We will instance
one of these changes. When they left
with the lights the whole law authorizing
the Intervention of the Federal govern
ment in the affairs of the States was COM
prised in single section passed in 1895,
and amended in 1907. The Federal powers
were tied up and inclcsed within this one
little section. During the war this law
had, as we have heretofore stated, ex-
banded into twenty-five sections. 1t
had given President Lincoln all the
power necessary to wage the war. The
constitution had affirmed the paramount
power of the nation. 1t had recognized
the equality of its citizens. 1t had made
the relation between the citizen and the
Federal government direct, and not trans
mitted through the fears and courtesies
of the State. 1t had created the SUBJ
stantive offense of resistance or insur-
rection against the United States, and en-
powered the President to arrest the per-
sons or trade of State or district or sea-
port.
The Democratic Last Ditchers have held
a majority in the House of Represents
tives for two years. They have made no
attempt to repeal this law or any one sec
ton of it. Possibly they may not have
read it. There are one or two sections
which we propose to lay before the people
of Louisiana, that they may know some
thing from friendly source of the laws
which they are invited to disregard and
even to resist. We find in Washington
letter to the Times the following:
Upon inquiry yesterday it appeared that
the Iowa militia are being supplied with
their quota of arms, and ball cartridges be-
sides. The War Office refuses positively to
issue the same to the Missouri militia.
The amendments to the militia law
were not as extensive as those in regard
to instruction, but they were sufficient
to give effect to the constitutional pro-
visions as amended. The law originally
limited the power of the President to call
forth such number Of the militia of the
State or States most convenient to the
place of danger or scene of action as he
may deem necessary to repel such in
vasion or suppress such insurrection, and
to issue his orders for that purpose to
such officers Of the militia as he may deem
proper. The amendment of 1861 does
not so limit the President to the militia
of States near "the place of danger or
scene of action" On the contrary, it
so enlarges the power Of the President
that he may ''call forth the militia of any
or all of the StGtes." The law, then, stands
thus: The President may call the militia
of Iowa, or Massachusetts, to execute the
law in Georgia or Texas, and he may is
sue his orders ito such officers of the mil
tia in any State" as he may deem proper.
From this we infer that if President
Grant, like President Lincoln, should dis
criminate in the issue of arms to the mi.
litia of any State or States, and also to
''such officers of the militia" as he May
think proper, he may legally do so. We
have no idea that the executive will find
it necessary to call upon the militia of any
of the States to suppress insurrectonary
resistance to the law, but as some of the
Democratic party here and elsewhere have
proclaimed the laws nullity, the election
fraud, and the result question of en-
forced obedience, no friend of the Union
and especially no friend of the South, car
be surprised if lawful measures should b,
adopted TO guard against any suel
outbreak. We recommend, therefore
to all parties interested to read tn
laws of the United States. 1t vii
be found that they impart t
the Federal executive ample power anC
means to preserve the peace wherever an
whenever it may be threatened. twill no
be forgotten that the penalties for violation
of these laws are infinitely more seriou
than formerly. Nor must it be forgotte
that to contend against the federal gov
eminent, strengthened by the constitr
tional concessions and laws, with the alb
stract ideas and metaphysical argument
Of the nulliders, would be just like EN-
ploying the flint lock of the Buchanan
era against the arms of precision as i'm
proved and perfected by the war. ReA
the laws carefully and all collision an
consequences may be avoided.