The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-07-30
Monday. July 80. 1877
Federal Troops and State Govern.

ments.
The decision of General Hancock upon
the case of Colonel French is conveyed in
his order to that officer to turn over his
troops TO the officer next ia command. We
do not see what else General Hancock
could have done, Colonel French evidently
altogether mistook the duties which his po-
sition in West Virginia devolved upon him.
Ii is not greatly to be wondered at, per-
haps. that regular officer should be more |
or less confused in his mind when he is |
called In, at the request of the governor of |
a state, to suppress domestic violence. His !
relations to the civil power in such cases
are taught at West Point, but the text
books on that subject were for some years
obsolete, and had no relation to the actual
duties of an officer, During General
Grants administration an order to sup
press domestic violence usually meant to
suppress Democratic votes, and the
duties of an officer with a carpet-bag
governor, who only existed as governor
10 virtue of,the officer permission and help,
we're comparatively easy. The carpet-bag
Governor pointed out what he would like to
have done, and the officer did it in his Own
way. Colonel French, if we remember
rightly, was employed in service of that
sort, and in it acquired some notions of the
nature of governors which were accurate
enough as applied to the Chamberlains
aud Kelloggs of the south under Grant.
but which are not at all applicable to the
lawfully chosen governors of real states.
His notions OF the institution of, property
also, no doubt, underwent as much change
from those entertained in communities
governed by laws as his notions of tho In
stitution Of government. Ii is not surpris
ing, therefore, that he should have made
mistakes. 1t is reported that be informed
railway officer that the United States
government was running the Baltimore
and Ohio road" This was q grave mis-
take of Colonel French. it he made it.
Whether he made it or not, his own
exculpatory statement and the
dispatch with which he has fortified it
serve TO show his profound misapprehen-
sion of his functions. The dispute between
him and the officers of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad was whether a certain train
on the road should run as it pleased Col
onel French or as it pleased the Baltimore
aud Ohio Railroad. The officer Of that
road in local charge insisted that i. was
not safe to run the train as Colonel French
desired it 20 be run. 1t was then that
Colonel French took the ground, expressly
or virtually, that the United States gov
eminent" and not the owners Of the pro-
perty were managing it. In this he had
certain countenance from Secretary Nc
Crazy, whose notions Of the rights Of pro
perty appear also to have been more mud
died than those of a cabinet minister
ought to be. The secretary telegraphed
him that the railway officials were not TO
interfere or control" Colonel French took
this to mean, and was partly justified in
taking it 20 mean, that they
were not to interfere with
or control the management Of their
own property. They thought certain use
should be made of it. Colonel French,
partly backed up by Secretary McCrary,
thought another use should be made of it,
and the strikers thought that still a third
use should be made of it. Short of mar
tia law, which is temporary suspension Of
all other Jaw, and which had not been pro-
claimed in Colonel French's district, it is
hard to sea what could justify him in this
pTacticalc temporary confiscation Ofithe pro-
perty of a corporation, Running" rail-
road in opposition to the wishes OF Its
owners amounts to the same thing as mount
ing cavalry, out Of the stables Of private
owners, and is justified; that is to say, where
for the time there is no law.
There is, in fact, something anomalous IL
the whole military aspect OF the business
The theory of Federal interference is. that
the Federal government assists the state
government where the state militia is 10
sufficient tlends it policemen, precisely
as New York might lend jersey City police
men if a riot should break out in jersey
City beyond the control of the local police
In that case it would be distinctly under
stood that the New Y ork police were 70 &C
under the Jersey City authorities, aud i
the New \ ork police were to appeal iron
the Jersey City authorities to Mulberr.
street, and take their orders in JeTse,
City only from their own superlOrs In New
York, they would be much worse thai
useless. 1t cannot be otherwise with Fed
eral troops called in TO assist state militia
They must be under the command OF tn
authorities of the state to which they ar
sent. A Geographic correspondence betwee
the commander of the detachment and til
secretary of war, consisting Of detalle
orders, is calculated either to destroy tn
usefulness OF the troops or to make tn
commander Of them for the time tn
governor, with unlimited powers, Of tn
state in which he is serving. The latte
seems 10 nave Deeu the view winch OOIODs
French took of his own position and whic
Secretary McCIrary apparently encourag
ing him to take. If he had been instruct
ed to report for his orders to the goyernc
on whose requisition he was detailed, an
not to the secretary of war, all this woul
have been avoided. 1t is necessary thI
such instructions should be ISSUED
1t is easy to see that Federal force, re
porting directly to Washington and actin
independently of the state government {
which it is lent might bring about yer
dangerous conflict OF authority, The pre-,
ident has shown that this is precisely wha
he does not wish, and that he does nc
mCun to continue the traditions concernin
the use Of Federal troops which his pr,
decessor made unhappily familiar
the army. Perhaps it would be we'll thi
he should. make the secretary of war ul
derstoOd these things Also N y Wort
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Railway Traffic and Railway Labor