The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-26
Home Rule.

va are surprised to fnd papers in VIZ
csnia taxing the ground that Mr.. HAYES Is
aamost compelled to keep his army IN LOUIS
sana In order to preserve the peace. Even
the Petersburg Post-a paper OF relha' N@ n
BILE political sagacity-seems 10 nave su
rendered to this consolidationist doctrine
whoever comedies this point conceaes Tue
r,ho,e question, II the President Is oy Tue
Constitution permitted to send troops iu'o
any State In the Union to preserve Va.
peace, he may use the army as ne p.e"ses :.
.ccomn,,sh that purpose. First, ne must
aec;de for himself what is state OF peaee'
,nd nex. he must decide for himset no"
,.,a ond to what extent he VIII prop
his satraps by bayoncts. Ihere IS nv nv
die ground; and no one who adn'es 'n"'
.he President has the power 10 use '1e
army as police force can deny tnat I"
Sc his duty to use it as such. N We
thought that the President had TINS power
wc should commend him for its exercise.
We once heard distinguished lawyer OF
this city tell the late General CANDY thaI MY
soldiers were being used to upho'd III us
usurpation a Federal judge UNDERWOOD
who had .prosttuted the powers OF the
court, These soldiers were merely keep
inr the peace" in Richmond. General
CANDY pleaded that it was his duty 10 pre-
serve the peace. But Governor WALhEE
told him he needed not his assistance. 80 IN
1876. in November, General GRANT sent
soldiers to Petersburg to'preserve the peace
and nrotect the negroes in exercising their
right to vote But Governor kEapER pro-
tested against this invasion OF Virginia.
When the last Congress was about 10 'ao-
iourn sine die the Conservatives OF inc
House OF Representatives refused to pass
the bill making appropriations for the sup
mort OF the army unless the Senate would
agree to insert clause prohibiting the
using OF the army in Louisiana and south
Carolina for the purpose OF bolstering up
the bogus governments OF PACKARD ana
CHAMBERLAIN. Were the two Governors OF
Virginia in the wrong when they claimed
the right to keep the peace within THIS
State? Was the House OF Represent
ativcs wrong when it allowed the
army bill to fail? II not, then those
people must be wrong who admit that the
President has the right to employ the army
to keep the peace in Louisiana and South
Carolina. AS for Us, we hold that the Queen
of England has as much right to keep the
peace in Louisiana as the President OF the
United States; and that the President has
no more right to do that than he has to use
his soldiers for keeping the peace between
NIL the husbands and wives in the United
States. 1t is matter that does not come
within the province OF his duties at all.
But suppose that the Legislature or
the Governor of Louisiana call upon
the President to interfere? Then he
may do so without violating the Consti1
tuition. Yet see: the very fact that thf
Constitution tells him that he may in this
case interfere is proof positive that he CARY,
not rightiully interfere unless under the
circumstances mentioned in that instru-
ment. 1t would have been foolish and far
cical for the trainers Of the Constitution to
provide that the President might send
troops to a State when called upon by its
Governor if he has the power to send them
whether called upon or not. Admitting,
then, that he has no right to act as police
man in Louisiana unless the Governor or
Legislature call upon him to do SO,
it is evident that the first thing Pre-
sident HAYES has to do Is to decide
whether PACKARD or NICHOLS is Gov
ernor, and whether the PACKARD Legis-
lature or the NICHOLS Legislature is
the true Legislature. How can he ascer-
tain this fact2 How does boy learn how
to swim? But HAYES says Louisiana shall
not 60 into the water until she shall first
have learned how to swim. She would soon
show conclusively who is her lawful Gov
ernor il HAYES would permit her SO to do ;
but this he will not consent to. He insists
that he must have positive proof that the
one or the other is the rightful government
OF Louisiana, but he at the same time binds
her in chains and refuses to allow her.to lay
her consecrating hand upon the head OF
her rightful ruler. He asks her to speak,
but muffies her voice. lie tells her to place
the crown upon the head of her Governor
that he may be recognized, and at the same
time he binds her hand and foot.
Let Louisiana alone. Let South Carolln:
alone. Let every State alone. Free gov
eminent cannot exist upon this continent
the President is to have the power we ar
speaking ola power that would make hin
monarch indeed-an irresponsible, ungol
ernable, arbitrary ruler of iorty-five mil
:. lions of people. Home rule is the onl..
Just, kindly rule-the only rule that fire.
people can either tolerate, or even exis
under.