Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-20


full and revised report of the speech made
by Governor Chamberlain, of South Carolina,
at the Woodstock, Conn, Fourth of July
celebration. There have been some efforts
to pooh pooh this speech, as being the utter
ance of disappointed politician and of little
intrinsic weight But it nevertheless COM
mands wide attention and none the less CON
stitutes the most formidable arrangement Of
the Southern policy OF President Hayes that
has yet appeared. 1t is Il calm and careful
review of the action of the President in the
case of Louisiana and if its logic is good,
the force of its argument is not destroyed by
the fact that Governor Chamberlain was n
personal victim If the policy Of the Admin
istratiOn.
Governor Chamberlain selected the ease Of
Louisiana, rather than that of South Carroll
ma, because, rs he said, it was case i'll
which he was not party, and because the
facts were clearer. lie said
When President Hayes assumed his Office,
he found in Louisiana a State government
complete in all its executive,
legislative, and iudicial-with Governor
Packard as its chief executive. That gov
ernment rested for its legal title upon an
election held and conducted according to
law, the result of which had been asccr
tanned and declared in the manner pro-
yided by law. Those results and the mode
of their legal entertainment and declaration
had been subjected to the examination and
Judgment of an august special tribunal.
By the Judgment of that tribunal the agen-
cies established by the laws of Louisiana for
the conduct and declaration of that election
had been declared legal and competent for
those purposes That Judgment was an in
dspensable support to the Presidents title
to his own Office. Without it he was him
self a usurper.
President Hay les found the State govern
ment, complete in its organization, unques-
tionable in its validity, except upon grounds
which directly and equally impcached the
validity Of his own title. lie found it, how
ever, menaccd and belesguered by IN armed E,
violent, and revolutionary organization, call
ing itself State government, which had al
ready forcibly seized considerable part of
the public Offices and property at the capital,
and stood in ayowed readiness to complete
its usurpation, whenever this could be done
without actual collision with the military
forces of the United States.
What was the official duty of President
Hayes toward the State of Louisiana? |
answer that it is beyond intelligent dispute
or reasonable question that it was his duty
to protect the lawful government of that
State from domestic violence by the military
forces of the United States, and to make the
measure of that protection, as well As its
continuance. the extent necessary to render
Governor Packard's authority effective
throughout the State of Louisiana.
Our government is Union composed Of
separate states In the impressive Judicial
phrase of Chief-Justice Chase, it Is ian in
destructblc Union composed Of indestructi-
bic States" The powers of the general
government are limited and special. Be
yond these it cannot 90. Its powers limit
and measure its duties. The Constitution
in its opening sentence declares the great
purposes of its own creation, and among
these we hnu 10 insure uoiheSI,c 'ranqu,i'-
w. by the coneurreh'e Vi "'i ieSfootaUi'
autnori'ies' Tue 'ruo 'ons'' u'''on VI .n'
Whoie instrument anu 'nc true ih,erPre'a-
tioh oi i's separate Plo'isiohS vi Pniuses Is
tnat winch secures, om 'ne on' nan, VI. Nv
eincient eAeI'So vi an 'n' P'"'is y. nv
genera government WHICH arc eSsenli"i 70
the attainment Vi 'he purPoses ior WHICH
the Union was formed, and, on the other
hand anu al tne SAINT tiihe' iea'es 70 'i 'I
people OF each o,a'e 'ne iree exercise Vi all
the powers moi ueicgateu ny Int 'ois''u'ion
TO the ueheiai government
In defending the rresident action toward
Louisiana anu south .aroilha' great enortS
nave oeen haue 70 cover ms mn ae'lon WIN .ne
mamie oi o'a'e rignS' me ieSiuens y. nun
sell mas pfocialineu MS poi'ey 70 NC loca,
sen-goVefhmeht, anu we near II ues.riosu
on all sues AZ nome iuie' IS III 'ru.n'
the exact opposite Oh TINS but what WISH
to remark no" H. that lhe question ih,oi'eu
IN TINS DISCUSSION Is NOT one, primarily Vi
state rights OF national rights out vi Nd
tionai uuty
Inc reiatlohs oi thc ueneiai poreriiineh'
and OF tue fresiuent US 'ho Sniei hAeeu'Ne
10 inc Preseh' QUESTION al,se unuei ~. ,ne v'o
VISIONS Vi oeet,oh y. H' .n. ,,. vi nc IN
sutu''oi'' mhion uo.i"ie' .naI W. ~ =:
states si'ai aria''e " er', S.".. :. an
In,Vn iepuoiiIhn r I'm N y, :a'; "..
snnii Pio'eot M VI ' An i;I..,,. ~ q,
anu, On aiPii'a.,Dhh VI an go, y, ".
,ne eAeou'n9 ."Een Az da,o,,;n r;oio,oo -
III uon'oneu', "s ~. %na.;..;o. Iii l.
n1e''i ie .mu o othnr u0n,;n, "aH on
SelNe ,i'at Ii'1. ~ 'y 80 - Ios.;, O ~
cefheu WIN tne sian,ns =. Sai;a s "a "a
regui"s'oh VI 'ne , ,'ip V"e.9 usneu W
pe conferred on ane "tnuiA .%e S,n,ns " u,
thc ueni", ., nj ~ y.
po"cis "ni ~ ~ a. " '.'i wy s'.a'
oDJec'S y. ,"o o'on' u .ne PIN 'oe
tioh We nnu PuiIoNo' primary; not " I'll.
large 'iic pom'lS VI 'n' .Ieneie. n.n :,
nor 70 ueny pone .n a. J nn AN ,;i'
s0ieiiin ,nt.' -" =. 80 So. 1 -. " vi
charseu ny '"e o"i'.u ''A'.s to"atu .a.n
o'ate as " tut U'n.i H''ti9i'' 'u' o"'''
anu inc h"tion "i. ,e.' " nuJus' nc. ~ ~
spec'Ne pV"ers uiuef 'ne i,sn' Vi 'ie ian-
suage ., Tue Ions'itu.ion "na =" IN, 'n' inoue'
pfo'iueu ny 'na' instrument us SEXTON
raises no sucn ques'ion' n'S '1Inis arc eiear ;
proau' unin's'aAaoie' lne oni'cu ''a.cs
shdH protect every o'a'e III ms
onion' on aIpiica'ion' etc. agaiiist uohes'ic
violence. IL uoes not say 'nh' 'ne ohi'eu
states snail nave power 10 Pfo'eGl GaGil o'a,e'
1t does not say mat eacl o'ate snali nave tlle
risht 10 ceinahu pro'eclloh- IL iS NOT ques-
ton oil powers ana rlgh,s. IL IS pam
command addressed by inc consultation 10
the Government "hlch II created requiring
IL 10 90 PLAINLY specimen uuty
In discharge OIL 'he uuty iihposeu y this
section, congress ny lhe Ac,s Oh 90 anu
oil loo' authoriLeu inc fresiueht, whenever
the exigency described IN tins section
should aiise-or, to use the exact language
OF the Acts, IN case OF an insurrection In
any State against the government thereof
to call forth such number oil the militia o.
any other State or States as he deems suifi-
Gent to suppress the instruction, or to en-
ploy Tor the same purposes such part OF the
land or naval forces oil the United States as
he deems necessary
This duty, therefore, originally imposed
upon the nited States, Is now imposed on