New-York tribune., 1878-11-26
NrLLLEIC4rLON AG1LN.

NULLIFICAJION AGAIN.
The Democratic press both North and South
has begun to talk of executive interference
in South Carolina in tone of defiant and tr-
umphant insolence "Let Mr. Hayes execute
"such laws as he finds on the statute
books" cries one organ OF the red
shirt and the shotgun; "but if they
are not sufficient, not bit of help shall he
"get from Congress- "No more amnesty
for offenders against State laws cxclaimS
one of the Southern journals; " give the Radi-
zeal rascas a dose of civil process" If our
State authorities back down now" says cor
respondent of TIE Charleston Meas and Courier
"and fail 10 push the law upon every
criminal Of that desperate party, we have
- misled the colorcd Democracy when we guar
"antccd them protection 70 The Radical
'rascals," ~ our readers understand, are all
the black or white Republicans VINO have given
| evidence before United States Commissioners
| of fraud or violence in the elcction-men who
have been dubbed for their political opinions,
| or who have witnessed the stufing of ballot
| boxes and the Justification Of the count; and
the method of pushing the law" against
them Is to arrest and punish them by the
State courts for alleged perjury in their tcstl-
mony before Federal tribunal
The case Of the Rev. Mr.. Pinckney is a good
illustration of this manner of giving Radi
zeal raScals dose of civil process" Mr..
! Pinckncy was one OF the witnesses who gave
evidence. respecting the election Outrages at
| Kingstree. For this he was charged With per-
jury and thrown into prison; and The Charles
ton NerS and Courier, IN reporting the arrest,
remarks that " the appearance of his classical
"facial formation through the jail bars
"wil probably act as "A warning TO
'"others of his ilk that they will no more
"be allowed to swear Democrats into trouble
unquestiOned." OF another witness, against
/ whom warrant is out, the CORRESPONDENCE OF
/ the same paUer says, " lie will yet be caught
/ " or made to leave the country Similar ac-
ton has been taken in all parts of the State !;
and now the RedShiTt Democracy Is
! going $50 far as 10 arrest the United
| States Commissioners also, on the most fIiv-
ious and indecent pTetexts, whenever they at
tempt to enforce tine election laws. One Com
missioner, for instance, who was Judge Of
| Probate, was attacked by q mob while he was
taking testimony. and obliged to fee for his
life. That was enough The chivaliy caused
him to he sent to Jail for not keeping his
Office open
The new scheme of notification is now
made plain. In every instance where the
United States attempts to put in force the
Federal statutes intended to protect The purity
of elections, the State of South Carolina will
step in, lock up the witnesses, and if possible
impris0n the Commissioners. This defiance of
the National authority has not even the
color of State law to excuse It,.
The Democratic State judges have decided
that a person cannot be held to answer in the
State courts for perjury committed in proceed
ings before the Federal courts But it is con-
venient now to ignore all previous decisions,
as well as common justice and propuety; and
the witnesses are promptly run off or
locked up before their evidence has been
put to the test. AS Tile NeTs and
Courier observes, "They will no moro be
"allowed to sSear Democrats into trouble
unquestioned." We presume that the, wit
nesses will take the hint. Most of them are
probably poor negroes, who have not
the means of defending themselves against
such outrageous proceedings, and they
will not go TO Jail for the privilege
Of telling the truth Their mouths
are eiectually closed. When the cases are
called IN the Federal courts, the prosecution
will fail for want of testimony; the "bul-
(" "dozer and kiss joker will go free and
the innocent will be punished for swearing
democrats into trouble"
Whether there is any penalty for this system
atlc obstruction of the courts is question
which, we have no doubt, the law officers of
the Administration have carefully considered,
But the wrong has already been done, and so
:
seems to be without remedy. 1t remains,
however, for the people of the United States
to say whether they will sustain party which
lives by such practices, and whether they will
submit to be ruled by Ongressmen-perchance
by Presidents-thrust into Office by such revo-
lQtionary methods.