The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-02-06

danger of resort to any such measure in
the south as you style the "kuklux remedy.r
unless the United States government shall
again undertake to interfere with the desti-
mics OF the states, and to control them or the
organization of legislatures by the use of the
federal troops. If the people of the south
are left TO manage their own state govern.
ments the negroes OF the south will soon
learn, as they are fast doing now, that the
white men of the south are their best friends
and protectors
OF course different story will be told by
designing men, whose schemes of self ag-
grandzement can be promoted only by
agitation, sectional strife and domestic
violence. Every man, white or black or of
whatever politics, who is entitled by the
state constitution to vote, will be allowed TO
vote his sentiments at the next presidential
and all other elections, unless the United
States troops shall be employed to control
the elections. Our elections are all peace.
able unless where federal troops are
employed, and of course there will be no
necessity to employ them to secure a
peaceable election. But even if there was
danger OF violence at the elections will YOU
take the trouble to find in the constitution
or laws of the United States any clause
which authorizes 1.-The United States to en-
ploy its troops for the purpose of securing
peaceable election, or OF guaranteeing to any
man the exercise of his right to vote? How
can troops be employed for that purpose
unless the officer in charge of them
is TO be vested with the
IF votas9 !uPgng t S the
as embodied in the REVISED statutes. the
ordering or having troops at any place of
election on the day it is held is expressly
forbidden under penalty OF a heavy fine and
Imprisonment, and under the constitution
of the United States the federal government
can employ its troops to suppress domestic
violence in a state only ION application OF
the legislature or of the executive, when
the legislature can not be convened"
From your asking me the question, "Will
the United States be compelled to send fed
eral troops again among certain states to in
sure peaceable election?' it is very appsr-
ent that you have consulted the precepts
and practice OF your party more than you
have the constitution and laws of the United
States.
1t is true that under one of the bills passed
to enforce the recent amendments there are
certain penalties imposed for preventing any
legal voter from voting ION account OF race,
color or previous condition of servitude,"
but nowhere in the constitution or laws is
to be found any warrant for the employment
of United States troops at any election, to
insure peaceable election enforce the right
to vote, or for any other purpose, unless it
be in accordance with the provision of the
constitution to which l have referred to
protect state ION application of the legis-
lature or of the executive when the legisla
ture can not be convened) against domestic
violence"
Is it necessary for me to remind you that
if the United States government expects the
people of the south to "live up to the re-
quirements of the constitution and laws of
the country" it must first set the example
Very respectfully yours, ETC.,
J. A. EARLY.