The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-07-25
DEvENs's LETTER OF INSTRUCTION.

ihe wilmington, N. y. Star says: we
published a few days since, Attorney Gen
era Devens's remarkable letter of iustruc-
tions to the U. s. Marshals, in which he
advises them to continue to discharge the
duties of their Office just as they have
done heretofore, and without any reference
to what Congress may have done or left
undone concerning their pay. Under tho
Attorney Generals advice they ought to
appoint their deputies for election purposes
just as if nothing had occurred, and trust
to subsequent Legislation for their pay. If
Congress, in its wisdom and in the exercise
Off Constitutional powers, refuses to make
provision f0S a. few thousand, .orS1izepY.
thousand deputies, why then, ACC riding
this aggressive law officer ofsthe Admins
tratisa, let the Marshals pay no sort of at.
tention to such action, but let them. 90 to
work to bulldoze and corrupt voters just as
if nothing had occurred and hereafter they
will get their pay. No doubt Deveus hopes,
possibly believes, that by the free use of an
army of deputies the Radicals can gain
enough members of Congress to give them
control again, when they will vote any sum
required to pay off their hcnchmcn for their
dirty work.
There can be but little doubt that such
is the plan and such the real meaning of
the Attorney Generals letter to the United
States Marshals, however veled may be his
exact purposes or guarded his language.
Does not the following passage in his letter
authorize our Interpretation
''Eour performance of your duties, so far
as the law contemplates that they are to b,
compensated by fees, seems to me to consti-
tute good ground of obligation against
the United States. Where the services of
deputies are required and expenditures arc
to be made recognize the difficulty you
may have to encounter. In all this matter,
however, you viii have to rely upon your
expectation of future legislation by Con
gress that shall be just to you"
Ii he does not mean what we have attrib-
uted to him we cannot see any necessity or
sense in his letter. The Baltimore Gazette
regards the advice of the letter as very
dangerous. II says: -,
Is This advising the Marshals to rely Oh,
tho future legislation of Congress tosmake
good nug debts they may incur In pay ynIeut
Eofs Special Deputies to control what Mr..
Hayes calls the National elections,' is the
most dangerous stretch of authority that
has ever been made by any, Executive
The Attorney General attempts TO take
from Congress tho control Of the public
purse lodged in their hands by the Const-
tuition Of the United States. After the
people, through their direct representatives,
have refused to'approprate money for the
execution of a law which they deem impol-
itic, and after they have further expressly
forbidden the officers of the law to incur
any debt or liability on the faith of the
Government, Mr.. Devens advises them to
go on and run up debt and trust to the
expectation of future legislation to foot the
bill. The Marshal who does this, however,
takes upon himselfa responsibility of which
the advice of Mr.. Devens does not relieve
him. He cannot plead this letter us an
excuse for disobeyinS the will the people
declared through Congress. They and
their bondsmcn may find that they are per-
sonally and pccunarily responsible, as well
as officially so, aud Mr.. Ha"es and his Cab.
met and the Senatorial clique will be una
bic to shield them from the consequences of
their acts. 1t is, however, the best possible
issuc for the coming campaign. The right
to hire men to vote the Republican ticket,
under the pretense OF keeping order at the
polls. AMI doing this on credit system, in
spite of the prohibition of Congress, is what
MIR. Hayes and the Sta!warts assert. This
is precisely what this letter of Mr.. Owens
claims, an2 this is claim which the Ameri-
can people are not quite ready to allow"
-.o-
Not a-single.act sinimical to the interest
of the ex soldicrs Of the Union army has