The daily gazette., 1879-04-17

Idea Of Thaddeus Stevens mot OF Prem-
dent LincOln) that the white men ot the
South are hostile TO the Union, and that
the Democracy of the North are also DOS
tile TO the authority Of a constitutional
Executive at Washington. on the
strength Of this idea II "a that we are
asked to admit that New York with her
Republican Legislature aud her Demo
cratic Governor cannot be trusted TO
rule and to manage New York elections:
Democratic voters in the great cities OF
the East must be watched and supervis-
sd like "habitual criminals" cries tnat
model of executive purity, MT. hoot-
son, in the House. And the imaculaie
I Senator Blaine echoes the cry IN the
Senate! The Senator from Maine, as II
TO leave no doubt Of the hatred ana us
trust with which he is INSPIRED as TO
every organized form of authority IN
America except the executive mot legis-
lative) department of the Federal Gov
ernment, proposes the extraordinary
, amendment:
And any military, naval, or civii
offcer or any other person, VINO shaii
| except for the purpose herein named, ,ap-
pear armed with deadly wea-
pom Of any description, either con-
cealed or displayed. within mile OF any
polling-place where a general or special
Is being held, shall, on conviction, be
punished with fine Of not less than
$500 nor more 5000, or with imprison-
meDt for period not less than SIX
months nor more than five years, or with
both fine and improvement at the direc-
ton of the court"
ItWhat is this but an attempt TO nullify
the second amendment to the Federal
Constitution. which is based ON the idea
that no people can be enslaved who are
noe first disarmed, aud which declares
THAT the right OF the PEOPLE to keeT
and bear arms shall not be- iufrlnged" by
the Federal Government. Each State
may, as TO its own citizens, infringe this
night IA much as II pleases, but our an-
cestors stern y refused this license TO the
Federal Government out of which alone
a centrali zed imperialism could ever iI
this country be developed.
The wild and grotesque appeals OF n r
Blaine to President Hayes were all con
eel we'd IN the same spirit Uf hatred Of the
South and its white ra ce and of the natu
ralized votes of the North, but Senator
Wallace in dozen words put the discus
sion back on the true grouud. He demon
strated that the Constitution has Impair
TED the power 'to raise and support arm
les" to Congress, and that it hmites this
power by condition "that no appoint
ment OF money for that use shall be foi
longer term than two years" This lin.
itatlon, as our readers know, was an in'
heritence of British liberty. Senator Wal
lace also made it clear that 1t was Con
gress which alone can make rules for the
government "and regulation OF the Land
and naval force" and that money tC
support the army, although the Senate
may propose pertinent amendment ger
name to the appropriation bill. Hi.
speech must have left no doubt in tn,
mind of any Reasonable person whe list
ened to 1t that the sestion regulating th'
uses Of the army and forbidding expendi
lures to transport the army, ~ Presiden
/, Grant transported it, from the Western
/ frontier to the Southern States for ele ctioI
purposes is a section which reduces ex
penditure, and which is perfectly ger
name therefore to the bill az Senate
Wallace pointed out, too, that tn
amendment to the Army bill stands OF
very different footing from the jur,
amendment to deputy marshal amend
ment TO the other bill and his speech ca
haye left no reasonable person in su.
, pense as to what Democrats ought to d
, and will do about the army If Presiden
/. Hayes should show himself to be- as pre-
e versely abb sptefully partisan as me
r like Senator Blaine would like him
" hp.