Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-02
Abrogation or States.
FROM tho Wa.hInRton Po.t.


1t is not often that one finds frank
admission of the aims of the Republican
leaders. They are accustomed to dis.
guise their purposes and accomplish
their objects by indirection. But, an
able and earnest exponent OF ltadicalism
in the Northwest, in an almost phenom.
email spirit OF frankness, thus indicates
the object toward which the party has
been working ever since il attained
power in this country
Congress can find the power under
the Constitution to make laws under
which United States Authorities can
arrest and punish these assassins of the
South, and compel order in Mississippi.
1t might require considerable stretch
of National authority, but the time has
come to stretch that power to its utmost
limit
So far as the Post is concerned, it not
only desires but urges the punishment
of crimes in all States and sections, and
the preservation of order in every 10.
cality. No journal has urged this policy
msre pcrsistently than we have. But
there Is not an intelligent man in the
United States who will pretend to find
in the Constitution any warrant for in.
reference 10y Congress in the criminal
affairs OF a State. If the general Gov
ernment may manage the criminal con.
Germs OF n State, il may, with equal pro,
priety, attend to a States civil affairs,
and thus abrogate utterly all semblance
of local Government. This proposition
is so entirely selteyident that it would
be folly TO argue it.
We have, then, a square declaration
of a Radical organ in favor Of the abro.
cation Of State Government, for the ut.
terance above quoted amounts to that,
and nothing else. II the central author
ity can interfere with the domestic af.
fairs of Mississippi, it can do the same
with Massachusetts,. As to the "stretch.
ing of National authority there has
been quite enough OF IT, and the people
will tolerate no more. Instead of fur.
ther stretching there will bc relax.
alton OF the already too great tcntIon,
and a return to normal conditions--to
the safe line OF constitutional duty.
We suppose there is scarcely State
in the Union in which notorious crim!-
nails do not walk the streets with impu.
nifty, and no one thinks OF bringing
them to punishment. There are cor.
rupt Judges, there are bribcd prosccu.
tors, there are cowardly grand Iuries,
there are packed petit juries, and there
are many other means by which the
worst Of criminals escape the PRISON or
the scaiiold. These things exist in
many of the States north Of Macon and
Dixon's line, and the press of those
States will not undertake to deny their
existence. They are deplorcd 10y all who
love order and justice, yet they are facts
all the same. But II 1t were proposed
for Congress TO enact law authorizing
United States Marshals 10 arrest those
unpunished offenders against State laws
and bring them 90 trial, there would be
most emphatic protest against such
meddlinP with local concerns, and the
protest would bc right, for the Consti.
tuition leaves the treatment Of offenders
against State laws to the authorities OF
the States.
1t is not difficult to account for those
disturbances OF social order that have
occurred in some portions Of the South.
They are legitimate fruits Of Republican
Legislation. The intelligence and man.
hood Of the South, by general distran-
chisement, were subordinate To the igno.
rance and brutality OF that section, sup.
plemented by good deal OF cunning
and cupidity Of the North. The won.
der is. not that there has been 40 much
disturbance under such conditions. and
during the slow return TO the natural
order Of things, but that there has been
so general a prevalence OF tranquility.
Southern society was overturned, the
bottom was put on top, the people were
robbed and outraged. Is 1t strange that,
in the process OF getting back TO the
natural domination OF basis, character,
wealth and social influence, there have
been occasional disturbances and some
unpunishcd crimes! Under the same
circumstances, no people on earth would
have borne themselves better, and the
Houthern people to-day, a. a rule, are as
VSell governed and orderly As the people
of the North. They will take care of
their own matters, and there will be no
further stretching" Of the Constitution
in order TO NEEDLE with them.