New-York tribune., 1879-04-26

sound presentation Oh uOclllhco "ihN"' 49,"
rebellion broke out, had never been questioned
II is safe to say that no statesman Oh ei'ne'
party. prior to the great conspiracy OF looi'
had ever maintained that it was not both the
right and the duty of the President OF the
limited States to enforce the laws, and to en-
ploy for that purpose, if necessary, all MS
mower as CommandeT-in-C Chief of the Army
and NAVY. UnGuestionably the Constitution
coptemDIates that the civil authority shall be
first invoked. 1t presUncs ana rghtly, 'h"'
no President will venture to appeal 10 loic''
where it is possible to enforce tie laws
through the courts, or by the aid OF ioca'
authorities The question here to be consid-
cred. as in 1861. concerns the duty OF the
President when the civil and local authorities
have failed. 1t j. the aim of the Democrats
to dcnrive him of the power to enforce
the laws when all other means OF
enforcing them have proved insuiiicieht. sue
cess in that endeavor would he, as Mr.. Conk-
ling rightly says, revolution ra"'o"'
change in the Constitution under when tn'
I Union of these States exists. 1t would eu"p'c
any State at pleasure, and with impuhHN' 10
defy the Government of the United SGl'oS'
prccisely rs South Carolina hoped 10 ueIy
that Government with impunity III lSol' uh-
less the power exists to employ force, ana any
force that may be at the command OF the
President of the United States as Commander
in thief of the Army, for the execution oI
any law whatever when the enforcement ol
that law has been found impractcable by civil
agencies, rulifcatiOu has become an accom-
plished fact. The Union then exists only by
suflcrance of each State. lt Is then IN me
power of any State Ia destroy 1t at VIII, py
refusing to enforce laws of the United States.
In this respect the argument of Mr.. Conk1ng
was very strong, and it is safe to say that 1t
will not be answered.
Southern men may wisely take to heart the
advice of the Senator from Ncw-IoiE III re-
card to the effect of such solidity rs has been
procured in the States formerly III rebellion
The bare fact that those who rcbcIled are
SOljdly supporting one political party Is
enough. say what we WILL TO cause those who
care for thc Union to support another party
The bare fact, whatever the cause may b''
that only one political opinion Is suffered to
assert itself in all the States formerly IN re-
bcllion, is quite enough to cause powerful
reaction against the dominant element there
wherever attachment to the Union prevails.
The causes may be shroudcd in mystery, as
here they are not The precise aims OF the
formerly rcbeiOus element may not be clearly
stated, as here they often are. Whether the
aims or causes are known or not, 1t l. but
natural and proper that those who have sus-
tanned the Union shall resist any party which Is
soldly supported by those who have sought to
DESTROY the Union The influence Of the
South as a section in the government OF these
States would be far greater, as sagaciouS
Southern men must surely see, If it were not
thus exerted through the agency OF party
caucus and by the suppression Of all hostile
opinion within that section. 1t is but justice
10 such sagacious statesmen Of the South TO
say that they see these things, and realize TO
the full the loss Of influence and power
which extremists in that section cause by
their course. The difficulty is that the saga
cious men are few, and the extremists are
many. The shrewd, lonG-hcaded and patriotic
men from the South, however much they may
wish to do so, do not dare to resist the pre-
vailing tendency, because that tendency
represents the determination and the fixed
spirit of great majority of the people be-
hind tbprn