New-York tribune., 1879-03-31
crYEr1L G1rELEAD,S SPEECH.

The country viii thank General Garfield
for his clear and bold speech. He has cx-
pressed with admirable force the sentiments
and the determination Of that great loyal con-
stitutional party which saved the Nation from
oDen assault in wan, and Will save 1t now
from revolutionary violence winch is offered
in the Disguise of peace. lie said just enough
about the ucIit- of the statuics in contrJ-
vcrsy to show that there is no sincerity IN
the pratexts which are put forward by the
Democratic party as reasons for the demanded
repeal. The election laws were originally in
roduccd into Congress 10y a Democratic Sen
ator, and they were passed BY Democratic
votes and the principle of Federal interyen-
tion upon which they rest has always been
sustained by the Democratic party when ii
has seen anything to gain by the application
of such laws. These points were well pointed
and driven home by few telling blows.
There was no meeting chem. The Democrats
fell back in confusion.
Bus the great issue in thi5 struggle, as TIE
TRIBUNE las all along maintained, is not the
fate of the election laws, but the integrity
Of the Constitution The Democratic faction
has deliberately undertaken to exercise pow
ers which the Constitution denies to it, and
has threatened to destroy the Government if
we DO not stand aside and let it have lis
will. Here, as General Garfield well says, the
two PARTIES take their respective stands, and
here the momentous trial must be decided.
Nothing could be better than the manner in
which he shows how the Government Of the
United States might be utterly anniAilated
without the firing Of a gun" The people
might refuse to elect Representatives. The
States might refuse to elect Senator'S In
either case the Government would be abs0-
lutcly destroyed, and there would be no pro-
cess Of cOmpul;iOn. Or a bare major
ity Of one House might bind itself IN
caucus to adjourn at the moment OF meet
ing each day, and might continue that course
until the Government died OF inantiCn. 1t
may seem remarkable that the trainers Of the
Constitution should have left ID" whole side
of the fabric of government open TO such
deadly assaults But they relied upon the
sovereignty of the Nation, which they believed
would never fail in love of country and sense
of obligation to public duty. Now, for the
" first time in our history, for the first time
" in at least two centuries in the history Of
speaking people, has it been pro-
posed that these voluntary powers shall be
used for the destruction Of the Government"
Oar theory OF law is free consent. Nothing
in this republic cun be a law that
has not the free consent of The House.
" thc free consent OF the Senate. and the
" free consent Of the Executive. Or, il the
Executive refuses his free consent, then ir
| "must have the free consent Oi tw0-thirds of
each body Free consent i, the iodn-
"dahon rock OF all our institutions.' This is
the principle which the rcyOlutonsts are deter
mined to set aside Two weeks ago they
declared that the Government should stop
unless the Senate yielded to the demand of
the House. Now they declare that the Gov
| eInmcnt shall stop unless tho Executive yield
and surrender his constitutional functions.
IL am not arguing at present" continues
| General Garfield, as 10 the merits Of your
"tlree amendments at all; 1 am speaking of
"your methods; and | say that they are
"against the Constitution OF our country. |
say that they are revolutionary to the core,
land that they tend to the destruction of the
" first element Of American liberty, which is
"free consent of all the powers that unite to
"make the law"
The plain truth is that the Democrats have
not votes enough to pass this repeal in con-
stituti0nal manner, and lacking votes they
resort to violence, as they have done many q
| time before. In such a crisis we cannot stoI