Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-09-17
ABRoGATIoN or STA TIES.

1t Is not often that one finds frank
admission of the aims Of the Republi.
can leaders. They are accustomed to
disguise their purposes and accomplish
their objects by indirection, But, an
able and earnest exponent OF Radical
ism in the Northwest, in an almost
phenomenal spirit Of frankness, thus
indicates the object toward which the
party has been working ever since IT,
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 Missis
sippi. 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, il
not only desires but urges the punish
ment OF crimes in all States and sec
tons, and the preservation OF order in
every locality. No journal bas urged
this policy more persistently 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 Interference by Congress
in the criminal affairs of State, If
the general Government may manage
the criminal concerns of State, IL
may, with equal propriety, attend TO a
States civil affairs, and thus abrogate
utterly all semblance of local Govern
ment. This proposition is so entirely
selfevident that it would be folly to
argue it.
We have, then, q square declaration
of Radical organ in favor Of the abro-
CATION of State Government, for the
utterance above quoted amounts TO
that, and nothing else. If the central
authority can interfere with the do
nestle affairs of Mississippi, it can do
the same in Massachusetts As to the
stretching of National authority
there has been quite enough of it, and
the people will tolerate no more. In.
stead offurther stretching" there will
be- relaxation of the already too
great tension, and return to normal
conditions-to the safe line Of consti-
tutional duty.
We suppose there is scarcely State
in the Union in which notorious Grim
inals do not walk the streets with i'm.
punity, and no one thinks of bringing
them to punishment There are cor.
rupt judges, there are bribed prosecn-
tors, there are cowardly grand juries,
there are packed petit jures, and there
are many other means by which the
worst of criminals escape the prison or
the scaffold. These things exist in
many Of the States north of Mason and
Dixion's line, and the press of those
States will not undertake to deny their
existence, They are deplored by all
who love order and justice, yet they
are facts all the same. But II it were
proposed for Congress to enact law
authorizing United States Marshals tc
arrest those unpunished offender;
against State laws and bring them tc
trial, there would be most emphatic
protest against such mcddling with
local concerns, and the protest would
be right, for the Constitution leaves
the treatment Of offenders against State
laws to tho 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 Republi
can Legislation. The intelligence ant
manhood Of the South, by general dis
franchisement, were subordinate to thu
ignorance and brutality of that section
supplemented by good deal of Gun
ming and cupijity OF the Moth. The
wonder is, not that there has been sc
much disturbance under such eondi
tions, and during the slow return tC
the natural order of things, but thai
there has been so general prevalence
OF tranquility. Southern society wa'
overturned, the bottom was put on top
the people were robbed and outraged
Is il strange that, IN the process O.
getting back to the natural domina
ton of basis, character, wealth anC
social influence, there have been occa
sional disturbances and some unpunish
cd crimes2 Under the same circum
stances, no people on earth would have
borne themselves better, and the South
ern people to-day, as a rule, are al
well governed and orderly as the peo
pie Of the North. They will take carr
Of their own matters, and there will b,
no further stretching of the Gonsti
tuition in order to mcddle with them
Washington Post.