The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-09-25
STATE RIGHTS.

STATE RIGHTS.
The subjec, as viewed by PresI.
aent HihsdalS Twe KSarsAEo.
President: Hiasdals of Hiram Col
legs has recsntly been doing some po-
litical talking forthe Republicans. His
views nust have undergone indiokl
change within the lasl two years upon
one Of the most important questions
involved in this contest, or he is stul-
tifying himself and playing the part of
. political demagogue. On the25ofSept.
1877, the Revernd gentleman de.
livered an address in the Town Hall
st Hiram in defense of the Presidents
Southern Policy, in which he in a very
clear and concise Manner dem
onstrated 4 the unsoundness Of
the position Of the Republican
politicians who are seeking TO strip
the States of their reserved rights and
to convert the' Federal Union into a
centralized. despotism. IRON ''f's .io,i
We take the following extract from
the address, which is very clcar
statement of the nature and character
of our general GoyerAment, and in
very marked contrast with that which
the Republican leaders are claiming
for it id these latter days. 9as 81
"The direct protection of society
against domestic violence is a. duty
withheld from the National Govern
ment and committed to the State. In
ordinary cases, the State must preserve
the public peace. The National Coy
ernment, has nething to do. with the
punishment of theft, arson or even
murder. 1t can not enter a State to
Quell riot Or to put down an insur-
rectiOn against State authority, until
liz is invited to do isoI The President,
whose duty, it is to, furnish the needed
aid, knows, nothing officially of either
/ riot 'or insufrection uhtii he is official
ly informed by the STATE aattiorities.
Hence Molly eMa9uires may harry the
mining Districts 'of PennsylFAnia as
Rob Roy harried the Marches OF ,Llan.
| g0flen, or Ku Klpx may ,buip negro
cabins aud murder negroes Id the Car
,oliniaS 9; but the President ican not
atop either iwithont .Stata permission.
1t ,is true, that if the domestic yi0lence
disturb the normal, operations of the
National GovefnmehtAif posf foffice
be tbesieged. a. mail train attacked, q
cnatoms hanse threatened, Z national
tax resisfed-the nation can deal with
these things ID 60 far As National au.
thofity Is interfersd iwit6ia ana 'i16 far.
ther; but these thingsi do nde Nonsti.
tute. I. domestic esHiolehee.Y dn nfAossense
Of the .C0nstitnliOnr. But the .consti-
tuition foresees occasions. when the
State win be unsbiS to pfgJgfys peace,
land It provides f0fh them by seffipow.
ering and rcommAndingi the NaaiOn to
aid the State when the State calls for
aid. But even in this great ,delibera-
tion is enjoined; the Legislature is to
make tho call when in session, hen
it can be convened, the 0overnor on.
ly on sudden emergencies. So strong
was the determination to limit the
Union to its own spllerel Hence, do.
mestic violence may exist in = State
for weeks. even months; society may
be disturbed in all its borders.; and
the Nation powerless to interfere. In
National forces in motion. Theasu
NVoAo 1A oOOA O0oO0 VI euPPKCOSluk III
surrecti0n or domestic violence is for
the local magistrates, the Mayor of the
city. to call out the constabulary or the
police force for that purpose. Fail
ing, he calls on the Sheriff lof the
county, whose duty it is to. call the
posse cOnaatatus. The Sheriff falling,
he calls on the Governor, who is the
'commander-in-chief Of the State mil.
itia. .All these steps may be quickly
taken, but they all properly precede
the Intervention of National authority.
How groundless, then, the criticism of
National Government that 1t does
not protect life and property in cer-
tain of the States. , i,.n,sE ~ -
1t is quite certain that Congress, in
the Civil rights act of 1866, and the
Enforcement act Of 1871, attempted in
certain cases to throw the National
power around the citizens. Concern
Ing these laws it may be said, first,
they certainly put on the Constitution
all the strain it would bear; second,
to enforce them has been found to be
of the utmost difficulty. But these
statutes do not essentially change our
old political system. The, Chief JUS
tice of the United States, in charging
the jury in the Ellenton case q short
time ago, thus defined the law con-
corning the shocking crimes alleged
against The prisoner: q, a,e..,d
However, much you may depre-
cate the acts which have been described
by the witnesses, the punishment of
those guilty of them has been commit.
ted by. the law to other courts than
this. The power for that purpose ex-
lists in the Government of the Statej
and under our political system the
courts Of that Government can glone
he resorted to for thu! trial sand icon;
Yiction of such offenders" ,,,,;
What shalt we say, then, of the lave
Maine Republican Convention. which
tdeClaredAJ dDisi, tis.ssia / .aaet 20
"It is the most, solemn, ,cmomentus.
and Imperative duty Of, the National
Governpent, by exercise of every con.
stitit7ohsf power to extend IT'D proteei
ton to every citizen, native and nat
urallzed, ,swhite and, gcolorsdf-whether
manacled by tyranny abroad, ,0r by po.
|sfiticaf persecution, now shieided Nd:
der the, iheresys aof State b Rights, III
hQmekYf. Iou% - iRs = 'u0da bniG ~
| What can we saysof the apthaps al
this language less than, ,t6isIeithe eE
they Wsrel ignorant Of the distribution
OF po~efai6sour poiitieais SYSTEM Of
rthby /! weee,i ct1sciouslg3 ;daIkeninS
counsel, with words without knowls
euSe ea an,oi an jasuoaG bad 81
.77 ---rrI.- --1es.,-1i irs-i r bGs 81
81 An lastrncttys TAblasaiq IN
b The following table will be insttuo-
tive to many WhQy have, not examined