The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-06-20

lations to each other that the .01df constitu.
tional Legislation is no longer applicable to
our condition and yet thiss sis rs4lly what
senator's on the other side would have the
country believe. l ask, in. all would
such legislation rs we now se6l u repeal
have been conceived or defan1e1 by,' any
statesman before the late war { 4 Would any
President from, 1889 to 1861 .svar have
dreamed Of sending the armXo th SDnited
States to keep the peace az ~ pdlls or of
appointing Federal supervisors md nayshals
to superintend the popular ballot If not,
then the necessity for the lnaiItsnance of
this legislation arises from sonst hing new
I'm tba selatiausafs - Sfst lfaions
WIN any senator poiht out what that new
element is ? IF any exist, what is the diff.
ference in the relations q State holds to the
Union today and those of the same State
before the war? If there is none, and |
venture to say that none can be pointed out,
wherein consists the necessity for any such
legislation to-day which did not exist then?
This question should, think, be fairly au-
swered, because it is the point upon which
the accusations against the South rest. Ifall
that We ask is what existed for three quar-.
ters of century Of our existence how can
1t be revolutionary or reasonable to make
this demand If the Democratic doctrine
that Federal troops cannot lawfully be used
| at the polls, or cannot Interfere in State
matters unless specially requested to do SO
| by the constituted authorities of State be
heresy, we have the strongest republican
authority to sustain that hcrsy. In his
message to the Legislature of Penpsylya-
MIA, in January, 1871,
GOVERNOR JOHN w. GEARY
used the following language:
"The employment of troops of the United
States at elections, without the consent Of
the local and State governments, has already
received considerable attention and repre-
hension. * Under any circum-
stances, in my opinion, i. is unsafe aud an.
tagonistic to the principles that should gov
ern our Republican institutions. At the
last October elections, United States troops
were stationed in Philadelphia for the
avowed purpose of enforcing the election
laws. This was done without the consent
or even the knowledge Of the civil author
tiles of either the city or the State, and
without any expressed desire on the part of
the citizens, and, as far as can be ascer-
tanned, without existing necessity"
The Democratic party stands to-day
where Governor Geary, staunch Repub
lican, stood then. Nor are VIC without
other and equally as high Republican au-
thorlty to sustain the position taken by our
party. Hon.
| CARL CHURZ,
now distinguished member of the present
Cabinet, in his place on this floor made
this memorable protest against the scanda-
lous and unconstitutional use of Federal
soldiery in Louisiana
"United States soldiers, with fixed bayo-
nets, decided the cnse against them, and
took them out of the legislative hall by
force. * [ cannot, therefore. cs
cape from the deliberate conviction, q con .
viction conscentiously formed, that the deed
done on the 4th of January, in the State
house of LouiSina, by the military forces of
the United States, constitutes gross and
manifest violation of the Constitution and
laws Of this Republic. x If this
can be done in Louisiana, and if such things
be sustained by Congress, how long will it
be before it can be done in Massachusetts
and Ohio.
He who in place like ours fails to stop,
or even justities blow at the Fundamental
laws Of the land, makes himself the accom-
plice of those who strike at the life of the
Republic and at the liberties of the people,"
The presentable secretary of State,
MIR. EyARTs,
in his great speech on the same subject in
New York, was even more emphatic than
his colleague in the Cabinet, and his words
could we'll be adopted now to formulate the
creed OF the Democratic party. He used
the following language:
"Whcn men vote, and when their chosen
officers meet, and when without violence
and without demonstration of insurrection
they undertake to conduct the affairs of
their political government, no soldiers can
interfere.
There are two very distinct firm lines of
Limitation, which observed will protect the
machinery Of the government for the peo.
pie to-day; that is, that the sole interven-
ton of the Federal power within State au-
thority shall be to suppress violence, and
that their office after that shall not assume
to go further unless when invited by the
supreme authority of the State.
What use is it to give the purse and the
sword to the House Of Commons if the
King or the President by military power
can determine what shall be the constitu.
ton OF the House of Commons or the House