The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-09-04


| as clearly as the robber breaks the peace
Of the State. 1t is, therefore, great
mistake and a confusion of ideas when the
State-rights champions proclaim that the States
only have authority to keep the peace
| Government that has not this power by
| which to enforce its own laws is not a soyer-
| eighty. That was precisely the difficulty with
! the old Confederation, which preceded ourc
| stitutional Government, that it could not en-
force its own DEGREES. Its laws had no sanction,
! and, therefore, were not respected. Hence, the
second recourse to the people; and hence, the
General Government OF the United States was
| formed under our present constitution.
These champions of State sovereignty had
sought out many inventions previous to 1861
| The right of secession was their strong point
Their teachings eliminated in the rebellion
We had hoped that the logic of the sword, to
which they then appealed would put an end to
their theories. But a more direct blow has
never been aimed at the foundation of our Gen
eral Government than this attempt to take
away it's power to protect itself from fraud and
unlawful force at the polls Tt goes upon the
idea that the General Government is q stranger
within the boundaries of State, and enters
them by permission only, or by force; that the
United States Government may help the State
ON its request to keep it's peace, but has no
peace of it's own to keep. In short, that our
| fathers, having tried the Confederation of
States and found it wanting, attempted to form
a National Government but only succeeded IN
| making another confederation.
Gentlemen, the United States Government is
| as sovereign as any Government on earth. 1t
is at home in every State and Territory, and on
every foot of ground between the Atlantic and
the Pacific Its laws, made in pursuance of
the constitution, are supreme, and the Presl-
dent is clothed With the power. and is charged
with the duty, to enforce. their execution.
will G1fr aYoyyA at fn
vest himself OF his constitutional power to en-
| force the laws and keep the peace of the
United States at the polls, as we'll as elsewhere.
His veto messages have placed the whole mat
ter clearly and strongly on the true and only
ground. And the Republican party will stand
by him, shoulder to shoulder, in his resistance
TO those desperate efforts to degrade our great
and benign National Government to miserable
confederacy of wrangling States
1t may seem to you waste Of breath to dis
cuss SO plain proposition as that the United
States Government is national with full au-
thority to enforce and defend and execute its
own laws. Lest you should think that we are
fighting a shadow, will quote few passages
from q leading orator on the other side. Mr..
Carlisle, M. G. from Kentucky. who made what
was considered as one Of the abiest ii not the
very BEST speech in favor of repeating the
Election laws, said that the several Deputy
Marshals of the United States were sent there
Ito the polls) for the ostensible purpose of pre-
serving what is called by the late Attorney
General the peace of the United States. To
protect the voter before the election in his per-
sonal freedom, and to see that he is not mo-
Tested before the election on account of any
vote that he may be about to give, or after the
election, on account of any vote he may have
already given" He says: at will be seen,
also, that Mr.. Taft claimed that it was the duty
Of these officers to preserve the peace of the
United States thing which he ventured to
say was never heard of till this document was
promulgated. He then proceeded at consid-
cradle length, greater than 1t is proper for 4ne
to follow on this occasion, to show that the
United States has no peace to preserve, and
that the only peace that can be preserved is the
peace of the State. He concluded with these
words II submit it without further comment
to the consideration of gentlemen who are con-
tending for the power of Special Deputy Mar
shals to keep the peace and preserve order in
d State on the day Of election or any other day,
that they can have no such power, and any at
tempt to confer it upon them is simply an at
tempt to usurp the rightful authority of the
State"
This is but brief outline of tine persistent
and oft-lepeated arguments OF the champions
OF the socalled State sovereignty TO show that
the United States Government was not right
fully in the States for any purpose of
keeping peace, and that the whole authority
and assumption by the United States Govern
ment to protect it's own polls by Supervisors
and Marshals was q us1rpahon. They
put together some scraps from opinions Of the
courts asserting that the States are responsible
for the general order and peace OF the COM
munlty, to prevent murder, or theft, or rob-
berry, or arson within the jurisdc ion OF the
State Governments; and On those assertions
claim to exclude the United States Government
from all right to execute it's ownlaws or to pro-
tect itself against frauds at the polls in the
election of members of Congress- intent upon
reducing the Government of the United States
to q condition Of dependency upon the local
power of the States, and forgetting that our
fathers commenced the constitution with these
significant words "We, the people of the Uni
ted States, in order to form d more perfect
| union, establish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defense, pro-
mote the general welfare, and secure the bless
ings of liberty to ou1 selves and our posterity,
do ordain and establish this constitution for
the United States of Amel lea"
THIS constitution was "formed" by e the
people Of the United States" not as mere rep
resentatives of State soyereignties, but in their
natural capacity citizens OF the United States.
Their objects were well expressed in this pre-
amble, "ln order to form a. more perfect union"
thsn had been accomplished by the articles of
confederation -an Intimate union of the peo-
pie, instead of political partnership Of STATES.
Establish justice" How? By the United
States Courts, whose jurisdiction should not be
subordinate to State prejudces or local pas
sions, and which should administer the laws of
the United States enacted under that constttu-
ton supreme. Ensure domestic tran
| quillity" How? By guaranteeing to each
State q republican form of Government and pro-
tecting it against domestic violence "Provide
for the common defense" In what manner?
BY assuming the construction aud maintaining
Of forts and fortresses, and ships of war, and
manning them with all adequate army .and
navy, and providing such other means of COM
mon defense against attacks from abroad as
the situation of the whole country may re-
| auire.
promote the general welfare" And how was
that to be done but by consulting the general in
| terest of thewhoe nation, as distinguished from
the peculiar local interest Of any State, and par
amount to it. And
Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and Our posterlty" by q constitution which shall
secure the largest human liberty consistent
with social order and a permanent Government
AL this was done by the people themselves,
who Ordained and established This constitution
| OF the United States of America % as the funda-
mental law of a nation Of freemen.
| This preamble and the constitution did not