The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-26

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gard it, no act of mine shall tend to
degrade its rank and file into g police
squad nor convert its officers into detec-
tives. will not so legislate that
against its own honorable instincts and
traditions it shall be the instrument of
!, tyranny in the hands of factions party
or Of an executive who might be so un-
scrupulous as to use it unlawfully. Nor
shall consent, because of any difference
of opinion upon matters of legislation
between the majority and the minority,
or between the majority and the Prcsi-
dent, to close the courts of justice, stop
the administration IF the Departments,
and embarrass the necessary and orderly
life of the Government The Constitu-
tion, which have not idly sworn to sup
port, has provided the means by which
an appeal to the country can be taken,
and it is for the people to decide wheth-
er the presidential veto has been wisely
and patrotically used to defeat the will
of this Congress which represents vast
majority of the citizens of the United
States. My duty will have been per-
formed when have used all the. power
with which that Constitution has en-.
nority in Congress must be responsible
l
are my general views of duty, certain
ly have no inducement, no disposition,
to embarrass the present Administra-
ton.
1t is source of profound regret to me
that the President could not find himself
able to approve the bills he has vetoed.
To me they seem to embody but simple
declarations of constitutional principles,
and to be in entire conformity with the
policy which he has announced repeated
ly rs the one that he would pursue. But
am not disposed, on account of this diff
ference, grave though it be, to denounce
his action nor to impugn his motives. 1
am we'll aware that his position is not
easy nor his responsibility light. l re-
member, and the people whom l repre-
sent remember, that in critical period
of our history, ;r disregard of the ras.
siops and in opposition 10 the wishes OF
the party who placed him in his pres
ant position, with doubt as to the result
tf his independent action, moved, as I
honestly believe, by his convictions of
duty, he withdrew the Federal troops
and Louisiana, thus enabling the people
of these States to restore their local gov
ernments to those who represent the pop
ular will, as we'll as the character, the in !
telligence, and the property of the two
States. For this action, wise and patri-
otic rs am sure that history will record
it, l for one am grateful. And while
in the honest and necessary party diff
ferences which must arise in free coun-
try it will be my duty, with all the ener-
gy and ability I possess, to oppose the
partisan policy of which he is the repre-
sentative, my opposition shall not be
captious. Nor shall I, by bitter and ac-
rimonious censure, drive him into de-
pendence on those who would, in their
selfish rush for power, trample on him
and on US. / trust, therefore, in what l
have to say, 1 shall be able to speak with
truth and soberness.
!, What, then, let me ask again, are the
issues before the country upon which any
action of ours can be called revolutionary
and reasonable? If the repeating acts
which have been suggested were passed
to-day, we should simply be remanded to
the legislation under which the country
has lived and moved and had it's being
for seventy-fve years of it's existence
Can such q restoration be revolution or
treason2 Surely not, unless the intervening
war has 80 changed our relations to each
other thatthe old constitutional legislation
is no longer applicable to our condition
and yet this is really what Senators on the
other side would have the country be-
lieve. ask, in all candor, would such
legislation rs we now seek to repeal have
been conceived or defended by any states
man before the late war? Would any
President, from 1889 to 1861, ever have
dreamed of sending an army of the Uni
ted States to keep the peace at the polls,
or of appointing Federal supervisors and
marshals to superintend the popular bal
lot? If not, then tae necessity for the
maintanence of this legislation arises
from something new in the relations OF
ator point out what that new element is ?
If any exists, what is the difference in the
relations aState holds to the Union TO-DAY
and those ofthe same State before the war
If there is none, and ] venture to say
that mono can be pointed out, wherein
consists the necessity for such legislation
to-day which did not exist then? This
question should, I think, be fairly an
swered, because it is the point upon
which tho accusations against the South
rest. If all that we ask is what existed
for three.quarters of century of our ex-
istence, how can it be revolutionary or
reasonable to make this demand7 Ifthe
democratic doctrine that Federal troops
cannot lawfully be used at the polls, ol
cannot interfere in State matters unless
specially requsted to do so by the consti.
tuted authorities of a State be n heresy
we have the strongest republican author
ity to sustain that heresy. In his mes
sage to the Legislature Of Pennsylvania
in January, 1871, Governor John w
GeaTy used the following language:
"The employing OF troops OF the Uni
ted States at elections, without the con
sent of the local and State Governments
has recently received considerable atten
tion and apprehension. Under
any circumstances, in my opinion, It'll.
unsafe and antagonistic to the principle4
: that should govern our republican insti
:. tutions. At the last October elections
United States troops were stationed il
Philadelphia for the avowed purpose O
enforcing the election laws. This wa
} done without the consent or even tn,
knowledge of the civil autho ..ies O
either the city or the State, and withou
any expressed desire on the part of tn,
citizens, and, as far as can be ascertain
ed, without existing necessity"
The democratic party stands to-day
where Governor Geary, q staunch repub
lican, stood then. Nor are we withou
other and equally as high republi
can authority TO sustain the position
taken by our party. Hon. Carl 5cnurz
now distinguished member of the pres
Il ~ Hnt L. ~.