New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-04

THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRAMME.
SECTIONAL LEGIsLA1ION-siATE sOynsuGSiT y
RFPUDIAlfOS.
Sand Representative Blackburn. OF Kentucky IN
his speech the Army Appropriation bili, April 3,
1870 We do not intend TO stop until We have
s,1ken the last vestige OF your war measures from
tue statute book This declaration OF Ar. Black
burn Was checred to the echo by the Confederate
Democrats aud their Northern allies Ia the House OK
Representatives, IL was taken mp and repeated as
the party watchword ~ the senate. and IN the DEM
ocratc press North as well as South IL repeated
in another form by Jefferson DAVIS in recent pub
ished letter. IN which lie said he vital issue be-
fore the country the contest between state nights
aud consolidation By State rights > he means
State severe Rnty, and the contest is between
that and National sovereignty. By war meas
ures " Mr. Biackburn and the Democratic party
mean all laws Designed to preserve National author
ity and National honor. Among the " war meas
ures which are to be swept from the statute book,
If the Democrats can carry out Their programme,
are those which provide for the protection Of Fed
eral officers III the discharge Of their official sutes
those enacted to preserve the purity Of elections;
and logically enough, those under which means
are provided topay the interest on the National
debt and for the redemption Of the debt i.oi. for il
was created as 4" war measure"
| The Democratic legislative attack upon the
thority of the National Government did not, how
ever. wait for the formal flourish Of irumpets and
declaration of by Mr. Blackburn in April last.
! 1t was begun when the COnfedeIates had captured
only end OF the Capitol. and II was measurably
successful. A Democratic House of Representa-
tives succeeded after long struggle, in forcing tho
following section upon the Army Appropriation bill
passed at the second session of the XLyth Congress-
| ~. fat hall Ia
lawtu o employ any part OF the Army OF the United
comitatus or otherwise. Tor the purpose
of executing the laws, except In such aud under
such circumstances as such employment OF sad force
may expressly authorized by the Constitution or 0y
! act of Congress- etc.
A careful examination of the statutes TO fnd out
when the Army might and might not be used under
this section developed some curious facts. The
President may use the Army 10 prevent the stealing
or destruction of timber the public lanGs of tho
United States in Florida. but nowhere else. The
Army may be used to destroy dIstilleTy IN the IN
dian country but not to aid IN breaking mp Illicit
distIlleries anywhere else. Troops may De used 10
| prevent the robbery of United States mails, but
they must not aid United States marshal to cap
ture mail robbers after the robbery is committed.
Neither may they be used to aid in arresting snug
glers or other offenders against the customs In-
ternal revenue laws. The Judge-Advocate-Ci,n neral
expressed grave doubts the right OF the Presi
or instruction "A Territory of the United States
Oh the application of the Governor thereof. Aud 10
may be still remembered that at the very time tue
above law passed troops were engaged IN suppress
ing lawlessness in NewMeXicO. but were withdrawn
Immediately thereafter at heavy cost TO the peace
and safety of the PEOPLE of that Territory. Tho
effects of the law were summed up in general terms
by the Acknowledgement OF the Army as follows:
In brief, the effect Of the law has been. and must
necessarily be, 10 Withhold the and 81 United states
iroous rom United states state 0ncia. N protecting
any Other than United States properly, IN
any evil GRIMM = even when, from Tie nn.rtSd STATE
of ne county aud iinpcrtsc org ,nztton OF cy police
force IL rngoent IF the laws cannot be punished by
arrest Of the offenders.
Another measure which the Confcdorates sue
ceeded m forcing through Congress was that 10
amend the internal revenue laws. Although this
measure was shorn OF some of its most objections
able features by the eff IT'S of the Republicans, 10
entails upon the Government yearly loss of about
nine millions of revenue.
All are familiar with the memorable struggle 10
repeal the laws to guard against unlawful violence
at The polls and to keep Democratic repeaters at
the North and bulldozing ballOtbox suffers at the
South from annulling the will Of the people. the
ends sought and the revolutionary methods put IA
force To reach them are yet fresh in every mind.
But even while this main attack was engaging the
entire public attention. the foes oil National supreme
/
power and impair the resources of the General Coy
eminent, TO exat the States at the expense OF the
Nation. These lines Of attack which hitherto have
not received the public attention they deserve.
disclosed IN hundred or more bills brought for
ward in Congress at the extra session, most OF them
BY Southern Democrats. A number of representa-
| tive bills which were then introduced and which
cover most of the points involved, have been
selected to show how far the Democratic programme
has been made MP, and what the country may
pect the Confederate Congress TO do next Winter If
| II can.
MR. GUvTERs JUDICIARY BILL
The first bill 70 be noticed is introduced by Mr.
Gunter Of Arkansas. Ii bears the following titlei
| "a bill TO amend the Judiciary act As TO suits
| against certain corporations" This is misnomer.
1t should be entitled A bill to enable municipal
ations Ia the South TO avoid the payment Of
their honest debts, and for other purposef.' This
bill proposes to amend theirst section of the Judi
ciary act of 1878 by adding the following But
no city, town, village. county other municipal or
public corporation shall be sued Ia the Courts Of
\ the United States Mr.. Guntor we'll knows that q
State can repudiate her debts without being sued.
because Arkansas and all her Confederate sisters
save one have done so. That il one attribute OF
sovereignty which they all enjoy. But Mr. Gunter
and his repudiating brethren are vexed in their
souls because a United States Court may interfere
TO prevent a city a county from repudatlng Its
debts They trust their state Courts, for they