The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-24

ties of citizens and the rights of the State.
l have seen the military powers of this
government put forth within three years
the Senator from Maine will observe
within three years, and successfully put
forth, and unlawfully put forth, and by
the President of the United States, to
keep one so-called State Legislature in
power and another from its rights, and
of that Legislature thus unlawiully and
forcibly kept in, scarce one of them
to-day is not an inmate Of penitentiary,
under indictment for some mean crime
or fugitive from justice. This was the
class Of "citizens" that the army of the
United States was compelled to "protcct
and defend" against the peoples choice.
Can ours be an idle warning to free peo-
pie that have seen and felt the usurping
power? Will it be said, sir, that no
President of a Republic will dare to mis-
use this power?
TROOPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
l know to the contrary. l had the
honor to bear message in 1876 from
Governor (now Senator) Hampton to the
then President Of the United States, re-
questing him to withdraw his troops from
the State House of South Carolina, in
Difference to decision of the Supreme
and highest court of that State l urged
the importance of it with all the furce
of language at my command. l told the
President that, in the judgment of emf
nent lawyers, the Governor-then out of
Office by expiration of his term-had not
lawfully invoked the assistance of fede-
raj power, inasmuch as he had made no
effort to convene his Legislature, though
easily done, and obtain their action on a
matter so vital that the newly elected
Governor desired the attendance of the
representatives of the people in their
State House, from which federal bayo-
nets, as | myself knew, kept them and
finally, that the contest being one of
purely State concern, regarding only the
claims of State officers, and these having
been definitely settled by the highest
legal tribunal that could ever take cog
nizance of the case-that is, the Supreme
Court of South Carolina-I urged that
the federal forces should be promptly
withdrawn from the State Capitol.
WHAT GRANT SAID.
You may imagine, sir, my astonish-
ment and indignation when in angry
tone and uncivil manner the President
replied:
81 won't Withdraw the troops don't
regard the decision of the Supreme
Court, and if had any message to send
to Hampton it would be that his message
to me is an impertinence."
can impertinence," sir, for the Cover.
nor of State to communicate his wishes,
not demand his rights as he might prop
erly have done to the President of the
United States; an impertinence, indeed
upon what meat doth this our Cesar
feed that he is grown so greatw No,
Mr.. President, we cannot make too much
haste to guard the liberties of free men
everywhere in this broad land from the
chance of blotting the pages of our his
tory with repetition Of the usurping
act of President less than three years
ago. l may say, sir, in conclusion, in
the earnest, forcible and stirring Ian
guage of the patriot Jennings, Speaker
of the New Jersey Assembly, in his ad-
dress to the British Queen more than
century and half ago:
Liberty is too valuable thing to be
easily parted with, and where such mean
inducements procure such violent en-
deavors to tear it from us they have not
either heads, hearts nor souls that are not
moved with the miseries of the country
and are not forward with their utmost
power lawfully t. redress them"