The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-24
THE NEW oRLEANs DEMOCRAT THURSDAY, APRIL "a, 1879

that therein lay the mainstay OF the Kepup-
lican party. So long as 1t was possible 10
arouse the North against the South on sec
tlonal issues, there could be found abundant
justification for armed supervision OF popular
will In the Southern States But that Time
has gone by, and there must be resort 10
other and more delicate tactics. Inc people
have, by slow but certain processes, reached
the conviction that the war was long ago over,
and that methods and policy born Of
its exlgeneies were most dangerous
and profitless In times OF peace. They
have satisfied themselves that there Is
neither open rebellion nor secret treason In
the South and that there Is nothing to appre-
bend from Southern arrogance or domino
ton. They have discovered that the great
and solitary purpose Of American politics Is
not to outrage and heap contumely on par
ticular section Of the country, and that the
destiny of the nation is to be wrought out,
not by prejudice, passion and hatred, but by
enterprise, thrift and a wise economy. 1t Is
no longer possible for men like Blaine
to array section against section
with no Interior purpose beyond their own
personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT. No one realizes
these truths more fully than Blaine, so what
does he DO? He declines the issue on It's mer-
It's and undertakes to turn great principle
into ridicule. He shows by the figures that
the United States army. diffused over the
whole country, affords but q ragged corporal
and his guard to SO many thousands OF square
miles. He shows that there are but about
5000 soldiers east Of the Mississippi, and
then outlaws at the idea Of all rebel
dom being overawed by such an ar
ray OF mi'tory force. He did not
fira it 10 mis- purpose to bear 1t in mind that
the temporary disposition Of the Federal
troops did not affect Ia the slightest the right
and wrong Of great question Of civil liberty
and constitutional government He did not
see fit to suggest that the Federal troops are
not distributed in corporals squads, or that
the whole force is moved hither and thither,
wherever 1t may be most vailable. at the
will OF the man who occupies the presidential
chair. He had conveniently forgotten that
these troops had been used to set up and
overturn State governments In more than one
Of the Southern States, and that popular
election In New York itself had been con-
Quoted under the guns of men-of-war.
But there were other Senators present who
did remember all these things. This same
army had been used, and most effectively, In
Louisiana to GUST q Democratic Legislature
and install Republican one. In South Caro-
lima it had furnished guard to stand at the
entrance OF the capital and determine who
was and who was not a member OF the Legfs-
lature Of that State. A detail from this same
army was quartered In the State House OF
this 6tate at tie time that the vote Of this
State was being manipulated and altered, and
It's returns destroyed and others forged, In
order to consummate the fraud which put
Hayes into Office. and 1t furnished guard for
the Returning Board during the whole time
that 1t was engaged In this nefarious business.
SO long as the law remains as 1t Is now the
Republican Executive can distribute tho army
as the exigencies OF his party may require.
Under the law he is authorized to supervise
State elections, and can send the whole mill
tary force to any State or locality he may
select, without awaiting the call OF the State,
as provided in the constitution. The purpose
OF the Democrats In Congress Is to repeal the
law which reposes this dangerous power in
the hands of the Executive, and they will not
be ridicufed out Of this purpose by Blaine or
bullied out of 1t by the less adroit Of his fell
lows.
We are told In Washington dispatches that
Hayes has already prepared his veto OF the
army appropriation bill, but this news we are
not disposed to accept with entire credulity.
That he would like to do 80 we have no
doubt, but In view OF the fact that there is no
precedent In American history of the veto OF
repeating act, and the further fact that Gar
field, as the duly accredited representative
and mouthpiece OF Hayes on the floor OF the
House, has avowed that he believed the re-
peal Of the law authorizing the use OF the
army at the polls a righteous measure, and
| that he should vote for it we're 1t presented in
another shape than as an amendment tackled
on to the appropriation bill, we are dis
posed to believe that this news has been
given out confidentialIy by Republicans
for the purpose Of influencing the Senate
| Such by plays as this are simply contempt
ible and nonsensical. The impression they
make on what is called the conservative SEN
timent Of the country may be judged from
the exceedingly plain and positive language
used by Judge Davis in his speech on Tues.
day. The country has reached its conclusion
on this subject and it is, very alphabetically
that the law authorizing the use OF troops al
the polls must go"
DAED.
CURIEN-Oe Wednd ay ARril %. at $50 a
pp;;: Charles 3s casien. ID y Yrs. native Q