The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-07-25
DEvENss. LETTER OF INSTRUCTION.

The Wilmington, N. G. Star says: We
published a few days since, Attorney Gen.
eral Devens's remarkable letter of instruc
tions to the U. s. Marshals, in which he
advises them to continue to discharge the
duties OF their Office just as they have
done heretofore, aud without any reference
to what Congress may have done or left
undone concerning their pay. Under the
Attorney Generals advice they ought 70
appoint their deputies for election purposes.
just as it nothing had occurred, and trust
to subsequent legislation for their pay. If
Congress, in its wisdom and in the exercise
of its-C Constitutional powers, refuses to make
provision fbs asafsss. thousand, .orsssSoS.
thousand deputies, why chen, cc6fa3nt "a
this aggressive law officer ofthe Admins
tratisn, let the Marshals pay no sort of at.
tention to such action, but let them. 20 to
work to bulldozs and corrupt voters Just as
if nothing had occurred, and hereafter they
will get their pay. No doubt Deveus hopes,
possibly believes, that by the free use of an
army OF deputies the Radicals can gain
enough members of Congress to give them
control again, when they will vote any sum
required to pay off their hcnchmcn for their
dirty work.
There can be but little doubt that such
Is the plan and such the real meaning of
the Attorney Generals letter to the United
States Marshals, however veilcd may be his
exact purposes or guarded his language
Does not the following passage in his letter
authorize our Interpretation
"Your performance of your duties. so far
as the law contemplates that they are to b,
Tod nv
tute good ground of obligation against
the United States. Where the services of
deputies are required and expenditures are
to be made | recognize the difficulty you
mdy have to encounter. In all this matter,
however, you viii have to rely upon your
expectation of future Legislation by Con-
gress that shall be just to you"
1t he does not mean what we have attrib-
uted to him We cannot see any necessity or
seqse in his letter. The Baltimore Gazefte
regards the advice Of the letter as very
dangerous. II says:
=. This advising the Marshals to rely oh
tho future legislation Of Congress to make
e NJ s3ebts they may sctie IN. ~ sS1aut
'oK Specia Deputies to control What Mr..
Hayes calls The National elections is the
h, has ever been made by any. Executive
The Attorney General attempts to take
from Congress tho control of the public
purse lodged in their hands by the Consti.
tuition Of the United States After the
people, through their direct representatives,
have refused to.appropriate money for the
execution of law which they deem impol-
itc, and after they have further expressly
forbidden the officers of the law to incur
any debt or liability on the faith of the
Government, MIR. Devens advises them to
go on aud run up debt and trust to the
expectation of future legislation to foot the
bill. The Marshal who does this, however,
takes upon himselfa responsibility of which
the advice Of Mr.. .Devehs does not relieve
him. He cannot plead this letter us an
excuse for disobeying the will ofthe people
declared through Congress. They and
their bondsmen may find that they arc per-
sonaliy and pecuuiarily responsible, as we'll
as officially so, and Mr.. Ha"es and his Cab.
met and the Senatorial clique will be una
BILE to shield them from the consequences of
their acts. 1t is, however, the best possible
Issue for the coming campaign The right
to hire men to vote the Republican ticket.
under the pretense of keeping order ut the
polls, AMI doing this on credit system, in
spite of the prohibition of Congress, is what
Mr.. Hayes and the Stalwarts assert. This
is precisely what this letter of Mr.. Owens
claims, an9 this is claim which the Ameri.
can people are not quite ready to allow"
Not s-sinelssaet,inmi to the interest
nf ha ont H. -