Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-03-11
DortG oooffa Gimes
PORT TOBACCO:
Friday Morning, March n1th, 1881.

PORT TOBACCO:
Friday Morning, March Nth, 1881.
The New Administration.
On Friday last, Hon. James A. Garfield
of Ohio, was duly installed, through the
quiet methods of our constitution, into the
high Office of President of the United
States, he being the twentieth incumbent
Of that Office. On Saturday President
Garfield sent to the Senate the names of
his cabinet officers, which are given else
where, for confirmation, and they were
promptly confirmed by the Senate with
out tine tormality OF a reference.
The inaugural address Of the new Exec
utive, which is carefully prepared aud
able paper, will be read with interest a.
afording some premonition of the policy
which will be pursued by the new admin
istration. The address 10 less ambiguous
and evasive in its terms than these docu-
ments have generally been, and evinces
throughout unmistakable evidences of in
telligent craftsmanship but still, it
must be admitted that it furnishes no sat.
isfactory manifesto of the policy which
will be pursued by the present admins
tration, in reference to the vexed questions
which are now disturbing the southern
communities of our Union. Reading the
whole context Of the paper together, how
ever, the Presidents statement of the rela.
tive rights of the Federal and State gov
ernments and of the southern questions
may be regarded as an intelligent and al
most fair exposition of those questions.
Upon the question Of the powers of the
Federal government (which it does not,
however, anywhere denominate az FEEDER
aD the address says that the confederacy
of States, having been found 'too weak to
meet the necessities Of vigorous and ex-
banding republic" the people "boldly set
it aside, and, in its stead, established .
National Union, founded directly upon
the Whole of the people, endowed with
full power of selfprsservation and with
ample authority for the accomplishment
of its great objects" And again, THAT
discussion (the supremacy of the Federal
laws) which for half a century threatened
the existence Of the Union, was closed at
last in the high court of the civil war BY
= decree, from which there 10 no appeal,
that the constitution and the laws made
in pursuance thereof are and shall continue
to be the supreme law OF the land, bind.
ing alike upon the States aad the people, =
These statements, though not seriously in
accurate, are both open to improper con-
structions. The people OF the United COL
oniss when they adopted the present oon-
stitution did not aim to boldly set" the
old csnfederacy "aside," and adopt an ea-
tirely different government, but merely to
establish, as the language Of the cons,itu-
ton goes, more perfect Union" and,
though power was conferred upon the
General Government by the new constitu-
ton to act directly upon citizens of the
States in certain specific cases, the people
in forming this new Un 'on did not for q
moment throw off their allegiance to the
State governments, but built up the new
government IS merely dual government
fer certain general purposes specified in
its written constitution. The question
settled by the war was not that the con-
stitution OF the United States and the laws
made in pursuance thereof are the supreme
law of the land, because that bad not been
controverted. It would be moro accurate
to say that the question decided by the
civil war was that the State governments
shall not assume to judge whes the laws
made by the Federal Legislature are not
in pursuance of the constitution, but that
whenever that Supreme Federal Tribunal
to which the arbitration OF these most i'm
portant questions was intrusted BY the
constitution, shall betray its great trust,
that the only remedy the people have is
in revolution.
The President goes on to qualify his re-
marks upon the decisions of the war by
saying "This decree does not disturb the
autonomy of the States, nor interfere with
any Of their rights Of local self government
but it does fix and establish the permanent
supremacy of the Unisn." This will be
accepted by every intelligent Democrat in
the country as . fair statement of this
question, and il President Garfield will
live up to this Interpretation of the deci-
sions of the war through his ADMINISTERS
ton, he will have ne disturbances in the
Southern communities to deplore at the
end Of his present term.
Upon the negro question the President
says:
The elevation of the negro race from slavery
to the full rights of citizenship il the most i'm
portant political change we have known since
the adoption Of the constitution Of 1887 .
Ne doubt the change has caused ser
ious disturbance to our southern communities.
This is to be deplored though it was perhaps
unavoidable, But those who resisted the
change should remember that under our insti-
tutions there was no middle ground for the
negro race between slavery and equal citizen
ship. There can be no permanent disfranchis-
ed peasantry in the United States. .
The emancipated race has already made re-
markable progress. They deserve the gsner-
Gus encouragement Of all good men. So far -
my authority can lawfully extend they shall
enjoy the full and eqnal protection Of the con-
stitution and the laws.
The free enjoyment of equal suffrage is still
in question, and frank statement Of the issue
may aid its solution. tits alleged that in many
communities negro citizens are practically de-
MED the freedom ofthe ballot. In 80 far - the
truth Of this allegation is admitted, it is an
swersd that in many places honest local gsv-
eminent is impossible if the mass Of unedu-
Gated negroes are allowed to vote. These are
grave allegations. So far as the latter is true
It is the only palliation that can be offered for
opposing the freedom Of the ballot. Bad local