Huntsville gazette., 1890-05-03
LAW MUST BE SUPREME.

The President Directs the Attorney-Gcn.
eral to Sec that the Laws of the United
States are Properly Respected in Certain
Counties of Florida - Attorney-General
Miller's Directions to United States Mar
shall Weeks.
WASHINGTON, April 27.-The Presi-
dent has sent to Attorney-General
Miller the following letter:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, April "a
To the Attorney General:
SIR-I have had frequent occasion, dur
ing the last six months, to confer with you
in reference to the obstruction offered in the
counties of Leon, Gadsden. Madison and
jefferson, in the State of Florida, to the ex-
ecution of the process OF the courts of the
United States. 1t is not necessary to say
more of the situation than that the officers
of the United States are not suffered freely
to exercise their lawful functions. This
condition of things can not be longer toll
Grated. You will therefore instruct United
States Marshal Weeks, as soon as he has
qualified, to proceed at once to exc
cute such writs of arrest may
be placed in his hands. If he
apprehends resistance, he will employ such
civil posse as may seem adequate to dis
courage resistance or to overcome 1t. He
should proceed with calmness and modera-
tion, which should always attend public
officer in the execution of his duty, and at
the same time with flrmnesS and courage
that will impress the lawless with a whole
some sense Of the danger and futility of re-
sistance. You will assure the officers of the
law and those who have foolishly and wick
edly thought to set the law at defiance, that
every resource lodged with the Executive
by the Constitution and the laws, will, as
the necessity arises, be employed to make it
safe and feasible tt hold Federal commits
sion and to execute the duties it imposes
Very respectfully,
[Signed] BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Acting upon the suggestions of the
President, Attorney-General Miller yes
terday sent the following letter to Mar.
shall Weeks:
WASHINGTON, April rs. 1890.
Robert G. Weeks, United States Marshal, Jack
Sonrate, Fla:
SIR-You have doubtless ere this received
your commission as United States marshal
for the Northern district of Florida. For
several months past it has been reported
that in certain cOuaties In your district war;
rants of arrest issued by United States
Courts have not been executed because of
resistance, actual and threatening, by those
sought to be arrested and their partIsans.
This state of things can not and will not be
longer tolerated. letter from the Presi-
dent, of which inclose a copy speaks for
itself. You will at once proceed upon the
lines indicated in the letter, and will report
promptly any attempts to interfere with
you in the discharge OF your duties. / am
informed that recently, in some places, the
marshal, seeking to serve writs in ordinary
civil eases, has been refused the ordinary
accommodations, such as horse hire, hotel
entertainment, etc. to enable such service
to be performed. By such means the OFF,
GERS of the Government can be put to great
inconvenience, but they can not and will
not be prevented from executing the
process of the court Means can and will
be found for transporting and subsisting
the Government officers. wherever it is
necessary for them to go in order to arrest
and bring into court offenders against the
law. Very respectfully,
[Signed] w. III. II. MILLER