The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-06-07
MdAURN AGAINST PAYMENT or BONDS.

Galloway" is the way Senator Nc,
Laurin declared his position on Thu
proposed reinstatement and redemp.
tioa OF the Planters and Union Bank
bonds, which was suggested by Bis
hop Galloway recently.
Senator McLaunn takes The
ground that no disgrace attaches to
Mississippi for repudiating as he
put it, such men as Ames, A. X.
Davis and Cardoza, and does not see
the necessity for bringing the issue
before the people Of this day. lie
truly says:
In as high esteem as | hold
Bishop Galloway, | do not interpret
the word 'repudiated' as he does. |
do not see anything necessarily dis
graceful or disgusting in it. Web
ster defines it: to cast off; Il. disvow:
to have nothing to do with; TO re-
nonnce, TO reject. An act of repu-
diation depends principally for its
character upon the thing repudiated.
Moses repudiated the servitude of
the lsraelltes to the Egyptians. The
Americans repudiated Benedict Ar
mold; and Mississippi repudiated
Adelbert Ames, A X. Davis and
Cardoza. There is no shame in rep
udlating that which is untrue and
illegal.
THE seal of the State on the
bonds did not give them validity if
was not lawfully done. In a Gov
eminent of absolute monarchy, what
ever the monarch does is the act of
the kingdom, But in a constitu-
tlonal government-the only kind of
a government under which there can
be Iiberty--the constitution must be
basis Of all law. An act which
.mpugns the constitution is not an
OF the State, nor of the people of
.he State, and neither the State nor
he people should justly, lawfully, or
morally be held responsible for it.
1t is a principal, sound in morals as
well as in law, that an agent cannot
olnd his principal further than the
authority granted him by the prin-
'ipal, The Executive and Legisla-
,ure are agents of the people, and
he Constitution is the chart of their
authority. So that any one dealing
With the Legislature or with the Ex-
has it easily within his pow
II to examine the constitution and
zee the extent of authority of the of.
lclals with whom he deals. And if
he official undertakes to exceed his
.uthorlty he is unfaithful to his
Principal, the people, and in such
Intalthfulness he who deals with the
flicial participates.
While | have no criticism to
OF the judges who made the
ecislon in the case of johnson VS..
he State, as men, yet they were only
len, and | have always thought, and
think, that it was a political de- |
lsion, | think the brief of Attor-
ey General Glenn was an unans-
'erable argument against the valid
y of the bonds.
"The bonds were issued by a
orterie of rich men to Nicholas Bid
lie with whom it took the stern de- :
Ision of Old Hickory to deal. 1t
as been nearly seventy years since
ley were issued. The State Gov
rnment that existed at that time
as o%verthrown by the superior
,rength of the Federal Government,
I'D the people of the State at the
lme time robbed Of a vast majority =,
their possessions, and another {
tate Government established in its /
cad. 7.
I'VE are beginning to regain our f,
rosperlty, and it would not be right
compel this generation to pay
onds that we are neither morally
Or legally responsible for, the pay j,
'ent OF which would materially v
1pple our common schools" h