Year: 1867

authorities of Charlotte why they do not
abolish the city Guard, and thus sayea large
item, in the pockets of the tax payers. The
chief might be retained to report to the
Mayor, if that officer be thought necessary,
and he could report to the military Com
mander of the Post what arrests were neces-
sary as cases occurred "For to this COM
plexion must it come at last" And what
use double set officers are / cannot con-
ceive. We have certainly been burdeDed
enough with taxes in the last two years to &
obtain this much relief What say you. City
Fathers2 QUER1ST.


We think the questions of "Querist" de-
serve consideration. AS the military is
here, and paid by the Government that has
volunte cred to look after us, we do not see
the nee essity of keeping up the civil estab-
lishment We would like to see all the Off
GERS of every grade in the State resign, and
thus place the entire management OF affairs
into the hands of those indicated by the
amendment of the reconstruction bill Con-
gress has clearly enough manifested deter
mination to perpetuate the continuance in
power of the Radical party, and opposition
is worse than useless. The competent and
patriot people of the South are tlisfranchised
and nothing is now lett us but either TO leave
the country or submit. A Convention is
fixed fact registration will soon commence.
We advise all who can to register, and to
vote for the hest man who is candidate
Charlotte Times


The above is from an nti-Republican pa
per, but it takes correct view in relation
to the double government we now have over
us.


1t is clear that the purpose of the recon-
struction acts is to place every State officer
under the absolute control of the military
An officer who has taken an oath to support
the Constitution and enforce the laws of the
State, can not, it seems to us, enforce any
order of the military, for the reason that, as
State officers, they have taken an oath with
which such military order would come di-
rectly in conflict. They must either violate
their oaths of Office or disobey the military.


This applies to all State officers, from the
Governor down.


We observe that Judge Merrimon has re-
signed his commission as Judge Of our Su-
perior Courts. A person of his knowledge
of the law can not have failed to be impress
ed with this view A successor to him will
be appointed by Gen. Sickles. This success
sor will be no more bound to obey Gen.
Sickles than the Governor and our present
Judges and Justices of the Peace are; but he
will act under different oath, thus present.
ing the strange irregularity of one Judge act
ing under one oath and another Judge under
another.


The government should be either civil or
military. Congress has emphatically declar-
ed that the present State governments are
illegal, except in so far as they are upheld


by its authority through the military This
is the law of the land. 1t is the duty of all
to conform to this law, and especially is it
the duty of all State officers If civil gov
ern ments exist, then, as we have stated, ev-
cry officer is liable to be ordered at any mo-
ment to do some act which will conflict with


his oath. But if the military be paramount,
| as we all perceive it is, is it not advisable


and proper that the State officers should re-


sign, and let their places be filled by citi-


zens who will represent and be responsible


to the military alone9


We also entirely concur with the Charlotte


Democrat in the following article on the
subject


THE STATE GOVERNMENTS "A good
| deal is being said about the authority of the
State Governments being superseded by


military authority. Now, we think, consid-
ering the circumstances. and taking into con-
sideration the power given the military au-


thorities by the reconstruction bills, that it


would be decidedly better to dispense with
| the so-called civil authorities entirely, until
| the State is restored to the Union The
civil officers are a useless expense to the peo-
| ple-the most of them are afraid to act in
accordance with our State laws, and when
| they do act it is not final if the military
| choose to interfere Two sets of officers and
lawmakers are nuisance to any people
In the present anomalous state of affairs
we believe it would be better for the people
to accept of military rule, and have their
grievances and difficulties settled altogether
by military authority. rather than pay the
expense of civil government that cannot
enforce its lawson protect them. We don't
care how soon the State Governments are
| abolished iiias ~
r - O. - s4