Year: 1876

must be found in the laws Of the Sat


and not ia those of the United States


1t will be observed that the prohibi
tion to abridge or deny Is ADDRESSED e


the States and the United States.
anc. yet if any State should for reasons
OF its own seek to impose a new and


general disqualification upon the right


to vote, such as property or education,


or as penalty for the smallest or most


venial offense, and difficulties arise at


the polls and riots, Judge Taft and his


colleague, Cameron, and their master.


Grant, would have just as much right


10 secure their new-fangled "peaoe of


the United States" as they now claim.


and could call in their troops or swarms


OF deputy marshals in New York or


Boston or Chicago or st. Louis, and


their all-embracing posse cOBiit1has, to


take care alike OF the registration


lists. the act Of voting and the person


al freedom and security Of the voter,


as we'll against violence on account Of


any vote he may intend TO give as


against conspiracy becausn Of ant that


he may have already given"


R.-This order, then, Senato-, be-
ing thus in defiance Of the decisions of
the Supreme Court aud without war
raut in law or the Constitution, what
legal effect can it have in binding good
citizens


Sen. B.-Upon me it would have
none. Between the decisions Of the
Supreme Court enlightening my sense
Of duty as a citizen under govern
ment oflaws, and the unwarranted and
partisan order of an Executive official,
i could not hesitate for a moment
which way my duty lay. am as sure
as l am of my existence that IL Judge
Taft's order can be carried out ia let
ter and in spirit it will totally subvert
our form of governmentaud.leave local
self-government, which | believe TO be
the very soul of our institutions, the
shadow Of a name. In my judgment it
will behoove all citizens who desire TO
perpetuate our system of government
to raise their voices in instant aud
severe condemnation Of this attempt
unlawfully and dangerously TO enlarge
Federal authority. AL officials in
trusted with State power should ex-
anime this document of the Attorney
General, and prepare to hold him and
every SuDOEuludte WuO eudil ACT huucI
his instructions liable to the laws of
the State which they shall invade ia
its execution. While / cannot believe
that he will venture practically TO en-
force these mOnstfous assumptions of
power, yet il will be best that he and
those who propose TO act under his
should be confronted with
the results. view the action Of Pre-
sident Grant, with his secretaries Of
war, the navy and the interior, and his
attorney general. acting, as they are
represented to have done, in consulta-
ton and concert with Sherman, the
general of the army, Chamberlain,
the governor of one of the States, and
Patterson, so-called Senator from
South Carolina, in no other light than
rs a conspiracy to invade the plainly
reserved right Of the States to hold
free elections under their own author
lty. If such attempts escape public
or if the people Of all the
States remain blind to their danger
and permit themselves carelessly or
to be led by their votes into
in power any party SO led
aud so sustained, my hope of c0nstitu-
tional liberty on this continent will
have fed.