anttrican Voluafricr. CARLISLE, pa., Jnly 35,1867. . FOR SUPREME JUDGE, GEORGE SHARSWOOD, OF PHILADELPHIA. DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CONTENTION At a mcotlog of tho Democratic Standing Com* mltteo, held attho Committee Rooms, In Carlisle, •n. Saturday, June 20th, It was unanimously Resolved, That the Democratic Nominating Convention bo held at the Court House, In Car lisle. on Monday, August 12th, 1867, at 11 o'clock, A. M.; and that the election of delegates to tho Con vention be held at tho usual places of holding such elections In tho several boroughs, wards and townships, on Saturday ,• August IWn, ISC7; In ;tho Borough of Carlisle, between tbo hours of 3 and 7 o’clock, P. M 1;; In. tho Boroughs of Shlppensburg between tbo hoars of 7 and y o’clock, P. M,; and In tho other Borough and Townships between tho hours of 4 and 7 o’clock, P. M.: at which time the Democratic voters-of each borough, ward and township shall elect two. delegates to represent them In said Convention. WILLIAM KENNEDY, Chairman Dcm. Standing Com. W. B. Butler, Secretary. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT. After enacting a new measure of des potism, more tyrannical 1 han any which preceded it, tho Rump Congress lias again dispersed. Its proceedings were . characterized by more real devilish ma lignity, a more ruthless disregard of tho Constitution and of the rights and lib erties of the people, and a more shame less invasion of the courtesies of debate and the ordinary, decencies of life, than were ever before witnessed in any de liberative body assembled within the limits of the United States. It opened its session by offeringa deliberate insult to one of the sovereign States of the Union—a State which remained true in its fealty to the national cause during tho darkest hours of the war, and fur nished more white troops to the Feder al armies than any single Now England State—a State whose traditions and his tory have always given it a place in the front rank of tho Union. Actuated by tho meanest partisan bigotry, it closed its doors against the representatives of the State of Kentucky, sent there by sixty thousand majority of her voting population. This was but the initial in the long catalogue of outrages—ton States of the Union are annihilated— their judiciary overthrown—the doors of their legislatures closed—and tho lives, liberty and property of their citi zens left to the tender mercies of a drum-head court-martial, subject to the endorsement of an irresponsible milita ry satrap, whose continuance in office depends upon the alacrity with which ho carries out tho bloody programme of his Radical'masters. And as if this were not enough, the President is vir tually deposed from tho command of the army, and shorn of his executive power over nearly one-half of the Union, the law officers of tho government are declared no longer to he the rightful in -1 terpretors of the laws, but Congress— the Congress of Thad Stevens—is de clared to be the Supreme power in the nation, higher than all Presidents.above all Constitutions and courts and laws. And at every new usurpation—every additional act of violence done to the spirit of our government—every new manacle riveted around the wrists of the genius of our liberty, already bound hand and foot to the car of Radical “ progress”—tho people, who seem to, be driven mad by some wild spell, shout their acclamations to the men who are consigning them to a slavery more abject than was ever endured by the serfs of Russia or tho negroes of the South. While all this is going on, the Mephistopholes of the scene—the Luci fer of Lancaster—jabbers his feeble at tempts at wit and malice which sound like the incoherent laughter of an ine briate on the bed of death. Amidst all this carnival of infamy, President Johnson is powerless for good. He means well, but he is tied hand and foot. In another column will be found his masterly veto of the latest Radical outrage. It is courteous and dignified in tone, and overwhelming in the force of its argument. His earnest and in dignant protest against the usurpation by Congress..of life executive preroga live, should nSmse the whole nation like some great alarm hell summoning us to the final struggle. Andrew John son cannot under his oath permit these usurpations of executive authority, and wo believe he will not. We believe ho fully realizes what his sworn duty and the responsibilities of the occasion de mand of him. What he needs now is the earnest, cordial support of every man who sympathizes with him in his struggle with the usurpers. Andrew Johnson does n t get half enough out spoken encouragement from the men who profess to bo his friends. What we want is that men shall speak out everywhere with the boldness of free men. If we arc willing that a factious minority shall rule the majority of this country by force, then let it be so. But if we are determined that the majority shall rule, under the provisions of a be neficent Constitution, if we know our rights and knowing dare maintain them, let us organize our forces in eve ry city and county and township, and put down this traitorous crew at the ballot-box, or wherever else or in what ever relation they may choose to meet us. JSST It is about time the people of this country would begin to inquire into the legality of the acts of the Bump Con grqps. On Friday last, the Senate pass ed the despotism bill over the veto by a vote of SO —seven less than half a lawful Senate— to fi. In the Honse the veto stood yeas 100— less than half a lawful House —nays 24. Do the bills thus pass ed become valid laws? Are these the two-third votes which are required by the Constitution to pass a law over the Presidential veto? Can a minority party—representing but a section of the country—pass laws (which require n two-thirds vote of a full Congress,) by a vote which is not even a majority of either House? It would be well for the people of the country 15 look into this matter, before these Eadieal 'usur pers have taken away from the masses the power to redress their grievances. A. whiter for Forney's PVess says Juarez “resembles the late lamented Lincoln in many points, and, like Lin coln, he is fond of a joke.” We sup pose so, from the one he perpetrated upon Maximilian and his officers. That sounds very much like one of Lincoln’s. The following judges were “In har mony with the political sentiments” of their times: Pontius Pilate, Judge Jef freys, Lord Ellenborough, and Fou quier Tinviile. and .these are the kind of judges the Radicals want in our flay, i JIIIIUF, MUAKMWDUD AND LEGAL TENDED. Some of “ the little creatures” whom Greeley says “an inscrutable Provi dence permits to ed’t some of tho minor ' Republican journal?,” have undertaken to make a little capital for their bank-, rupt organization out of a decision once rendered by Judge Sharswood, which they attempt to torture into a declara tion that greenbacks are unconstitution al and not a legal tender for debts. The'facts of the case are simply and briefly these: A man held a ground rent mortgage, given in 1732, in which it was stipulated that the annual rent should be paid in Spanish milled dollars, by u cight. After the passage of the law making greenbacks a legal tender for debt, the holder of the ground-rent mortgage agreed to extinguish the mort gage for a consideration, and the pur chaser, (the owner of the ground) {en tered both the principal and interest in greenbacks'. The holder agreed to ac cept greenbacks for the principal, but insisted that the contract demanded the payment of Spanish milled dollars for the interest. The other party main tained flint the greenback law made greenbacks a legal tender for all debts, whether contracted since the act was passed or before. Tho case was. taken into court and Judge Sharawood deci ded that the interest upon the, ground rent mortgage of 1732 would have to be paid according to the demands of the contract. With thoir usual unfairness, the Rad ical journals decline to publish this opinion in full, but confine their attacks to innuendos. If they did publish it, we venture the opinion that the sound ness of that decision would be endorsed by every intelligent man of their par ty. In fact a prominent Republican of this town a day or two since, declared that that decision would be the very best electioneering document the friends of Judge Sharswood could use. It is not true that opinion pretended to viti ate greenbacks as a legal tender for debts contracted since the enactment of the national currency law, nor in any case of indebtedness contracted prior to the passage of that law, except in cases where a special contract stipulated that payment should be made in a certain prescribed manner. If the Radicals of Pennsylvania desire to make this an issue in the coming ju dicial contest in this State, the friends of .1 udee Sharswood. wilt have no ob jection. Let us see how it will work. The United States Government has agreed to pay certain of its bonds in coin. Judge Sharswood says it must abide by its obligations. This is the e.-sence of the contract, and it must be performed to the letter. The Radicals say the doctrine is treasonable. They assert that an individual can discharge his indebtedness by offering .to pay in currency, when he has promised to pay in coin; and why cannot the Govern ment do this aswell'as an individual. They tried this game, two years ago, in regard to the State debt. The faith ol our Slate stood solemnly pledged that the Interest on certain bonds should be paid in coin. This pledge was deliber ately violated and the interest paid in paper money. So may the pledge ol the national Government be violated, il the Radicals find it convenient to do so; and under Radical law the bondholder will have no redress in the courts. What, do the holders of national securities say to this ? Are they willing to endorse the doctrine that an agreement to pay a certain sum in gold or “ Spanish milled dollars ” may be canceled by the tender of paper currency? If they do, let them vote for Henry W. Williams, and submit to a discount of $1.39 on the in terest of their bonds, at the hands of the Radical Party. The Radicals denounce this decision as d stab at.the credit of the nation. It tins be so, the ■ Radical leaders are re sponsible for the first stab themselves, for they have set the first example of repudiation of their own currency, by declaring that it would not be acknowl edged as a legal tender in payment of interest upon certain of its bonds, — The principles of Judge Shnrswood’s decision will keep the national fhith in violate with the nation’s bondholders, and will maintain the national credit. It simply endorses that plain principle of common honesty, upon which rests the credit of the whole business world— that a man shall do what he agrees to do, and shall not be released by the Jaw upon doing less than he has promised to do. It simply declares that a man who has agreed to pay one hundred dol lars in gold, shall npt have "fulfilled his contract by payment of one hun dred dollars in paper, which is only worth sixty-one dollars in gold. This is what J udge Sharswood’sdecision means and we are willing to accept the issue in all its length and breadth. ' The Radical candidate for Governor of California is a Connecticut Yankee. This.is.all proper enough. The Radical party everywhere gets its rules and reg ulations from New England, and why not its candidates. In Pennsylvania, although about a dozen native Radicals wanted to be nominated for the Su preme Court, the Radical convention was compelled to obey orders from Bos ton and nominate a Connecticut Yan kee. The “ down casters” consider the “ Pennsylvania Dutch” too slow as can didates for their party of “ progress.” The impeachment testimony has cost the Government $30,000. Of course this does not Incliide the amounts that may have been paid to induce witnesses to be more than ordinarily communica tive. Some of the Rads want to pub lish it, and urge that, ns it has already cost so much, it “ ought to go to the country.” Going to the country,,how ever, will cost from one-third to one half as much more. It is a noteworthy, and at the same time gratifying fact, that both the can didates for the Supreme Judgeship of Pennsylvania, to be voted for at the October election, are not only profess ing Christians, but office-bearers in the church. Judge Williams, the Republi can candidate, is an elder in the Old School Branch of the Presbyterian Church, and Judge Sharswood, the Democratic nominee, is an elder in the New School branch. Cuange'of PnoMtiETona.— Messrs. Hamsher & Keyser will retire from the management of the Valley Sp{ r u Chambersburg, on the first of Septem ber next, and be succeeded by Johil M. Cooper, William S. Stenger and Augus tus Dugoan, Esijs., who have recently purchased the establishment. ' A Negro for Tlce-Prcaldent. v % The New'York Tribune tries to throw cold wateron the’demand oft he South ern negroes to have os candldateftor {h6 Vice-Presidency a man of their oivn col or. Blit the demand is pressed in a man ner' which' the Tribune people will flhd it difficult to withstand. Those who have supposed that the negroes would be eatisllcd with “ the ballot,” or any othei mark of equality, will find themselves 'much mistaken. Mr. Charles E. Moss, iu tho Anti Slavery Standard, puts the cose very forcibly, thus: " Speaking of the Vlce-I’residency,-cer tain' distinguished Senators and Repre sentatives in Congress who have been counting the negro vote, : in tho expecta tion of getting that position, will wake up some flue morning and find them selves wonderfully mistaken. Tho-Afri can vote will be the ruling vote in eleven States of this Union. By the ruling vote, I mean the vote that will determine ■the election. That the intelligent Afri can understands, and is Inyinb his plans. He understands well that, without the ne gro - vote; a. Pepubtican candidate for President cannot be elected,; 'Understand: ing that fact, the Africans begin to de clare emphatically that the Republican party shall not use them ns material for carrying elections and then torn them aside in the disposition of the public pa tronage. They say that furnishing votes must be reciprocated by receiving a just share of the offices. And in that they are right. It'is but simple justice to ihose men who do the voting to grant them a fair proportion of tho official posi tions. There are several negroesfitted for the position of Vice-Provident', and that race claim that the second office in the gift of the nation shall be filled by a negro'. — That, ttn-y say, must be accorded to the black race by the Republican party as a proof of the honesty of its profession ot attachment to the principles of equal rights to ail linen, regardless of race or color. If the demand is refused,' they will consider the Republican party dis honest iu its professions and vote against it in the Presidential election. “ In that view; the negro is right, and 'it is to be hoped he will hold the party to that test. John M. Langston of Ohio is well qualified to fill tbo position of Vice- President, and the negro need never be ashamed of Insisting upon the Republi can party placing him upon the ticket as the condition of receiving their support. Such aii act would complete the triumph of right aud justice so far ds the equality of, race is concerned. It would also pul an end to the trimming, intriguing con duct of white seekers for that position, and leave them at 'liberty to act honestly .for the next four years. ' “ Such a demand, resolutely hacked up by the negro will be sure to succed, as the Republican party could not do with out that vote. The negro vote in 1868 will number about 650,000, so scattered over eleven States as to turn the elections in such direction as they shall see fit.— There are ■ also about 600,Q00, votes in the North that would join in supporting such a nomination into whatever direction they choose in eight or nine other States. The Republican party, therefore, dare not refuse to nominate Mr. Langston, or some other member of the African race; if that people resolutely require it. That they will require it, I have the best of reasons fot believing. Strange and in finitely mure disreputable things have happened in this nation than would be the election of Wendell Phillips as Presi dent and John M. Langston as Vice- President in 1868. Tho Republican party would not dare refuse the nominator! of this ticket if resolutely pressed.” The negro knows his strength and how ■to use' it. 'He not only means (o' vote, butte be voted for. fl'iEE Democratic State Central Com mittee assembled on the 18th inst., at the Merchants’ r Hotel, Philadelphia, Hon. Win. A. Wallace, of Clearfield, Pa., in the chair. Messrs: Church, of Crawford, and Strickland of Chester, were unanimously elected Secretaries. The roll of members was called, when a‘majority answered to their names.— A. permanent organization having been effected, remarks were made by gentle men composing the committee, The remainder of the proceedings was of a private character. Among the gentle men present, were Hon. S. J. Randall and General M’Candless. An exchange says that 'over forty thousand Republican voters of Phila delphia supported Judge Sharswood when , a candidate on the Democratic ticket for his present position, and that he was then considered sound on all constitutional questions. Judge Bhars wood has not changed since that time, and those who relied then upon Ills ability, integrity and patriotism, do so yet. Tins Boston Post pointedly remarks, “ how much, quicker than by impeach “ ment would it be to get rid of the “ President to put the City of Washlng ton under martial law, appoint a mR “ itary commander of the District, when "he could remove Mr. Johnson, and “ appoint Ben. Wade or John Covode “ in his place.” OUR WASHINGTON LETTER. Th ®^°.9 , P lpa€ y AmementMlhad. Stevens «md ‘he Ohoit oOlie Constitution”—A Few BXore PrivlUm fbr tlio’ N«rroep—The Ve- Tbad. n-Xhe Adjourn ment—A Serenade. Correspondence American Volunteer. Washington, Jhly 25.1867. Jtibu Matthews, the actor, who was a witness In the Surratt trial, hut was not permitted to tes tify In regard to the letter written by Booth to the editor of tho National Intelligencer, publishes a card In that paper of Thursday In self-justifica tion. Ho says the letter which was handed* to him by Booth was written oh osheetof commer clal note paper covering'three pages; the first two pages were written'ln the spirit and style of the Philadelphia letter, and it was only at the concluding paragraph that onythlpg was said bearing upon what had transpired, which was to this effect and in these words: por a long time I have devoted my energies my time and ray money to tho accomplishment of a certain end. I have been disappointed. The moment boa now arrived when I must chance my plans. Many will blamo me for what lam obopt to do, but posterity, I am sure, will justify llfo eU Wh ° lOV ° Uieir 00imtry bott or than their (Signed) John W. Booth. Payne, Harrold, Atzebott. Thaddeus Stevens is getting to boa bold man In his declining years. In hisspeech on the Con ference report upon tho new despotism bill,-he spoke as follows; “Some fragments of the old iihattered Constitution hod stuck, perhaps in tho kidneys of some Senators, [laughter,] and troubled them at night. When they tried to progress, the ghost of the past Constitution was found in their way, and obstructed them. Per haps that was natural enough. -Ho did not find any fault with lt. M Those who are afllicted with Stevens’ disease of tho kidneys have reason to be thankful they are no worse. It is kind in him to make allowance for the frailties of human no ture. Tho Constitution Is pronounced to be dead by tho leader of the domluantparty, and it is on ly its ghost that now and then stalks through the halls of Congress, complaining, perchance, like tho ghost of Hamlet’s lather of “Murder mostfoul, strangoand unnatural!” The Senate passed Snmuer's b(ll giving ncsroos the right to hold office In the District of Colum bia, and the House tacked on.an amendment giving the negroes the right to'alt on'jurlea, which was afterwards adopted by the Seriate.— So you will perceive that Sambo is pretty nicely fixed now. With Government rations, equality In the public schools, the ballot, the right to hold office and sit on Juries, be is a little bit hotter off than any of the poor whites In tho District. With a view to carrying out the some system of negro elevation In all the States, Wilson has introduced an amendment to the Goustitutiori'prohibiting any State from making “any discrimination in civil or political rights on account of race or col or.” There were fifteen votes In Its ftwor, not withstanding the Senate had resolved to consid er no other question than that ol reconstruction, The question goes over, and It Is oxpeote&it will be adopted early inDecember. Will your mon grels of Pennsylvania oven then awoke to the fact that negro voting and office holding la an Is sue? . j&t President's veto of the new destruction .bill fell ilk© a bombshell Into the House on Frl- Hay. The Radicals were as wrathy oTOr it'as a sot Of, Wild .beasts, and Stevens nml/Boutwell and! Williams poured forth a torrent of Invective.*-* .tffatweft demanded that Congress B&ould remain jn session, andft once proceed wl(h : the threat*' ©odd impeachment. Mr. Randall nrosa'upon the Democratic aide and deliberately; threw* down, the challenge by declaring that the Radicals dare not impeach President Johnson, which Stevens and Butler endorsed as the truth. Stevens sadly sold ho looked upon the impeachment movement as dead, and snecnngly alluded to what ho called "Invisible influences” operating • upon certain Republicans. This brought .Wilson', of lowa, Jhalrman of the Judiciary Committee, to his feet, who declared that ho would not be driven from the conscientious discharge of bis fluty by the Bueers of Stevens and the whole Radical pacK at his back. Although politically differing from Audrey Johnson, ho avowed that tho President dhoald not thus bo condemned without a bear* mg. This brought downa round of npplause from tho Democratic side; and after a little fur ther skirmishing tho question wentovor! Xu the course of his remarks upon the veto, whilo alluding to tho expression of the President that “ tho Gonstitatlon la still the supreme law of the land, North and. South,” Stevens declared, ■“ If thlabo true, then all have done here Is rank usurpation.” .This is‘the point which the Radicals, have reached. They must cither deny that tho Constitution has any binding force whal-’ ever, or they must admit that their whole coarse of legislation hhs been a series of unblushing usurpations.- What wiU- tho people of the cout* try say to this declaration of the leading spirit *f the Radicals? Axe they too willing to admit tbit the Constitution is a thing of the post, and thtt wo are at tho mercy of an unbridled and uuscru pulous faction, whoso only law is its own mail© and selfishness. -• ‘ In conformity with ,a Joint resolution o boti Houses adjourned at half-past four on Saturday afternoon, until November 21st In the Senofo .there was a lively spat between Fessenden and Chandler, each of whom entertained the audi ence with a list of tho other’s relatives in tho Jlv- U and military service of tho Government: In the House tho impeachment question wts up again, and a resolution was finally passed that the Judiciary Committee should report thi evi dence token by them and that It should bo jrint ed; but before the report was made the Speaker's gavel fell and the House was declared adjourned. So tho impeachment muddle goes over to text session. ; . . . : Saturday oVenlng old Thad. Stevens was sere naded at his residence. Ho was too ill to re spond, but speeches wore made by McPherson, Writes and others. Yates declared that the laws conferring the elective franchise, and the right to hold office and sit on Juries, upon the negroes oftho District, were but the precursors of similar legislation for the entire country. The next Con gress, Inhls opinion, would confer equal politi cal and civil rights upon all men without regard to race or color. STATE ITEMS. —A young son of Mr. J. S. Giest, about 2 miles from Wrlghtsvllle, In York Co., foil from a cher ry tree, on Friday last, and broke a limb. —A son of Henry Wallace, of Dover township, York Co., was drowned while bathing at Kun klo’s mill dam, on the 4th of July.' —A new Masonic temple was dedicated at S,an bury, Pa., a few days ago, the R. \V, D. G.M., Richard Vaux, of Philadelphia, conducting the ceremonies. —The hired man of John Rock, near Krcldera vllle. Luzerne county, came in contact with tho knives of a reaping machine on Monday, and had one of his legs cut entirely off. —A Saw Mill, belonging to Thos. L. McKeen, at Bear Creek, In Luzerne county, -was totally des troyed by fire, on Monday night lost. —•The Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad Is now ftillyopened from Manch Chunk toScranton and Providence, yin Wllkcsbarre. —B.F. Sloan, of Henderson twp.,Huntingdon county, was seriously injured on Friday last, by being kicked by a horse,., ' . ? ■ , —A. young man'named Joseph Kirby, was kill ed by a slab foiling on him, at Williamsport, on Thursday lust. ; •—One of tho, coal trains east, on the Penna. rail road, met with an Occident near Barrec station, on Monday morning last; by the breaking of one of the car wheels. Nine cars'were demolished; ■ —At present there are one hundred and fifty eight patients in the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, and the trustees have decided to receive no more Until the number la reduced below one hundred and fifty. They recommended an addi tional hospital, to be located In one of the north ern counties. —On Tuesday, the UUi lust., a little boy about nine or ten years of age, a son of Mr. John Smith, of Froystown, York Co., was run over by the en gine of the Wrlghtsvllle train and mutilated Ina most shocking manner. He was,lying on the track, supposed to beasieep, when the train ap proached. He was not seen by the engueer until the train was within a short distance from him, when the engine was speedily reversed and the breakes put down, but all to no purpose; he was run over and had his two legsandoneof his arms crushed by the wheels, besides huvinghls head and body badly bruised. He lived, but a few hours after the accident occurred. —On Friday morning last, about seven o’clock, a man named Patrick Moore, who was being con veyed, from Harrisburg to Pittsburg by officer Abraham Roat, Jumped from the lightning ex press train upon the Pennsylvania • Railroad, about two miles below the Blairsvillo Intersec tion,ln Westmoreland county. As Moore Jump ed he fell upon the back of his head, crushing his skull In a most horrible manner and causing in stant death. The deceased was bolng brought to Pittsburg by the officer to answer the charge of tho larceny of 880 and a gold ring. " A lamentable accldentdccurredat Gettysburg on tho morning of tho Fourth. A‘ number of young men were engaged on Cemetery Hill In tir ing a salute; when tbo*gua discharged promh turoly.resultlng in terrible Injury to Mr. John At welL who - was at tho moment engaged in ram ming down the charge. His lea hand was lorn eutliely from the arm, and his. body thrown about eighteen feeffrom tho muzzle of tho gun Indicting shocking bruises and burns. The luj ur ed man is doing as well os could be expected. • —Governor Geary has mado the following ap pointments: Superintendent of Public Printing John Youngman, of Sunbury; .Commission to ; Investigate tho Prison Systems (undortho nro- : visions of April 17,1807). Hon. N. B. Browne of Philadelphia, Hon. Wm. H. Armstrong of Wil liamsport, Hon. Win. M, .Watts of Cumberland County, Theodore H. Novlns, Esq., of Allegheny County; Commission to Investigate Matters Con nected with Anttotam and Gettysburg Cemeteries (under provisions of a Joint resolution, approved April 17,18(17), General James D. Selfridge of Both lohom, General Hector Tyndolo of Philadelphia Colonel B. B. Moore of West Chester. • ’ -On Friday,.the 12tlUnst.. a horrible murder was committed in Tioga Co., William Roseweli living in a part of Tioga township, was romovimr his family to some other locality. He had pro cured a team and a wagon, on which he had placed his household goods, his wife and three .children. The party were proceeding through a piece of woods, not far from Ttoga Centre, hose well walking beside the-wagon; boro they were Joined by Frank Ellis, an old acquaintance who had Just finished a term In the penitentiary, and who entered into a conversation With Roseweli ' Tho wife says that after proceeding a little way Ellis requested her husband to go down to a spring in the woods, a short distance off. Ho did so, and after being absent a short time she heard the sound of blows and cries for help. At that she became frightened, and urged on the team out of ihe.woods to the nearest .house. On the next morning, an exploring party, upon go- Ing Into tho woods and searching about the spring, found the dead body of Roseweli lying in a ravine,the mc*th stuffed with leaves and arali fastened dpwiflfcrosa his neck with stones, and his skull cruaififf In, apparently with aolub. Tho murderer escaped. POLITICAL, Lx-Governor Johnson, of Georgia, advises tho people not to accept tho despot bill, He Is right. —Wo are told that our Government la the best in the world. It ought to be if Its excellence Is according to its cost. . ■ x , —Hon. George W* Woodward Is uamodfdr Con gress In the Luzerne District, to fill the vacancy caused by tho death of Mr, Dennison —The Mobile Advertiser says the colored pco pie are beginning to divide Into parlies os dis tinct os oven the Whigs ond Democrats in old times. ... ' i - . —Geary has pardoned 'more criminals, in the* time ho has been in office, than any Governor Who lias preceded,, him In the office. Geary should be known throughout the State os the “ Groat Pardoner.” —A” colored cuss from Africa” recently beat a one-legged white soldier In the race for dork’ln the Collector’s office In Washington city. Always will, whore the Radicals have the selection. —A Western paper in answer to tho inquiry, M What has become; of the Government of the United States?” says: ” Why, air, do you forget history so soon? The Government was shot Jn the privato'box of a theatre on a Good Frldoy night more than two years ago, It is as dead as a herring.” ’. miscellaneous. . —A pretty servant girl has eloped with a “IjervrmtrlnCincinnati,, *’ v ' /•. yV —Ofllclorsiatlstlcs say there,Wo 70,000 paupers in the State bf Georgia. • \\' \ .J; f—At a picnic lijßordonlOwn, Wm. Wood;*’ colored man, cut Ms wife's throat. . L —Twenty thousand Amor Ica’risnro estimated to' have mndolhe voyage to Europe since last Feb ruary. —The royal family of England spend or pocket over two and a half millions yearly. —lt is stated that out of nine editors of a Vicks burg paper five were sliot'or stabbed, one was severely wounded, one died of yellow fever, and onb had a prison experience. —“ What* brought you to prison, my colored friend?” "Two constables', sah." ‘‘.Ycs, but I mean had Intemperance anything to do with It?” "Yes, sah, dey was bofo of’em drunk." —At Frodlsburg, Indiana, Mr. Rico was'slung oia the Up by a bee, and the poison spread so rap idly-lhathowas speechless in thirty minutes and died in about three hours. —lt Is stated that tho Indian war now costa about a million per week, and tho expenses will soon run up to. five millions per week. It costa about a million dollars and tho lives of ten while men for every Indian killed. —An editor out West has married a girl by the name of Church. He says ho. has’experienced more happiness since ho Joined the church than ho did in all his life before. • j —A South Carolina negro was struck by a loco motive and thrown fifteen foot Into tho air, fall ing'back on tho boiler. When tho‘train was stopped, he merely complained, that tho boiler was uncomfortably hot, descended and walked off.' . —A Bike’s Peak miner, writing to a Mluosota paper, says the miners ore much discouraged In that region; "they have to dig through a solid vein of silver four feet thick before they reach the gold.” j —A caricature has been published at Matnmor as, which represents Undo- Ram lying flat on his back with Canada underneath him, and his head In his Russian purchase, taking an iced drink, bis legs cramped up by a rlokty fence named Mexico. Uncle Sara racdltatlngly says ho will have to stretch out his legs directly. The picture tickles the Texans amazingly. —lt Is asserted that the Chief Secretary' for Ire land, who is tho owner of a fine ostrich which was recently safely delivered of an egg, received tho following telegram from his steward: fMy Lord, asymtr lordship is out 0/ the country, I have procured tho biggest goose I could find to sltbn the ostrich’s eggs.*’ —At Franklin, Tennessee, before tho recent riot, a citizen went to tho black leaguers who were fir ing guns and making murderous threats, and told them that such couduct would provoke a war. A white Radical leader replied—'* By God, that’s just what we want!” 'in tho end they got what they wanted, but uot to half tho extent they deserved. Caucasian. > —lt is said that at a recent audience given by tho Pope, an American lady stopped forward up on the entrance of his Holiness and with tho pe culiar nasal twang of tho New England States thus spoke; “How d’ye do Pone Pius Ninth? I wont to Introduce you to my darter Jane.” His Holiness appeared to take tho affair very good natured and to appreciate tho Joke, while the Americans present were overwhelmed with mor tification. —A quaint writer says: I have seen women so delicate that they were afraid to ride for fear of tho horse runnlng.away; afraid to sail forfoar tho boat might upset; afraid to walk* for fear the dew might fall; butl hover saw one afraid to marry, which is more rlsktul limn all three put together. - , —Recently a Milwaukee police officer was de tailed to take au Insane man to an asylum. The man went along quietly until tho end of the ney was reached, when, Instead of being deliver ed to, the officers of the asylum, he.very quietly delivered tho astonished officer, who, before he bad an opportunity for nn explanation, found himself locked up In a cell, and wins told that a straight jacket awaited him If ho made nnyde ' monstrnllon. It was some time before the officer could get Ills story believed and exchange places with the lunatic, who went off boasting of lus skill in outwitting his keeper.' —Tile United States has more miles of railroad in operation than any other country in tho world, 30,898 miles being Its running order. Next come Great Britain, and Ireland, with 18,280 miles; Franco, with 6082 miles; Prussia, withs7osmiles; Austiia, with 3631 miles; British India, with 3379 miles; Italy, with’3,2l3 miles; Spain, with 3110 miles; Russia, with 2775 miles, and Canada, 2148 miles. There are In Europe 50,117 miles; In Ainorlcu,4o,BoBmiles; Asia,3ooo miles; Africa, 375 miles; and Australiaala, 308 miles. —Tho Bos,ton Traveler of the 18th inst. states that a , lady In Reading; Mass., while conversing with some callers, suddenly turned pale, and, sinking into a chair, exclaimed, ” Did you hear that gun? It affected me strangely;” and wept Inconsolably. Her visitors hud beard no report, aud it afterwards appeared that no gun bad been fired at that time on the place. News came, how ever, that her brother,.residing a hundred miles; away, was at that very hour fatally shot by tho accidental discharge of Ms fowling-piece while hunting In a grove near his,house. —One day'lost week the little daughter of Mr. Aden E.- Rodman, residing near Brownstown. about two years old, was found by her mother feeding a large house snako ou tho portico in front of the house, Tho "mother had given the child a cup of broad and milk, and sot her down on the porch while she went to attend ,to her household-duties; but after a while, hearing tile child talking,- she wont out, and was horrified to find tho child with a snake In her lap, holding it back of the bead, whilst his anakeahlp was eating tho bread and milk. Mrs. Rodman, with a pres once of mind truly commendable, seized the child’s hand and shaking the snake loose, killed it.—6>’2W)io«r(7?jrf.) Union. ' l ' , —Two dcvll-llßli, the sea mousters described by Victor Hugo, in lils* >• Tollers of tho Sea,” have been taken and carried'lo San Francisco by some Italian fishermen. The head la about the size of a sturgeon's, I* Joined to a sort of sack; from which hang eight long pendants or arms, which ever they may be, covered with suckers or valves,- resembling in shape and size the human ear, and, like the main body, of a white gelatinous appear-, .ancc. Take a large .sturgeon and cut bis body into strips, from the gills' to tho tall, spread them out with the head ih the centre, and you liavo. some Idea of the appearance of the devil-fish.— They are found all along the North’Pacific coast, but are seldom captured owing to the danger ot to tiding that operation. Tho two in Sah Fran <jlsco measure six feet from tho end of thelrnoso to tho.llp of their anus, " —Governor Geary la at BedfoM Sprlngn. Buchanan Is going there. —Brigham Young’s tithes arosald toamount to 8500,000 yearly, ’ . --Clark Mills la said to he about to make an equestrian statuo of General Grant, Juarez refuses to deliver Ihe body of Maxi milian, saving that it is a subject for treaty. —John Hay, of Illinois, is Secretary of Legation .at Vienna, And Alexander Bliss, of Now York, tat Berlin. * . . —Sheridan’s Blends are initiating a movement to make him the itopnblioan candidate for Pres ident. —A she Blondin, who calls herself Rosa Celeste* is going to walk across Niagara on a tight-rope. ■ —Officers of the United States steamers Yuca and Herylho, from Tampico, eonfirin the report , of the death' of Santa Anna. —Beecher Is so perplexed with his “Norwood 1 characters that lie recently, said he “ felt tempted toget.up a grand railroad accident and kill them all offat once.” •• • —Dan Rico, said tho other evening, in his cir cus,-that he was not going to defile tho fair rccotd of thirty-seven years as a respectable'showman by, becoming a member of Congress. ’ ■ ““The New York evening Gazette, says Horace Greeley Is writing a life of himself for the Now York Ledger, -Mr. Bonner will commence its publication in two or three weeks. - —MeJhtfs wife is said to have run distractedly through the streets of Queretaro, on the ove of her husbands execution, carrying; in her arms her new born babe. ■ ‘ , —Tho venerable father of the late Lazarus W. Powell, ox-Governor of Kentucky, and U, S. Sen ator, is still living near Henderson, Ky. He is now in his ninetieth year. —Miss tialllo B. Goodrich 1s after Horace Gree ley with a sharp stick. She lectured In Utica' about him tho other night, and said that Jeff. Da vis was a traitor and Horace Greeley w# no bet ter, and that traitors ought to be hung. —A letter from Japan states that “ Tomnjy’»j 8 to bO made governor of a city (Hiago) by the Ty coon.-. Ho is.alrcady a captain of engineers aud expects to visit the United States to study engl neerlog. Heis.said.to be very popular at homo, since his return from America.) —Forney complains of tho filth that Is thrown at him, and Prentice suggests that it mokes very little difference whether the filth la thrown at Forney or Forney at tho filth. 5 • - —The 2rUh Times, Dublin, of the’2Btli ult., an- arrival lri‘ that, city, of the Hon George W,: Woodward, Chief Justice bf the Su premo Court of Pennsylvania. We are glad to learn that Judge Woodward Is In "flue health Rad good spirits,” ’ * ; PERSONA!. VETO OF THE RECONSTRUCTION I Waseunq?X)N, July 18, 18U7. the House of Representatives of/ the Statck, ' * V r \ I return herewith the bill entitled “ AJi hot supplementary to an act entitled an;, net to provide for the more efficient ermnent of - the passed om the 2d day ~of March/ 18U7, and the act supplementary thereto; passed on the 23d day of March, 1887, and will state, briefly ns possible, some of the reasons which prevent me from giving it my approval. This is one of a series of measures pass ed by Congress during tho last lour months on the subject of reconstruction; The message returning the act of 2d of March last states at length, my objections to the pasSageof that measure; they apply equally well,to tb‘6 bill how beiore nic, ami I am content merely to refer to them,; and to reiterate my conviction that they ate sound and unanswerable. There are some points peculiar to this bill which X will proceed at once to consider. J The first section purports to declare tho true intent and meaning, in ’some par ticulars, of the prior acts upon this sub ject. It is declared that tne luieut ’.of those acts was. first, “That the existing governments in the ten rebel States" were not legal State governments; and second, “That thereafter ‘said govern ments, if continued,' were to bo continued subject in ail respects to the military commanders of tUo' respective districts and to the paramount authority of Con gress. Congress mky, by a declaratory act, ilx upou au act a construction alto gether at variance with Us apparent meaning, and from the time at least when such construction is fixed the original act will be construed to moan exactly what it is stated to mean by tile declaratory statute. There will bo then, from the time this bill may become a law, no doubt, no question as to tne relation in which the existing governments in those States, called in the original act the ‘Vpro visional governments," stand towards the military authority. As their relations •stood beiore the declaratory act, these “governments," it is true, were made subject to absolute military authority?? in many important respects, but not m all, the language of the act beiug, “ {Sub ject to the military authority of the United {States us hereinafter prescribed." By tho sixth section of the original act governments were made “ in all re spects subject to the paramount authori ty of the United States." JSow, by this dec laratory, act it appears that Congress diu not, by the original act* intend to limit the military authority to any particular or subjects therein “prescribed," but meant to make it universal. Thus, over all these teu (States, this military govern ment is now declared to have uuiimiteu authority. It is no longer conflned to the preservation of the public peace, the administration of criminal law, the regis tration 01 voters, and the superiuten deuce of elections, but in ail respects is asserted to be paramount to the existing civil governments. It is impossible to conceive any-state of society more intol erable than this, and yet it is to this con dition that millions of American citizens are reduced by the Congress of tho Uni ted States. Over every foot of the im mense territory occupied by tbese.Ameri can citizens the Constitution of the Uni ted .States theoretically is In full opera tion. It binds all the people there, and should protect them; yet they are denied every one of its. sacred guarantees. Oi what avail will it be to any one of these Southern people, when seized by, a file 01 soldiers, to'ask for the cause of arrest, or for the production of the warrant? Oi what avail to ask for the piivilege of bail when in. military custody, which .knows no such thing os bail? Of ,what avail ro demand a trial by jury, process fm witnesses, a copy of the indictment, -the privilege of counsel, or taht greater privi lege— thewrit ofc habeas corpus. • The veto of the original bid of the 2d oi March was based on two distinct grounds, “ the interfereuce of, Congress in matters strictly appertaining to the re served powers of the {States, and the es tablishment of military tribunals for the trial of citizens in time oi peace." The impartial reader of that message will un derstand that all that it contains with re spect to military despotism and martiai law has reference especially to the fearful powerconferredon the district command ers to displace the criminal,courts and as sume jurisdiction to try aud to punish b> military boards; that potentially the sus pension oi the habeas corpus was mania, law and military despotism. Tho aci now before me not only declares that the intent was to confer such military au thority, but also to conifer unlimited au thority over all Uie other courts of the State, and overall tne officers of tho State, legislative, executive"aud judicial. Not content with the general grant oi power, Congress in the 2d section of tbit, bill speciflcal ly gives to each military com mander the power to “suspend or remove from office, or from-the performance 01 official duties and the exercise of officiuj po\yer, any officer or person holding 01. exercising, or professing to hold or . exer cise any civil or military office dr duty in such district under any, power, elec tion, appointment,,or authority derive*, from or granted by or claimed under anj so-called State, or thegoverument thereoi, or any municipal or.other division there of," a power that hitherto ail the depart ments of the Federal Government, acting in concert or separately, have not dureu to exercise, is here attempted tu be comer red on a subordinate military officer. .-To him, au a military otfleer of the Federal Government, is given the power, support ed by a “ sufficient military force," to re move every civil officer of the (State. — What- next? . The district commander, who has thus displaced the'civil officer, is authorized to till the vacancy by the detail of au officer or soldier of the army, or by the appointment of some other per son. This military appointee, wlietuei au officer, a soidier, or some other person, is to perlorm the duties of such officer 01 person so suspended or removed. In other words, au officer or soldier of the army is thus transformed into a civil 01- ticer, . . Ho may bo Blade a governor, legislator, ora Judge. However unlltTio may deem himseli lor such civil duties be must obey tbe order,*. TJu; officer of thb.army.muai, if detailed, go upon the supreme bench 01 ‘ tbe State with the same,prompt ouedi euce as If he were detailed to.go upon a court-martial. Tbo soldier, if detailed to act as a justice of tbe peace, must obey as quickly as if be were detailed for picket duty. Wbat is the character of such a military civil officer? This bill declares that be shall perlorm the duties of the civil office to which he is detailed. It is Clear, however, that he does not lose his position in the military service. He is still an officer oreoldierof thoarmy. He is stilf subject to the rules and regulatious which govern it, and must yield due de ference, respect, and obedience towards his superiors. Tbe clear intent of this section, is, that the officer or * soldier de tailed to fill a civil office mustoxeouto Us duties accordiug to the Wvs of the State, if he is appointed a Governor of a state he is to exec luc tho duties us provided* by the iawsot* that State, uud for the time being bis military character is to be sus peuded.in his new civil capacity. If h is appointed a State Treasurer ho .must at once assume the* custody and disburse ment ot the funds of the State, and must perform these duties precisely according to the laws of the State, tor he is entrust* e «i ao oiaer official, duty; or otUer official power. Holding , the office of treasurer, aud entrusted with fuuds, it happens that he is required by the Sta-e laws to enter into bond with security aud to take au oath of office: yet from the be ginning of tbe bill to the end there is no provision, for.auy bonder or oath of office or for any single qualification requlreu under the State Jaw, such as residence, citizenship, or anything else., The ohiv oath is that provided lor in the ninth section, by the terms of which every one detatied or appointed to any. .oivil office m the Btute is required " to take and to subscribe the oath of office prescribed bv Jaw for the officers of the Uuited States." Ihus an officer of the army of the Uuited ° 01v h office in* one of these States, gWea no official bond aud takes no official oath for tUe preformauoo ot bis new duuea, but as a civil officer of the estate only takes the same oath which he had already taken us A military officer of the United Stales. He is at leasts flffihtary officer ptniomlug civil duties, and the authority under whloli be acts is federal authority only, aud* the iuevit able result is that the Federal Govern meut, by the agency of its own sworn of-' fleers, in effect uasupi'es the civil govern ment ol the State. ■■ ■* ' . 8 v ““ " 'A' singular contradiction la ■ apparent here. (Jongress declares these local state governments to be Illegal governments, and tb'sn provides tbat the Illegal gov* errmienta are to be carried on Federal. a{e to perform the very du tids,iriipbaed on Ita bwn officers by this illegal fixate authority. It would be no vel spectacle if-Congress should attefnpt toicarry on a legal mate government by the agency of ita officers. It is yet more strange tbat Congress attempts to sustain and carry on an illegal titalegovernment by the same Federal agency. in this connection, I must call attention to the tenth and eleventh sections of the bill, which provide that hone of the 6£-. licersor appointeesof (hose militarycom niatiders V BhalJ be bound In their action by any opinion of any .civiLofllcer of, the United btates, and that all the provisions of the act shall be construed liberally, to ihc end'that all tho intents thereof may be fully and perfectly carried out.’! It seems Congress supposed ttiat this bill might require construction, and they fix, therefore, the rule to bo applied. But wnere.is the coustruotioii’to come from ? Certhlaiuly no one can bo more iu Want of instruction than, a soldier or an officer of the army detailed for a civil service, s perhaps the most important in a State, with the duties of which he is altogether unfamiliar. This bill says he shall not be bound in his action by the opinion ,of any civil olficor of the United States. ; The dutiesof thootficeare jiotaltpgeth or civil, but when he asks for an opinion, ho can only ask the opinion of another military officer, who perhaps understands os Utile of his duties as he does himself; and as to his “ action’.”- he is answerable to the militaryauthorltyaloue. Strictly, no opinion of any civil officer, other than a judge, has a binding force,* but these military appointees would not be bound, even by a judicial opinion. They might very weii.say, even when their action is in conflict with the Supreme Court of, tne United Slates, “ that court is composed of civil officers of the United States, and we are not bound to conform our action Jo any opinion of any suqh authority.” This bill, and the acts to which it is supplementary, are ail founded.upon the assumption tbat these ten communities are not States, and that their existing governments are not legal. Throughout the legislation .upon this subject, they are' called rebel States, And in ibis particu lar bill they are denominated soicalied States,”.and the vice of is de clared to pervade all of them. The obli gations of consistency, bind a.legislative • oily as well as the individuals who com pose it. It is now too late to say that these ten political communities are not States of (ho Union.. Declarations to the contrary in these acts.are contradicted again and agaiu by reputed acts of legis lation enacted by Congress from the year 1861 to,the year 1867. During that period, whilst these states were in actual rebel lion, and after that rebellion was brought co a close, they have been again and again recognized as States of the Union, llo prcsentution has , been apportioned to i them as States. ; They have been divided into judicial districts for the holding of district and circuit courts of the United States, os States of the Union only can be districted. The last uct on.this subject was passed July 23,1860, by which every one of these ten States was arranged into districts and circuits; they .have been called upon by Congress to act through their Legislatures -, upon-at least two amendments to the Constitution of the United States: os States they have rati fled one amendment, which required the vote of twenty-seven States of the thirty six then composing the Union ; when the requisite twenty-seven votes were given in favor of. that amendment, seven of wliioh votes' werp given by seven ol these ten Stated, it was proclaimed to be a part of the Constitution of Che United -States, and slavery was declared no long er to exist within the United’States. If these seven States were not l6gai States of the Union, it follows, as an inevitable consequence that slaveryyet exists. It does not exist in these seven States, for they have abolished it also in their own State Constitutions, but Kentucky, not having done so, wouldT still reitiuln in chat state. • But, in truth, if this assump tion .that these States have no legal State governments be true, then the abolition of slavery by these illegal governments binds no one, for Congress now denies to -these States the power to abolish slavery by denying to them the power, : to elect, a legal State or to frame a con stitution for any purpose, even fbf such a purpose as the abolition of slavery. As to-the other constitutional amend ment, having reference to suffrage, it hap pens that these States have not accepted it. The conseqences is that it has never been proclaimed, or understood even by Congress to be a part of the Coustltutldn of the United States. ; The Senate of the United States has repeatedly given, its sanction to the• appointment of judges, district attorneys’and, marshals for every one of these States, and yet if they are not legal States notone of.these judges is luttiorized.to hold 8o,;too, both- Houses of Congress have'passed appropri ation bills to pay, ail these judges, attor neys and officers of. the .United. States for exercising their functions in. these States. Again, in the'maedfltoery of the internal revenue laws ail tiroe States are district ed,-not.as .Territories, but as States.. Su much for continuous legislative recogni tion. The instances cited, however, fall i'ar short of aljUbatmigblbeenumerated. Executive recognition, as,is well known, nas been-frequent ahdanwavering. The same.may bo said as to judicial re cognition through the. Supremo Court of the United Slates. That august tribunal, from first to lost, in tin; administration of its duties, in banc and upon the circuit, uas never failed to recognize these ten communities usjogal States of the Union, i'he cases depending in. that court upon appeal and writ.of error from these States when tlie rebellion began, have not been dismissed upon any idea of the cessation of jurisdiction. They were carefully con tinued from term to term until the rebel lion was entirely subdued and peace re established, and then they were called for argument and consideration, as if no in surrection hud intervened. New coses, occurring since the rebellion, have come ■from these. States before that court by writ of error and appeal, and even by original suit where only a'State can bring such a suit. These cases are entertained by that tribunal in the exercise of its ac knowledged Jurisdiction, which could not attach to them if they had come from any political body other than a State of the Union. Finally, in the allotment of their cir cuits made by the judges at the Decem ber term, 1805, every one of these States is put on the sumefooting of legality with all other States of the Union. Virginia and North Carolina, being a part of the tourth circuit, are allotted to the Chief. Justice. South Carolina, Georgia, Ala bama, Mississippi aud Florida, constitute the fifth circuit, are allotted to the late Mr. Justice Hayne. .Louisiana, Arkan sas and Texas j. are allotted to the sixth judicial circuit, as to which there is a va cancy on the bench.,. The Chief Justice, in the exercise of his circuit duties, has recently held a Circuit Court in the State of North Carolina. If.’North Carolina is not a State of this Union, the Chief. Jus tioe had mo authority to hold a court there, dud every order, judgment and de cree rendered by, him in that court were comm non judice ieC indfui., Another ground on whicli tiiese recon atrudtion acts are attempted to be sustain ed |s this; that tiiese ten States are coh* ; quered territory, that the. constitutional relation in which Jliey stood as Btates to wards the Pederal Government prior to the rebellion has given place to new re lation; ; :that their territory 1s a cohqered country and their .citizens a conquered people, and that in this new relation Con lire's can. government by military power. A title by conquest staudaon clear ground • it is a new title acquired by war. 6 'lt nn’ to territory, for goods and mov- SIT regularly captured in war are •called, Booty,” or, if token by individu- H, ra ’i p “ nder ’” 'Pbere is hot a loot of the laud in anyone of these ten States which the United States holds by conquest, save only such laud as did not p lc herof theaebtates or toanV hih a*? ual 9 wn u or - .'I meau such lands'Us did belong to the_pretended government called the Confederate States. These lauua wo may claim to hold by commat® aa to all other luiid ot territory whether belouging to the States or to imlivldual/ the' hedoral ‘Government has- now nn fha r «h ?i ?r rl B‘* ttQ ' lt 1111111 had before the rebellion. Our own fans, areermiV navy yards, , custom houses, and othii property situate in thoao Stafea ,we now hold not by the title of cmioueat llu ? by our old titled-acquired by purchase to public use, withcomi pensatlon to former- owners. We have pot conquered ‘ these., places, - but have BlwpJy ■"raposßegeea” ,Uiem;: , if we oriinei'iiubllo'iiiw.l-wo niuat. acquire tho title to them by purohasdor appropriation in' the, couri-hoqaßa.Uifithff'States. W United iStates .pays'’each Of these Stan., for the use pflta Jails. Finally, the United States levlesite direct.taxea-end its Inter nal reveuuebupou the - property in these States, : inoludlng~tbo, :produetion of the lands within thefr.. territorial. limits, not by.way.of ievy and-contributlou in , t h. character of a conqueror, but lii therein, lar way of taxation,'under theearno ia w j which apply, to. nil the other States of the Union.- Froni first to last,-during there hellion and since, the title of each of these States to the lands and public bulldlun owned by them .has never been disturbed and not a foot of it bus eVer been acquire.! by the Uhiled States; even under a till* by confiscation, and not a foot of it hai ever been taxed under Federal law. In conclusion, I must respectfully the attention of Congress to the consider atloq of one more question arising under tbp'bill: It vests in the military com "Bfimder, subject only to the approval 0 ( the General of the'army of'the United States, an unlimited power. to. remove from office any civil or military officer In each of these States, and the further pow. er, subject to the same approval, to detail or appoint buy tnilltary officer or soldier of the United States to perform the duties of. the officer, so removed, and to fill an vacancies'- occurring in these States bv death; resignation, or Otherwise. Th e military appointee thus required to per form tho duties of a civil officer, accordint to the laws: of the State, and ns such re qUlred to take'an' oath, is, for'the time being, a civil officer.' What is his char acter V Is he a civil officer of the State ora civil officer of the United States ? 1/ he is a civil officer of the State; where h the Federal power under-pur:Conatitu cion wbieh authorizes his .appointment by any Federal officer? .If, however, he is.to be considered, a. civil -officer of. the United'States,'as -hih ; appointment', pod oath .would, seem to Indicate, whore | s the authority for his appointment vested by the Constitution ? The power of ap. polntment.of, all officers of tbe-Unitcd States, civil dr military; where not pro. vidod for in the Constitution, is vested li die President, by and with the udvi.t and consent of the Senate, with this in ception.; that Congress may by lap-, veil the appointmeut of such inferior officers, as they think -proper in. the President alone, in the courts of low, or in the heads of departments. But this bill, i( these are to be considered inferior officers within the meaning of the Constitution, does not provide for their appointment by the President alone, or by the courts of law, or by thd heads of departments, but rests the appointment, in one subor dinate executive officer, subject tu the approval of . another subordinate execu tive officer; so that if-we :put tills, ques tion and fix the character of this military appointee, either way this provision of tho bill la equally opposed to the Consti tution. Take the case of a poldfer or officer'ap polnted to-perform, the office of judge, ui one.of these States, and as such to admin ister the proper laws of the State, where is the authority to be found- in the-Con stitution for- vesting- in a military or an executive officer strict judicial functions to be exercised under State law: it has been again an,d again decided by the Su preme Court of; the United States that acts of Congress which have* attempted to vest executive power in the judicial courts or judges of the United States are not warranted by the constitution. If Congress cannot.olothe a Judge with merely executive 'dirties, how can they clothe an officer or soldier of the army with.judlcial duties over citizens of the United States who are not in the milita ry or naval service. 50,,t00, it haa.bqen repeatedly decided that Congress cannot require a State offi cer, executive or judicial, to perform any duty enjoined upon him by a law of the United States. How, then, can Congress, confer power upon an; executive officer of the United States to perform such da duties in a State ? If Congress could not vest in a Judge of one of these. States any j udiclal authority under the United States by direct enactment, how can it accom plish the something indirectly, by remo ving the State judge and putting an offi cer of the United Stated in his place? To me these considerations are conclu sive of the unconslitutiouality of the part of the bill now before me, and -I earnest ly commend their consideration to the deliberate judgment of Congress. Within a period less than a year the legislation ot Congress has attempted to strip the executive department of the -Government of.some of itw essential ppw The Constitution, and the oath provi ded in It, devolves.upon the President the power and duty to see that the lawa are faithfully executed. The Constitu tion, in order to carry out, this-power. gives him the choice of the agents, and makes them subject to his control and supervision, but in the execution of these laws the constitutional obligation upon the President remains, but the power to exercise that,constitutional, duty,is effec tually taken away. 'The" military ,com mander is, as to the power of appoint ment, made to take the place of the Pres ident, and the General of'the army the place of the Senate, and attempt on the part of the President, to 'assert his own. constitutional power-imay, under pretence of law* be met by official insub ordination. It is to be feared that these military of ficers, looking to the authority given by these, rather than to the letter of the Constitution, will recognize po authority but. the Qommander of the district and the General of the army. If there were no other objection than this to this pro posed legislation, it would besuffloient.- Whilst X hold the chief executive author ity of the Unitedititates jwhilat the obli gation rests ujion me, to see that, all the laws are foithfully executed, I can never willingly surrender'that trust, or the powers given for its-execution; I can never give my assent to be made respon sible for the faithful- execution of .laws, and at the.'same time surrender'that trust and' the powers which accompany it, to any other executive-officer,-high or low, or to any-number of executive officers. If .this executive trust,,vested by the Constitution in the President, is to be to ken from him and vestedvin a-subordi hate officer; the,responsibility.-will be with Congress, in clothings, the subordi nate with uuconstitutionar power, aud with the officer who assumes its exercise .. This interference with tbe.coDstitutiouol authority of ti e executive department is an eyllthat will inevitably' SaiV the foun dations of our federal,system, but it Is not the worst evil of this legislation. Itisa great public wrong to take from the Pres ffioht powers conferred oh him, alone by the-Constitution. ■ But the wrong is more flagrant and more dangerous ‘When the powers so taken from the) President are conferred upon subordinate executive of ficers, and especially upon military offi core. Over nearly one-third df the States of ’military: power; - regulated by no fixed law, reigns supreme. . Each 9°b ,of,. the five district .commanders, though not chosen by the-people*or re sponsible to'them, exercises at'ihifl bour more executive power, military and civil, than the people , have eVer .been wiUiug to confer upon of'the executive department,though bho_BBn-by ,apd re sponsible. to mpst come from the people themselves. They know, what it is and how It is. to be applied. At the: present time they can not. according to the fornis of the Consti tution; repeal-these lawer-They- cannot remove or control this military-despo tism. The* remedy Isi nevertheless, la their hands. It Is to be found in- fcb® ballot,.aod is a sure one, if not controlled by /raud, overawed: by arbitrary poWf r i or from apathy on their partrtoo 1 long de layed,";-,:'--^ With, abiding,confidence in their patri otism and Integrity, X ntn still-hopeful of the future,.and chut in the end the rod of despotism will be broken, the armed bed of power llftod from the nccks df the peo ple, and the principles of a violated Con stitution preserved.-.* - I : ‘ ANDhißtv Jojtnsok. toi let. article—Bupcrior.' to Cologne ‘ and ’ at half the price, l J ' v '' '2t 'r-.'in, . r ' ■' ■ V s=S.’; ;C;'- - AnyEßfiaiNO is. the oil which'wfc# tradesmen put in: their .lamps,- ■*.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers