Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Sid Salter: Ole Miss Was the Scene 62 Years Ago of a Federalized National Guard

The political and legal standoff between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not the first time a U.S. president has federalized a state’s National Guard command. Following protests against the federal government’s escalation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids as part of the Trump administration’s effort to combat illegal immigration, Trump sent in the National Guard to “restore order,” despite objections from Newsom and the State of California.

Many Americans aren’t exactly aware of the actual command distinctions concerning the Guard.

FindLaw.com legal writer Richard Dahl explains: “The National Guard is part of the U.S. military but is unusual because both state and federal leaders control it. Most of the time, state National Guard units are commanded by governors. However, presidents have the authority to call them into service to respond to hurricanes, bolster border security, and assist in overseas military operations.”

The National Guard documents that federalization has been utilized by presidents since the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion in Western Pennsylvania: “On at least ten occasions since World War II, the President has mobilized National Guard troops for missions within the borders of the U.S. and retained them under federal authority.”

All these instances would fall within the broad confines of the Constitution, which authorizes the President to call up the militia "to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.” (Article I, Section 8, Clause 15)

Mississippians of a certain age know that. Some 62 years ago, the late President John F. Kennedy did the same thing in Mississippi over the issue of the integration of the University of Mississippi in Oxford by James Meredith.

In 1962, Meredith's integration of Ole Miss sparked riots that left two dead and more than 180 injured. The riots and the killings of Paul Guihard, a journalist for a French news agency, and local jukebox repairman Walter Ray Gunter occurred as President Kennedy intervened and federalized the Mississippi National Guard.

While giving speeches in Mississippi about his defiance of the Kennedys, tape recordings of telephone conversations between Barnett, President John F. Kennedy, and Attorney General Robert Kennedy reveal a more pleading, placid Barnett negotiating feverishly on Sept. 29, 1962, the day before federal troops escorted black student James Meredith onto the Ole Miss campus and faced angry protesters.

The tapes reveal that a sticking point arose when Barnett wanted federal officers to draw and brandish more weapons during the staged surrender of the governor – a bit of political theater that other Southern governors of that era sought.

Finally, cooler heads prevailed, and Meredith was admitted under the guidance of federal marshals. Ironically, the federalization of the Mississippi Guard placed Barnett’s son Ross Barnett, Jr., and the son of U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis, John Hampton Stennis, in the position of enforcing federal law that their fathers both publicly opposed.

The Kennedys also, unwittingly, provided perhaps the quintessential Ross Barnett story. The islands of Quemoy and Matsu, off the coast of China, were central to a debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon during the 1960 presidential campaign. The islands, controlled by the Chinese anti-communists in exile in Taiwan, had faced bombardment by the Communist Chinese on the mainland during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Mississippi Capitol reporters asked Barnett what he would do about Quemoy and Matsu. “I guess I'd just appoint them to the Game and Fish Commission,” Barnett reportedly replied.

Beyond the issue of federalizing the National Guard is the narrower question of the Posse Comitatus. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which removed the military from regular civil law enforcement, was enacted in response to the abuses resulting from the extensive use of the army in civil law enforcement during the Civil War and Reconstruction, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

Newsom argues that police powers are a state and local matter, not a federal one, and that Posse Comitatus essentially bars the use of the U.S. military for civil law enforcement. Here’s hoping the riots end faster than the legal fight does.

Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sid, let it go bro!

Anonymous said...

Re: whether or not President Trump could legally go around CA GOV Gavin NewScum and federalize the National Guard, the answer for Democrats is the same as with universal injunctions by activist judges.

Senator Kennedy recently summed it up perfectly when stating to hypocritical, no integrity at all, University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw, when stating:

“I have little respect for your opinion, because when someone is the white house that you agree with, and someone gets a universal injunction against him, you don’t like universal injunctions. You call them judges acting like politicians in robes, and judges looking like crass political actors. But now that President Trump’s in the white house, who you dislike, you think that universal injunctions taste like pumpkin pie.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMiMo6oFrhE

Democrats want to rule the world; and just like Democrats were for a president being able to federalize the national guard before, but are against it now, Democrats will interpret what needs to be interpreted the way they want it to be interpreted. So, we have a choice, succumb and be ruled by Democrats, or rule.

Anonymous said...

History is important. Got it. Sid is a broken record. Or a scratched CD. Or a lagging internet connection.

Anonymous said...

Let’s dig up that old horse and beat him some more.

Anonymous said...

Sid and Jerry Mitchell need to get a room.

Anonymous said...

Sad to see so many of my fellow conservatives brush away history in this comment section. There is no let it go or stop beating a dead horse. It happened, it was ugly and we should always cherish our history no matter how ugly it is. A shame so many want to throw it away

Anonymous said...

One of the assistant Attorney Generals who was standing beside Mr Meredith was asked "Which one of you gentleman is Mr Meredith?"

Anonymous said...

Comparing Ole Miss to LA is apples to oranges. And, I suspect some of those who love Trump would be thrilled if every Democrat and person of color were rounded up and deported. Want ICE to show up at our chicken plants or egg plants? It's just respectful to offer help to a governor. Kennedy was trying to reason with MS's Governor. The situation in MS was wildly different...crosses burning and Evers made it far more dangerous? Trump didn't even have someone call California's Governor's office. And, telling the media " we know where the Ayatollah is" could not be any dumber. Reckon he's in the same spot?

Anonymous said...

10:12 AM, I appreciate history. I'm thankful Salter gave us the update from 63 years ago, and to see nothing has changed. You can never tell when a Mandela moment may strike.

Anonymous said...

10:42
Newsome doesn’t want feds there, Barnett didn’t want feds there. Apples to apples
I suspect some who love Kamala want every republican deported.
I dont care where ICE shows up to arrest illegals.
Kennedy was NOT being respectful to Barnett or offering help.He was exercising his Presidential authority.
Lots of Cars burning in LA, and bricks thrown at police officers in “peaceful” protests.
You dont know whether or not Trump called Newsome.
Trump says a lot of things that are just negotiation tactics.

Anonymous said...

You can remember history and acknowledge it all you want. But, we have progressed the last 63 yrs. If people want to bask in the past horrors all year long, let them. The rest are looking forward into the future.

Anonymous said...

I think it is funny that Democrats are saying we need illegal immigrants to pick crops in the fields. Kinda sounds like something else that happened to another group of people at one time. Democrats and slaves go hand in hand.

Anonymous said...

Nonsensical comment.

Anonymous said...

10:42 AM, it always has to be apples and oranges to Democrats; because they’re hypocrisy has no boundaries…and the only thing Democrats love more than crime, are the criminals that commit the crimes.

And your “person of color were rounded up and deported” comment is sooooo typical, like Biden’s Republicans are going to put you back in chains. You leftists can’t win the debate without total bullshit propaganda lies, designed to put fear into the weak, too ill-informed to know they’re being played.

As to your opinion that "we know where the Ayatollah is" “could not be any dumber,” it’s a chess game. And whether Trump’s comment is a strategic bluff, or a psychological warfare tactic, neither you nor I know. But what we do know is, you Democrats are rooting against a positive outcome for our country…because you hate Trump so much. You literally would prefer the radicals in Iran obtain a nuclear weapon than see Trump succeed.

Democrats are haters, that hate this country, and burn and loot when they don’t get their way. Otherwise, like in the case of Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy, and his comment towards the Ayatollah, you would STFU.

Anonymous said...

Inconvenient truth. How many Democrat leaders have said these things?

Anonymous said...

That is the thing with these clowns, they can't see past the next 5 mins. They would rather see Iran launch a nuke then to admit anything positive about Trump. Doing nothing is not a strategy when dealing with Iran.

Anonymous said...

"Finally, cooler heads prevailed, and Meredith was admitted under the guidance of federal marshals" ------------- and also the 101st Airborne with real bullets and bayonets attached. Sid left that out.

Anonymous said...

What really ironic is that the troops were sent to Ole Miss to protect protesters who supported Meredith, the troops sent to LA are there to confront protesters.

Anonymous said...

@9:39 I totally agree !!

Anonymous said...

@8:38 - you are so correct in quoting Senator Kennedy (the good one, from LA) when he pointed out that Democrats are so happy supporting Federal Judges and their nationwide declarations when they agree with them.......

But you are so blind to realize that the same story holds true for Repubicans: We lauded and clapped when the federal district judges (particularly the ones in places such as the far SW corner of Texas, where he is the only Judge within hundreds of miles) did the same thing during the past four years.

If the glove fits, you gotta wear it. (Yeah, that's not what they said in OJ's trial, but here, its appropriate.) Federal injunctions from those we like: GOOD. Nationwide injunctions we don't like: BAD.

Both sides feel the same - just on opposite sides of the fence.

Anonymous said...

on that very spot 15,234 years ago, a mastodon trampled several local residents. nobody writes about that!

Anonymous said...

4:26 PM felt the need to make the exact same point posted at 8:38 AM that Senator Kennedy made. OK.

We can all now understand, almost as sure as we woke up this morning, that Democrat U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer (the brother of ???) is FOR the national guard federalized by a Republican President being returned to a Democrat State; but would be AGAINST the national guard federalized by a Democrat President being returned to a Republican State.

And this means Charles R. Breyer is not a judge, he’s not an interpreter of the law; he’s a Democrat tool.

America has become a freak show full of evil, with so-called judges bearing much of the responsibility. When 3 Supreme Court judges, ALL DEMOCRATS, believe that mentally confused children, young kids,
not old enough to join the military,
not old enough to get a driver’s license,
not old enough to drink alcohol,
not old enough rent a vehicle,
not old enough to vote in our elections,
not old enough to rent an apartment,
not even old enough to sign up for health insurance,
ARE old enough to make a decision to mutilate themselves by cutting their parts off, it’s time to understand America’s laws have nothing to do with morality. We must teach this.

It’s like these activist judges are scared the kids might grow up and change their minds; since they can choose to cut anything they want off later on when of age to make these types of decisions.

Democrats want to rule the world. We have a choice: rule, or be ruled.

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes, the dishonorable Mr. Breyer;

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5355754-appeals-panel-scrutinizes-judges-block-on-trump-national-guard-deployment/

Anonymous said...

Why should Trump show respect to those that continually attack him. How ignorant do you have to be to even consider that Governor Brylcreem would give permission?

Anonymous said...

Sixty-two years ago? Feels bad. I'm calling in sick today.


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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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