Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-09-26
The Progress of Despotism.

There has always been a tendency among the people of the North towards a strong govern ment. Their reresentative man Ill the days or the first revolution, Alexander Hamilton, un- derstood them, and his federalstic views were based on his estimate of their characters. Some suprse has been expressed that people who have enjoyed feeedom as they have, should so readily and gladly submit, as majority nave, to the establishment of military despotlsm that rules with unsparing vigor. But there ever was among the genuine Yankees disposition to worship power Petty tyrants themselves, Tn turn they are ready to submit to greater tyrants. It is undoubtedly true that majority of the northern people indorse Lincoln's acts and jus tify his disregard of the writ of habeas corpus, his arrests of women and children, his lmprlson- ment of suspected persons, his suppression of newspapers and military executions. But there is majority a respectable one too, that may, some day, become majority, who view these things with alarm This minority knows that if these things are permitted now, that worse will follow, and return to republican form of government will be impossible. History, so far as we have read it, affords no instance of people who so suddenly and so willingly de- scended from the high estate of freemen to be- come the abect minions of despot. And the fact is more wonderful, when we remember that their ruler possesses no great qualities; that he is neither brave, eloquent, learned or well-bred,
 4lo opJ n in of and political iockeying he has no distinguishing trait.
 In the establishment of all despotisms, certain steps have been taken, and certain results have followed. These have followed with fearful ra- pidity at the North and others will certainly fol- low as a matter of course. Without pretending to set up as prophet we may safely predict that secret political societies will be established at the North, or have already beensestablished- These follow as natural consequence oftyran- nv. The relations and friends of those persons confined in Forts Lafayette, McHenry and other prisons, will be thrown together and take coun- sel with each other. Their meetings will, nec- esssariy, be held in secret and plots and plans will be devised Revenge will prompt them to seek retaliation for the wrongs inflicted and perhaps assassination of the tyrants will follow. Others, genuine lovers of liberty and true patri- ots, for there are some such at the North, will meet in secret and counsel together; will organ ize societies; will have passwords, signs and other tokens of recognition, and thus leagues or societies will be formed Some may be betray- ed and pay with their lives or liberty, for their patriotism.
 Again, the suppression of those newspapers that opposed the tyrant will be succeeded by handbils, placards and anonymous pamphlets. Printing presses, secretly worked in garrets or in cellars, will throw of appeals to the people or warnings of the dangers that threaten them, and these, under cover of night, be distributed in the wards and streets. The fire of liberty in the breasts of majority was but faint spark that was easily extinguished, but in others it burns brightly and it will take rivers of blood 10 quench it. What men dare not speak and print publicly, they will write and print private ly. Their utterances may be stifed for time, but in some form or other, they will find articu- late voices. Within the next month or two we may reasonably look for these things at the North, and in those States and cities occupied by the oppressor. And if fassassinations follow, the knife will be in the hands of their own out ragged and oppressed citizens.