The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-08-30
In What has the South Offend
ed? Which Section Struck
Down Constitutional Frees
dom? s.s 5s

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From various parts Of the South We ar
almost constantly in receipt Of news OF som
| outrage, some act of tyranny perpetrated b
the military satraps who have been places
in power over so-called American citizens
One day we are called upon to read Of th
suppression Of a newspaper in, Virginia
Georgia, or 10 North Carolina, the next W
hear Of the asuspeusion". of the Municipa
Government of Richmond, or some othe
Southern city in consequence Of their sup
posed disloyalty. And SO the work Of DIES
potism progresses from day to day, all o
course, as we are told, in the interest Of Lib
erty, and for the perpetuation of free inst
tutions. This is the pretext. Freedom il
to be saved by the policy and the weapon!
of despotism Habeas Corpus can only b
preserved by its suppression, Liberty Of tn,
Press by the suspension of newspapers, thu
right of election by the interference of thu
military power, and the substitution of mar
tial for civil law. 1t is strange policy in
q Republic, but stranger still til is that il
should be at once adopted by men born anG
educated in state of political freedom such
as the world never before witnessed. Not q
man of those who pretend to justify the ar
bitrary measures Of the Administration, who
was not at one time an advocate, or sup.
porter of free institutions, and who did not
entertain, Or profess the belief that it was
through their agency that civilization was
to he promoted, and the best interests oil
mankind secured. But with all this tyranny
has found no reader or more willing tools to
its hand than they have proved. Claiming
to be American freemen, they have been the
first to assail and strike down the rights OF
their fellow couotrymen. No Russian
satrap has been more efficient in performing
in Poland the work Of his master than they
have been, in doing in the South, the work
of theirs. There has been nothing too low,
too vile, too mean for them, from the steal
ing of rings off the fingers of ladies', to the
thieving Of haby's clothes. While blatant
and clamorous for the Union, they are doing
all that petty malice aud persecution can do
to make the Union hateful to the Southern
people. tits not, it would appear, enough
that it has been re.estabfshed over the sac.
riGce of every principle that alone rendered
it desirable, over PROSTATE Constitution,
over hundreds of thousands, of dead and
wounded, over armies Of widows and Or
phans, over. the smouldering ruins of once
thriving cities and once happy hoinesteads,
over desolated fields and pIdndered people,
plundered not only of their worldly wealth,
but Of their. political rights. it is not
enough, we say, that all this Should be done,
but the reign of outrage and persecution
must be continued-.free institutions must
be destroyed for what? that freedom may
survive; Liberty mist be struck down
for what? that free government may be
perpetuated- Why, what INDUSTRIOUS impo4
sition on common sense is this. Can popuis
lar rights be maintained by their violation?
But we are told that the people of the
South have been engaged in a great con-
spiracy against the integrity of the Repnb,
lie, that they have put forth all their
strength for the overthrow Of the principles
of popular freedom. Indeed. Let us look
into this matter. HAVE NOT THE SOUTHERN
PEOPLE DEMANDED OF US "A RESTORATION OF
CIVIL LAW, AND HAVE WE NOT GIVEN THEM
MILITARY RULE? Who are the foes of pop
ular freedom in this relation Of the parties
THEY WHO ASK FOR CIVIL LAW, OR THEY WHO
REFUSE IT? 10 this the reply is that it
would not be safp to. trust them with il too
soon. Why nots What wrong have they
done to freedom, AND WHAT RIGHT, WHAT
JUSTIFICATION HAVE VIE TO EMPrbY NORTHERN
MEN, THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES THE
CHAMPIONS, THE DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY, IN
RTvETTrSG THE CHAINS UPON THE LIMBS OF
THE MEN MEosE ANCESTORS AND OURS pUR.
CHASED THE LIBERTIES OF The STATES WITH
THEIR LIFE BLOOD. If we believe that they
should be deprived Of political rights, how
can we, defend the employment Of freemen
in the work Of their continued enslavement?
We haye said, however, that they have
demanded the restoration Of civil law, and
by the refusal Of their demand it is the
North, and not the South, that is placed In
the position Of hostility to popular freedom;
it is the NORTH that sustains the whole
system of despotism, or rather we should
say, that it is the Administration, for we do
not, we cannot, believe that the majority Of
the Northern people approve or Sanction
the despotic Measures of the Government
On The contrary, we firmly believe that the
majority are to-day in favor of the restora-
ton of every right to the Southern States
which they enjoyed under the Constitution.
Unfortunately, however, there is at present
no means Of ascertaning their yiea'ss !. through
public meetings, Or Tue election Of candi.
dates, OUT we can see around us the signs
and indications Of great revolution going
on o. IN the popular mind which will manifest
ITSELF on the first favorable opportunity in q
way that will startle those who imagine the
Administration and its acts are sustained by
the Northern majority.
Passing from these speeulations, however,
to sober matters of fact, let us ask in what
have the Southern people offended that they
should be treated like Poland, ortIreland?
Have they struck down any one Of the great
bulwarks Of freedom? IF they have then,
indeed, they Are enemies of liberty, and
should not be admitted to political associa-
tan with us. !, They should, if guilty, be
rather driven ont Of the Union than forcibly
retained; 10 the expressive though somewhat
tsnfefned language Of Major General Banks,
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