Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1866-12-08

DANGER OF REJECTING THE LESSONS OF
HIsToRY.-Whether the history is saved
or lost t is certain to become appareE:
to the American people there has been a
great, very great danger in the rejection
BY Congress Of the lessons Of history.
Among all the republics, from that of the
Hebrews, under the Judges, down to
ours not one remains where civil disor-
der prevailed for any considerable length
Of time. And no ripe statesman from the
time Of the Hebrews down to the pres
ent time. has left ON record any other
opinion than that %internecine strifes per
petuated always destroy the best of gov
erpments.
1t is because President Johnson needs
those admonitions of universal history,
as well as because his own ripe Judge.
ment dictates the same conclusions, that
he is SO firmly convinced tha. there lie
perpetual danger in delaying the admis-
sion Of loyal representatives from the
lately rebel States. OF course their i'm,
mediate admission is of no more import
ance to him, either personally or political
ly, than it is to Thaddeus Stevens, or
any other radical member Of Congress
who is disposed to try the experiment Of
disunion q while Ion >er. If the govern
ment perishes. the catastrophe will be
no worse for him than it will
be for those who differ with him. But,
az the executive head of the government
charged With the responsibility of guild.
ing, SO far as in him lies, it's destinies, il
ought not to be expected that he could
disregard all tbs admonitions of past
history ID this respect. and consent to the
dangerous experiment of keeping the
country disunited any longer.
The fact that the people of the South.
ern States Tebelled and undertook to
break away from the government does
not relieve US from the danger. 1t in
~creases it So many relations were
broken by the war that tie bonds Of our
| Union are tender because the temper of
the insurgents is yet more or less dis.
turbed. Any failure on the part Of the
government to keep faith with them is
magniied in their eyes to unreal proper.
tons. So long as they are left to suffer
any wrong whatever at the hands of the
government, that wrong will be a Sester,
ing thorn in their bosom to instigate new
seditions and outbreaks. Anything like
keeping them in coventry or durance
will only aggravate the difficulty.
Nor does the fact that the government
dispersed their armies, and might do it
again, relieve us. Although coercive
measures to reduce rebellion is iustifable
everybody knows. and none better than
the late rebels. that our government rests
upon what is expressed in the books of
the voluntary system-ppon the popular
sentiment loug since educated In the doc
triDe that taxation and representation are
yoked together. If the government shall
refuse the people of the South the n
it will ere long, be compelled to desist
from the other. 1t has never been posi-.
bic to wiring heavy taxes from any civil
lied people without melting them, sooner
or later, to use every effort 10 their pow
er to rid themselves of the burden. It is
not in the nature Of the Anglo Saxon to
kiss the rod that smites them so that j;
is unsafe to rely upon the physical power
of the government to relicYe us from the
danger.
If Congress shall upon assembling,
continue to reject the admonitions of bis
tory in this respect it will augment its
present responsibility to a fearful extent.
By doing his full duty concerning this
subject the President is now free from it.
Washington National Republican.