The tri-weekly standard., 1866-09-13

/ tor prosecutors, was even more eager to illus
trate his savage policy by clothing with the
more despotic power the impenitent and re-
vengeful rebels of New Orleans.
Notwithstanding this heartless desertion
and cruel persecution by Andrew johnson in
the States of Missouri. Kentucky, Tennessee,
West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, de-
mocratic republican principles-principIes
which the fathers of the Republic designed
for all America-are now making determin-
ed battle with the oligarchical enemies of
constitutional government; and by the bless
| ing of God these States will soon range
themselves in with the former free States,
and illustrate the wisdom and benefcence of
the great charter of American liberty by their
increasing population, wealth, and pros
perity.
In the remaining ten States the seeds of
| oligarchy planted in the Constitution by its
slavery features have grown to be a monster
power Recognition thus wrung from the
reluctant trainers of that great instrument,
enabled these States to entrench themselves
behind the perverted doctrine of States
rights, and sheltered by a claim of constitu-
| tional obligation to maintain slavery in the
States, to present to the American govern
ment the alternatives of oligarchy with slave
ry, or democratic republican government
without slavery.
| A forbearing government, bowling to a
supposed constitutional behest, acquiesced IN
the former alternative.
| The hand of the government was stayed
for eighty years. The principles of consti-
| tutional liberty languished for want of gov
ernmental support. Oligarchy matured its
power with subtle design. Its history, for
eighty years, is rcplete with unparalleled
g injuries and usurpations" 1t developed
only the agricultural localities-geographi-
cally distinct from the free-labor localities,
and less than one third of the whole-with
African slaves. 1t held four millions of hu-
man beings as chattels yet made them the
basis of unjust representative power for them
selves in Federal and State Governments to
maintain their enslavement.
1t excluded millions of free white laborers
from the richest agricultural lands of the
world: forced them to remain inactive and
unproductive on the mineral, manufacturing
and lumber localities, comprising two-thirds
of the whole South, in square miles, and real
undeveloped weaith-simply because these
localities were agriculturally too poor for
slave labor; condemned them to agriculture
on this unagricultural territory, and con-
signed them to unwilling ignorance and
poverty, by denying capital and strangling
enterprise.
It repelled the capital, energy, will and
skill of the free States from the free labor
localities by unmitigated intolerance and
prescription, thus guarding the approaches
to their slave domain against democracy.
Statute-hooks groaned under despotic
laws against unlawful and insurrectionary
antees of the right to peaceably assemble and
petition for redress of grievances.
1t prescribed true democratic literature as
incendiary.
1t nullifed the constitutional guarantees
of freedom Of speech and Of the press.
1t deprived the citizens of the other States
of the privileges and immunities in these
States, an injury and usurpatIon alike unjust
to Northern citizens, and destructive of the
best interests of the States themselves.
Alarmed at the progress of democracy, in
the face of every discouragement at last it
sought immunity by secession and war.
The heart sickenS with the contemplation
of the four wears that followed-forced loans,
conscription, with blood
hounds and bayonet, murder of aged Union
men, who had laid aside the implements of
labor, but had been summoned anew to the
field by the conscription of their sons, to sup
port children and grandchildren, reduced
from the comfort to the verge of starvation e;
the slaughter of noble youths types of physi |
cal manhood, forced into an unholy war
against those with whom they were identi-
fed by every interest long months of incar-
ceration in rebel bastiles, Punishment from
homes and hearthstones, are but partial re-
cital of the long catalogue of horrors.
But the Democracy, North and South COM
bined, defeated them. They lost. What did
they lose? The cause of oligarchy2 They
lost African slavery By name only. As soon
as the tocsin of war ceased-as soon as the |
clang of arms was hushetl--they raise the cry
of - immediate admission" and with that |
watchword seek to organize, under new !
FORMS contest to perpetuate their unbri-
ll,1 ,1,,II hair
ing control of all local and State organiza-
tions. The Federal Executive, easily seduccd |
yields willing obedience to his old mas
tiers. Aided by his unscrupulous disregard |
of Constitution and laws, by his merciless |
of true democratic opinion and |
by all his appliances of despotic power, they |
now deiantly enter the lists in the loyal |
North, and seek to wiring from freemen an |
of their wicked designs.
Every foul agency is at work to accom-
plish this result. Falsely protesting to as
sent to the abolition of slavery, they are con- |
triving to continue its detestable power by !
legislative acts against pretended vagrants. |
They know that any form of servitude will !
answer their unholy purpose. They pro-
nounce the four years war brilliant side
scene in great revolutionary drama. Pro-
scriptive public sentiment holds high carni-
val, and, profting by the example of the
Presidential pilgrim, breathes out threaten
ings and slaughter against loyalty ignores
and denounces all legal restraints, and assails
with the tongue of malignant SANDER the |
representatives of the
people.
To still the voice of ibcrty-dangerous
alone to tyrants-midnigh confagrations,
and murders in open day, are
called to their aid. A reign ofterror through
all these ten States makes loyalty stand 81
lent in the presence of treason, or whisper in
bated breath Strong men hesitate openly
to speak for liberty, and decline to attend
at Philadelphia for fear of de-
struction.
But all Southern men are not yet awed in
to submission to treason and we have as
sembled from all these States determined
that liberty, when endangered, shall find
mouthpiece. and that ' the Government of
the people, by the people, for the people, !
shall not perish from the earth" We are
here to consult together how best to provide
for a Union of truly Republican States to
seek to relume thirty-six stars on the old flag
We are here to see that ten of these stars are
not Opaque bodies, paling their Intellectual fires