Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-08-27
The Danger to the Republican Party.

had supported and carried to a triumphal
issue the war for the Union. it possessed
extraordinary moral power. Its leaders
had only to show that they comprehen-
ded and valued the sound principles Of
constitutional liberty, and they might
have ruled for years to come. II they
lose the support Of the country that is
their own fault. It was their duty and
policy to show that If in war they knew
how to use with effect the enormous power
of the central government, in peace they
were equally ready to re.establish as
quickly as possible that local self-govern-
ment on which, as the balance-whe in
our political system, our true and safe
progress in liberty depends. AS the party
in power. during the wal they had been
compelled to use force to an unlimited ex-
tent: It was the more necessary that on
the restoration Of peace they should show
a readiness TO return at once to strict
constitutional forms, practices and limita-
tons.
But the policy imposed upon the party
BY those men who unhappily have seized
the leadership Of it has been just the con-
trary Of this. Their whole political theory
and practice tend dangerously towards q
consolidation Of all power and authority
it the hands Of the central government.
They have aimed to leave nothing to the
States, nothing TO that local government
which is our greatest safeguard against
despotism. They will make Of the Fed
eral Government, il they have their way,
as overshadowing and all devouring a
monste as the government OF Napoleon
is in France. They proceed upon the
principle that Congress is to legislate upon
all matters whatever: is to interfere In all
the relations Of society and life, and to
establish rules and laws for every event
under heaven. Not only do we see a
useless and absurd Bureau Of Agriculture
established, at an expense Of hundreds OF
thousands of dollars per annum, to pre-
pare report which are published three
years after date. and which, when they
are fresh, have not half the value of a good
agricultural paper and to distribute seeds
to farmers who are quite intelligent enough
to buy them bureaus OF education OF
mining, of insurance, Of statistics, are
proposed and urged. Thus patronage is
increased, ofice-holders grow more nu-
merous, the nation is more and more
heavily taxed to support crowd OF hun
gry idlers-the creatures of Congress and
of the President, the political agents OF
those who appoint them. corrupsing the
morals of the nation and roboing its in
This is not all. In pursuance Of the
false and perilous theory of CONSOLE
these men seek to make the gen.
eral Government the patron and supporter
Of all manner of private enterprises and
schemes. Not only are steamship lines
and other private undertakings subsidized;
only are certain branches Of manufac-
ture selected as the objects Of special favor
itism at the expense Of the general public,
and to the impoverishment Of the treasury;
the evil extends much further. II a min
ing company needs capital, Congress at
once makes it a grant of public lands; if
another set Of spectators appeal for land
to plant trees-which Mr.. Bayard Taylor
the Tribune nature does much
better-Congress hastens TO do their bid
ding. Portland is burned down, and
Congress Immediately makes a grant OF
$50. 900 to aid the sufferers. Nor should
wonder, for the men who aim to make
the Fresdmen's Bureau a permanent insti-
90 upon the principle that the
office Of the general Government is not
merely to do justice, but to feed the poor,
10 clothe the ragged, to shelter the house
less, provide employment for the unem-
ployed, to tell the people what to buy and
where to sell, what to make and how to
spend-in short, TO surround their lives
On all sides with its fostering" arms, and
by making them helpless, prepare them to
the victims Of despotism.
How p~erilous such a policy is we may
see BY reviewing the huge steps already
taken on this downward road. The Presi-
dent has lone his utmos TO check the
attempts of Congress to concentrate and
centralize all power in Washington. With
all his mistakes in other respects, he has
shown a true and statesman-like compre-
of this danger; he made haste to
out Of his own hands all extraordi-
nary power and patronage growing out OF
the war; he has by his vetoes prevented
the contamination Of some most mischiev-
Gus measures. But the centralizers have
needed his warnings; and it is high
time for the country to awake to the dan
gers of their course. Already we see this
false policy bearing fruit. If a citizen
nowadays suffers wrong, he no longer
appeals TO the laws-he turns to the GEN.
trial Government to protect him. The
Civil Rights Act has been several months
in force, but instead Of requiring those
who need i, to set the Courts in motion,
Congress continues the Freedmen's Bureau
in operation another year. Thus, by steps
which are no longer impercepsible, the
citizens are trained to undervalue and dis
regard the laws, and to cast all the respon-
sibilities of life from their own shoulders
upon that of the central Government.
That road leads as surely to ruin as the
n called "secession."-N. Y. Ere. Post,
dug. I'd.