The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-03-20


who deprecated the disunion fanaticism of
the Abolition party before the war, sus-
tain it now with that fanatacism undated
and enlarged in its destructive purposes2
Sectional political and financial ambition
and cupidity were the motives and causes
of our civil troubles, and the successful
faction has reaped wealth and power.
The masses of the people have never
been known to profit by civil disorder, by
violations of their Fundamental law, or
usurpation. Constitutional order, while
fatal to sectional aggrandizement, is full
Of blessings to the people. So mnst be a
speedy recovery from public disorder. -
To restore the South to the Union endan-
gers the power of the leaders, and restores
equality, To govern the South as con-
quered people and territory subserves the
purposes of ambition and cupidity, but
ruins the people. The leaders in power
are of the old abolition party. devoted to
agitation, supremacy and monopoly
They are the vultures Of the late public
calamity. They do not propose to sur
render the advantage gained under cover
of the war, though it be at the expense
of the overthrow of the Constitution
Their sole purpose and interest seems to
be to prey upon the Southern States. To
do this they must likewise prey upon the
whole North. The machinery necessary
Ito accomplish the first, result in the
other.
A standing army; thousands of sala-
ried officers; schemes of plunder and ra-
pine; thefts and expressions; the prostra-
ton of commerce; the drying up of the
fountains of revenue; the increase Of ex !.
trayagance; the swelling of the public
debt; the increase of taxation--these are
the legitimate results. These leaders
have made immense fortunes out of the
war. They own estates in the South, con-
fiscated by their own legislation. I'M
mense quantities of cotton have been
coined, by their legalized treasury per-
mits, into bank deposits, to their credits,
instead of to the credit of the Govern
ment. Whole caravans of Government
cattle of every description have been
swallowed by these fierce and everwhelm-
| ing sinoons of Abolitionism. The whole
contract system of the war, created by
them, was but feeder. to this Abolition
rapacity. The high-tariff system, or le-
galized piece of larceny, made by these
leaders, enabled them to declare three
hundred per cent. dividends in their bu-
slness, at the expense of the masses of
the people.
On land and on sea the Government
and the people have been shamefully de-
frauded and robbed by these. men; and,
when in the course of the war, to meet
peeulation and speculation and the legit-
innate expenses, the Government needed
loans of money, these men banded to-
gether like SO many Shylocks, dictated
the conditions of the bonds OF the Gov
ernment, as to rate of interest and ex-
emption from taxation, invested their i'll
gotten gains in permanent form, and
now shake four thousand millions of
property, exempt from taxation, in the
faces Of the laboring masses. They point
with intense satisfaction to their Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States, to the supremacy of Eastern
monopoly, and their power in Congress as
a guarantee of safety. Thus established
as privileged class, they are without 2
wound or an inconvenience from the war,
and without burden in time of peace.
To provide indemnity to themselves for
the past, and security to themselves for
the future, these leaders, in and out OF
Congress, are molding its legislation.
They have lost sight of the people and
the substance of the Government. They
have controlled the elections.for FIVE years,
and these FIVE years have been years Of
ruin. They falte: at the future. They
believe they car, with the help of 300, 600
negroes and the exclusion of thevotes of
over 1000, 900 Southern people, and
plunder of the South for their support
ers, maintain an ascendancy over the con-
seryatiye masses of the North, The
present Congress met in December, 1865,
with the Union restored. During the
session the Southern States presented le-
gally chosen representatives, who asked,
but were refused, admission. Congress,
at the outset, gagged itself by comforting
Its powers upon committee instructed to
attempt the disorganization Of the South
ern States. The whole session has been
consumed, SO far, in taking testimony at
great expense to show that the Union car
not be restored. To inaugurate universal
NEGRO suffrage, they commenced with the
/ District of Columbia. A bill passed the
House conferring the right of suffrage
on the negro in that District, against the
will of the people, but yet awaits in tht
Senate further developments.
/ They have also proposed an amendmen
to the Constitution, to extend the electiv,
franchise to all persons without distinc
ton Of 'cslor. Also, another amendmen
to regulate the right Of suffrage in al
the States of the Union. Also. anothe
amendment to enforce protection to life
liberty and property in all the States
Also, another amendment to make voter
the basis of Representations, thereby en-
tirely ignoring four-ffths of all the peo
pie in the Union. ~
Large bundles Of half -digested writing
are daily proposed, in Congress, by th'
little Statesmen of to-day, as substitvt,
, for the sacred work Of the great states
J men of the past, and to be reported upel
lspon by the committee. AL these meas
/ lures are for the negro.
From all these propositions can b
} gathered only negro sufrage; negro supe
I Irlority oyet ths white eeople of th