Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-07-21
QUan CUaTODlEsr HPsOs Gus
TOmEQ.

In The syss Of Thadeus Stevens and his
cempstsiees the psopie OF the South orc .
csnqussed people, aad - such are 10 b.
subjected to the old international law, In
vogue, when Cesar ssnqured Gaul. and
when the Cloths and vandais sacked Rome.
The Radical majority accepts this intsrprs>
tation Of Southern relations and bold with
General Sherman that tho life, liberty. and
property Of the subjugatsd belong to the
victor. To any one who has read history,
this destrins 10 BY no means new. u Il the
same that was held two thousand years
ago. without say improvement The in
dorssmsnt Of Gen. Grants recent order for
the military 70 arrest civilians in the South
srn States and impsison them "until such
time - . proper judicial tribunal may be
willise and ready 10 try them" 10 In fact
asserting thaa might nakes right, and
that rights arc Of no avail without the pow
q 70 dsssnd thsas."
50 Il 10. - W ny. oil those Ane spun,
ethical theories Of international law Novs b.
Gretius, Vattsl and other writers, are worth
nothing unlsss you have power 10 maintain
them. Paper constitutions are idle for pro
tect'on-they are written on the brains Of
the majority Who regard the inherent or do
clsssd rights Of the minority just - IL suits
their wishes o. purposss.
Il may perhaps he altogsshsr idle and un.
necessary 70 discuss The right Of any order
sminating from the War Department, Il the
Prssidsnt's proclamation. The opinion Of Su.
prems Court Judges. aud other eminent and
learned statesmen are not regarded. But
- 70 the proprisey and justice, or necessity
Of any such esuns, in view Of oil the fasls
In the case, that the South hes yielded 10
every demand made in accordance with the
settled Issues Of the war. 10 entirely differ
eut matter, and should elicit the censure Of
every Uaion-levins man. History samon>
ishes 10 that such course 10 not practica>
BILE. Without avail the different powers Of
the old world have sought to prosper in fol.
lowing il. and invariably the results have
been wsr. They are always fighting there.
II 10. a. they say, to straightcn up the map
Of Europe, TO preserve the balance of pow
or. When it is simply contest between
the great first class powers to prevent zach
other from getting too large acquisition Of
territory, BY conquest and annexation, and
from swallowing up too many Of the small>
CT and weaker prineipslisies. or what avail
were tue rights Of Ireland. Hungary or
Italy. when il did not suit the first class
powers to regard thems They were weak
and went under. The present contest grow
out Of Austria and Prussia ~ to who should
have the provinces Of Schlsswig llols Elm,
which. under . false pretsnce. they had
wrestcd from Denmark, and will eventuatc
in Prussia and Austria possessing them
sslvcs Of the smaller States Of the Gcrmanic
Confederation. All Germany, in the end.
gill 10 either Austrian or prusslan. In
full view Of European history and sxps>
ricnce, our ultra leaders and their followers
are following tho same plan of action, and
must naturally result the same. As PEG.
pie w do not dssirc such state Of affairs,
AMI, We feel confident that, when the time
Gomez. the people will speak their minds
aud give these mon who arc striving to
govern public sentiment 10 their own II.
srandizemcnt an opportunity Of reviewing
their career Of political ,aisssae in private
life, and With Nero ,Aousn that the world
must loes such men.