Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-28
THE RADICAL PLOT.

In letter to the Philadelphia Press, from
Occasional" the plans of the Radicals to
tyranize over and oppress the Southern
States is pretty thoroughly revealed Whilst
the Reconstruction Committee will carry
out its plan Of practical ostracism towards
these States, and, through the means of test
oaths and amendments to the Constitution,
reduce them to a state of political vassalage,
the work Of impoverishing and crushing the
energies and aspirations of the Southern
people, will 90 on in Congress "Prior to
the adoption of the Reconstruction pro-
gramme," saya Occasional" "such system
Of taratiOn uriH be agreed upon as pCM secure
a large reUeHue from cotton and other
Southern products, relisriag at The same time,
those interests Of he loyal States Which haze
been carrying he heaviest burden during tie
mar THIS, together nth thorough rerisio5, Of
he tariff, mich / hope 10 see consammGted IN a
fec days, will soon re-enliven trade in all
its departments, and insure complete success
to the friends Of the Government at the
ceming elections" Whatever may be
thought of this correspondent, who is well
known, there can be no question that in this
brief utterance, he has given expression to
a deliberately formed purpose on the part Of
the Radicals in Congress, and their support
ers throughout the North.
This Is enough TO awaken the thought
ful consideration of the entire country
1t gives, substantially, tho designs and
purposes Of that party which has been
forming since the assembling of Con-
gress, under the lead of STEVENS and
SUMNER. The object is to drag the
South after the wheels of the char
lot Of triumph, and to make its people a
despicable race Of slaves. The aegro is
only a make-weight in the affair, and will
be borne down to still lower depths than
the white. Briefly stated, this conspiracy to
overturn the Constitution of the Union, to
degrade the Southern people, and to erect
upon the ruins Of republican liberty bas-
tards empire to be ruled by fanatics, has in
view the following clearly defined objects :
l. The deprivation Of the South of politi-
cal power.
2. The reduction of eleven of the co-equal
States of the Union to the rank of territories,
or more properly, conquered provinces.
3. The imposition of such direct taxes
upon Southern products as will entail per-
petual poverty upon the producers of them.
4. The levy of tariff that will forever
forbid the erection Of manufactures in the
South, and create vast monopoly of them
in the North
Such a scheme, if successfully carried out,
would inevitably accomplish the designs of
its trainers. 1t would dwarf into insignifi-
canoe one half the territorial domain OF the
Union, which is its richest and most pro-
ductive, and in the space of a quarter or half
century make it "a waste bowling wilder
ness" 1t would depopulate the Southern
country of its leading citizens in all the
walks of life, aud make of its population
degraded lazaroni, the most despicable and
degraded on the face of the earth. Whilst
the government which would per
petuate this iniquity, pass would under
some new and underlined form-em-
bodying all the essential properties of an
absolute despotism without the checks and
guards usually thrown around the royal
authority. The country has before it the
stupendous scheme which is thus to trans
form and Cypress it. 1t is yet in the hands
of the people--it is still theirs and they
may save it if they will--but its rescue is at
present with the Northern people The
President has placed himself at the head of
all lovers of the Constitution and popular
rights, and in bold and direct opposition to
these revolutionists. To sustain him is to
preserve, to oppose him is to destroy, the
institutions delivered to us by the archi-
tects of the Republic.