Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-03-07

y
enforced by the appliances which they
have advocated Ms necessary, salutary,
and lawful during the past five years.
Fort Lafayette would be crowded to
overilowing, and there would be a
head in the Old Capitol for every pane
of glass in its windows. The news
papers which have made merry over
the suppression of their neighbors,
would themselves go into eclipse, and
their editors, instead of penning lively
lasdations of the latest arbitrary ar
rest, would be meditating on the pow
or of tho handcuff as a moral and po-
litical agency, under the cosy cover
of easement.
The radicals were, indeed, the hard
est of school masters. They did not
leave their political axioms to strug-
gle into notice by tho weak help,of
their own bad logic and scanty truth.
They never spoiled an intractable
pupil by illtimed economy Of the rod.
We learned their lessons under the
stimulus of stripes-iungeons were
the academic bowers of Abolition
and the heads of slow scholars were
cleared and cooled by hardy diet OF
bread and water. These instructors
taught the people the duty of ''sup-
porting the government" with the
important supplementary explanation
that "the government" lives in the
White House and is lodged under the
Presidential hat. We learned that to
speak dlsrespectfully of the Executive,
or to hint that any of his measures
are illegal, or even inexpedient, is fiat
treason. A mild suggestion that a
second Washington had not yet made
his advent was proof positive that a
"sympathizer' needed silencing. In
Baltimore more than one unluclzy in
divIdual was sent to solve his doubts
about executive omniscience in the
retirement of cell. Almost every
other day the papersof that oppressed
city contained o notice that John
Smith or John Jones had been arrest
ed for speaking disrespectfully ofthe
President" Gen. Lew. Wallace, be-
came SO skillful, at last, in fathoming
treason, and SO rigid in furnishing it,
that numerous silent persons, who
resolutely held their tongues, were
sent to join the demonstratiye Smiths
and Jones behind the bars. They had
been "thinking disrespectfully about
the President"-at least it is fair to
presume SO, as they were charged
with no overt acts. This tender care
Of the Executive reputation was not
confined to Baltimore. 1t extended
over the whole country. 1t led not
only to military arrests, but found
expression in street fights, mobs, and
attacks on newspaper Offices. Jail
was in many instances pleasant ref.
uge for the imprudent conversational.
ist or rash editor, who leaned to the
heresy that the Constitution was as
binding in the White House as any
where else. If the American people
did not assent to the infallibility OF
the Executive and to the doctrine
that his will was the supreme law,
it was no fault of the Abolition press.
But time works wonders, and the
last week has witnessed q marvellous
revolution. ''Delirious nonsense" and
staggering logic" are among the
mild epithets which the radical news
papers apply TO speech which "the
government" made on Thursday
The government" is q usurper. The
government" ought TO be impeached
The people who support the govern.
ment' arc "copperheads" and "sym-
pathizers." Not loyal man can be
found, the Washington Chronlcle tells
US, who sustains the "government."
1t is the duty of all the loyal men to
unite in assisting Congress to over
throw the government" And much
more stuff of the same sort. BY
awarding the President the omnipo-
tence which these radical journals but
yesterday claimed for hin, and calling
him by the name which they asserted
was his,we are enabled to comprehend
the extremely loyal relation in which
they stand toward the government
to-day.
We are quito willing that these
noisy traitors should remain at large
IE the exuberance of our own unques.
toned "oyalty" we have no dispos
ition to administer TO the enemies ol
the government" the kind of disci,
pline with which they used to stimu.
late our patriotism when zoe were
"sympathizing'-as they averred. We
prefer that they should remain at LID
erty, that they may shams all their
past declarations, complete their infa
my, and embellish by the contrast Of
their factious, unruly and disloyal be.
havior our lively and hearty support
of "the best government the world
ever saw. Age.
p@~The logic Of the radicals, SAYS
the Age,is somewhat defective. A wear