The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-18
'!Organizing He II in the . outhePn ssmtes., /,

'!Organizing Hell in the . outhern ssntes.o
This pithy legend has been received in
sporting circles and by sporting journals as
an apt characterization OF the effect of Radi-
cal legislation upon the rebel States. The
word which gives the expression an energy
which would not otherwise belong to it is one
that is most at home in the Police Gazette,
and we would not upon any consideration
trust 1t at large in our columns outside Of
quotation marks. But thanks to those saving
devices-those helpful extenuating circum-
stances-convenient typographical barriers by
means of which one may separate his own
sheep from the alien goats that viii some
times wander into his chaste diction, we may
freely discuss the phrase in question. Like
most of the pet phrases of the opposition par
ty it is very general, and was probably coined
by some bright young Democrat whose i'm
agination had been impressed by reading Pro-
lessor Longfellow's new translation of the
Inferno. However that may be, it is solemn
ly charged that on the third day Of the pres
ent month certain OF our Northern citizens
assembled In Washington with the deliberate
intent to establish satanic institutions in ten
States of the Union. Now as we propose to
treat the subject fairly and frankly, we admit
to begin with that the governments which are
oil paramount authority in those Staes do not
exactly realize ones ideal of democracies.
They certainly are not Hrst-class republics.
The prominence there given to the bayonet
is irreconcilable with our preconceived no
tions of free government. There is too much
of the military and too little of the civil to
make the reconstructive rule such as one
would voluntarily live under. But the accus-
when they credit it with organizing Hell in
the Southern States" by setting up military
authority there. As matter of fact the in
fernal dominion was fully established before
Congress had an existence, and it is only for
the purpose of limiting It's duration that the
nationallegislature now interteres. The"Help'
of to-day is not comparable with that which
existed six years ago In any element that
impresses 1t with its peculiar character
Was it nothing that four millions of human
beings were SO completely deprived of their
rights that the world had almost forgotten
that they had rights? Deep is the misery oil
that man whose fortunes are so desperate
that they cease to elicit even sympathy. Such
misery, strangely enough, there is, and such
was theirs. 1t was not mere temporary sub
lection to arbitrary power, affecting individu-
ais only indirectly, that they suffered, but one
that was llfe-long-one that came home to
their hearths and exercised dominion over
their bodies and their souls. This is an old,
old story to be sure. l. has been repeated
thousand times, yet it is one that is often for
gotten. Where then was the humanity OF
these scolfers who are now so sensitive to any
Infringement upon human rights? That
"Hell" had written over its gate the awful
"An Hope Abandon" which Dante read as he
passed through the dark realm, while if one
now exists it IL only, if they will have it so,
provisional, and by way OF preparation for
the eternal reign of liberty and peace.
The harsh measures adopted in dealing
with the South are not destructive but reme-
DIAL There lay the sick man of our North
American continent, i'll of a disorder from
which no nation, upon which thad thorough
ly fastened, had ever yet recovered-a sick
man that seemed "past surgery" as much as
Turkey ITSELF Thecase has been treated with
such wisdom as the Northern people possess.
Humanity has been largely mingled with Sc
verify, Milder treatment has been tried un-
til events proved that nothing but caustics
would do. There is not one man out of
thousand in the Northern States, who, ii he |
knew that all classes would be safe in their |
lives and liberties, would not welcome back |
the ten unrepresented States with profounder
Joy than he has felt since that sad period when
they angrily and scornfully departed.
1t is one of the inalienable rights Of the mi
nority to attack with great violence the con-
duct and principles of the party in power. In
the present case there Is no backwardness in
the exercise of this prerogative. What If they
had been In power in 1885 and ever since? p
II they acted upto their principles, they would
have given permanenee to the internal aspect
Of Southern society. Had the rebel States
been admitted Internationally at the close of
war, slavery in all its essential features would
have been re-established. in the brief transit |
tion period, when the United States |
partially relaxed their hold upon the |
conquered people the latter disclosed no in
tention 10 treat the freedmen with justice and
bring the two races into harmony with each
other, but began to pass "vagrant laws" II
they should be admitted unconditionally to-
day, they would bring back into the Union
the seeds OF its destruction. Slavery and the
deadly heresy Of State rights live in many of
their hearts still. Toombs "regrets only the |
failure and the dead" and is ready to advance
as best he can the principles for which he
fought. Such men are not fit to control the |
destinies ofregenerate States and to sit again |
in the national councils.
No, we are not ready to admit that the mil |
itary government deserves so severe desig- |
nation. II you insist upon associating it with |
things subterranean and diabolic, say rather |
that it is purgatoIy, where criminals expiate
their crimes by suffering tortures which their
own hands have devised
senator Merrill ON the Indian Dimcultics. |
In recent debate in the Senate, Mr.. Upton |
Nf 4. t. c. -