The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1867-02-28
RECOxsrRuCTI0N.

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State Governments there, and compel
che people finally T. come into the meas
ures of the Radicals before their Suites
can be readmittcd into the Union. The
essential points Of those measures are,
the utter destruction OF State Rights,
the Acknowledgement Of the leading men
OF the South, and the enfranchisemcnt
Of the negroes.
The law which they have passed for
the purpose VIC publish in another col
ump. We have little doubt il has been
vetoed by tho President by this time
and have less doubt that it will be i'm
mediately passed over the Veto BY tha
necessary majority
1t is an iutolerable outrage; yet we
hope that It viii lie endured, as many
others have been, in hopes that the peo.
pie Of the North may soon be awakened
to q just sense Of what is their duty, and
assist in hurting from power a party
which seems lost to all manly, generous
feeling, and who have shown au utter
disregard Of all constitutional require
ments, aud of the first principles Of the
Republican Government founded here
with SO much pride and hope by our
forefathers. We cannot believe that
the people Of the North viii endorse at
the ballot boz the extent to which Con-
gress is going Last year, whilst the
bitter feelings Of the war were still
strong, they succeeded in carrying the
Northern States, some Of them with
small majorities, BY concealing the true
issues. Now they openly proclaim iu
favor Of Negro Suffrage, and hesitate
not to strike down the right Of self
government in the Southern States, and
set up there military despotism. 1t
is due to our plan of government to
wait patiently for the verdict of the
people in ali cases; for it is based on the
idea that our people are capable of self
government, and Of course of compre-
hcnding and deciding all public ques-
tons. If, after due deliberatiou, they
shall endorse these Radical usurpatious,
We may well despair Of the success Of
free government here.
We know that the late rebellion on
the part Of the South is held to justify
this arbitrary course; but that excuse
will not bear close examination. 1t is
true enough that the South acted very
indiscreetly in resortiug to rebellion,
without waitias long enough to see
whether the North really Designed to
take exclusive charge of the govern
ment, and deny all rights peculiar to
the South; yet we ought never to lose
sight of the fact that these very Radi-
Gals were guilty Of the first political
assault on the people of the South; and
that, had il not been for their selfish
attempts to seize and carry on the gov
ernment in the interest Of the North
the people of the South would not have
been driven TO the desperate length of
organizing party in self defence, and
after wards of forming a separate nation
to be governed by their own viii. We
insist that these considerations should
be enough to close the mouth Of any
Radical who is disposed to deny to the
Southern people their old rights in this
Union. 1t ought to require front full
as brazen as that Of Thaddeus Stevens,
or Gen. Butler, for men who had SO
much TO do IN provoking the original
quarrel with the South, now to stand
up and brand the Southern people as
infamous traitors, for attempting to set
up government for themselves instead
Of the rule these Northern Radicals
clearly designed to put over them.
The guilt Of the Southern people
must be greatly lesseucd. when we con. |