Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-10
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


months has been quietly observing the cur
rent of events far away from the strife and
passions of a political contest might per-
haps be able to discuss more coolly the crisis
through which our republican form Of
Government is now passing, ask space
in your columns. ~ ~. g.s-s- IN u
Over two years has elapsed since all re-
ceased and our armies have been disbanded,
because the rebels since Gen. Lees surren-
der have in good faith endeavored to abide
by its terms. Personal observation,
much better test than newspaper sensation
fiction, has proved to me that the great
mass of them are now busy rebuilding their
fences, sowing and reaping their crops, and
lendeavoring to improve their material pc
-cuniary interest without scarcely ever
talking on political topics, except to ex-
press the opinion that the destiny of all
the people of the country will be common,
and all share alike the. same fate. Yet the
laws of peace have not succeeded those of
war, and the Union is not restored because
a UsURPING Congressional majority has
perverted the avowed object of the war,
fof which the whole country poured out
IT'S blood and treasure, into bitter contest
for the perpetuation of mere party as
tendency by practical suspension of the
Constitution of the United States.
- A military despotism has been, enacted
over one-third of our fellow-citizens, not
because they are in rebellion against the
Constitution of the United States, or the
laws passed in pursuance thereof, but be-
cause it is feared they will not vote the
same party ticket as the present Congress
sional majority. Ten States are to be de-
prived- of any voice in our Government
until they agree to become the perpetual
thralls of a revolutionary faction, whose
leaders have the unblushing audacity to
threaten to enforce or remit the confisca-
ton laws-passed to punish traitors as a
sort of inducement to compel acquiescence
in their own political dogmas. Indeed, the
punishment of treason as fixed by the law
in force at the time of its commission is not
a part of the Radical programme, for no
effort has been made by these over righteous
loyalists to enforce its provisions against a
single individual, as this would be an ad-
mission that the Constitution OF the
United States furnished the rule by
which rebels were to be treated,
instead of the vagrant war power
set up by Thad. Stevens under the plea of
belligerent rights to justify Congressional
UsURPATIoN in enacting negro suffrage
and other enormities. On the contrary,
Jefferson Davis, the representative man
of the rebellion, has been released, because
Chief Justice Chase shirked the official re-
sponsibility of trying him, while Judge
Underwood and Horace Greeley, his crea-
lures, contriyed to let him go on bail to sane
their master from further embarrassment,
and in pursuance of the same line of policy
Postmaster General Reagan, General Long
street and every prominent rebel who came
out for negro suffrage was at once received
with open arms into the Radical church in
full oblivion of the past. Yet these puri-
tanicai hypocrites would fain make the
dear people believe that treason is in itself
very odious to them, and loyalty in fight
ing for the old flag special recommenda--
tion, the sincerity of which has been fully
tested by the Radical Senate rejecting ev-
cry battle-scarred soldier before them for
confirmation, who did not tall down and
worship the black Baal they had set up, or
slip in by some bargain his friends may
have been compelled to make as to the dis
tribution of the spoils of office. The truth
is, the Radical Jaeobin leaders never re-
garded treason crime to be punished ac-
cording to law, for most of them advocated
allowing the Southern States s'to slide" out
of the Union so as to leave them political
majority, and now by unconstitutional bills
of attainder and military commissions seek
merely to turn to political advantage what
they hailed with delight at the time, and
regarded as simply blunder of politi-
cat opponent which would afford
them an opportunity of consummating
q long cherished project of propogating
their own peculiar tenets by fire and sword.
Hence their clap trap talk of their stumpers
now of the contest being transferred from
the cartridge box to the ballot box, when
they very well lknoU it the mass of the peo-
pie of all parties had not practically sus-
tained the Government in putting down
the rebellion the war would have been
failure. The people honestly fought to
preserve the Union and enforce submission
to the Constitution of the United States, to
saveto all the common benefits of ONE Gov
ernment and not to establish the supremacy
of the arbitrary will of the Congressional
majority, unchecked by constitutional oaths
or Limitations and protesting to exercise
powers in one State that it does not possess
in another.
1t is well known that until the death of
President Lincoln the present monstrous
doctrines of the Jacobin leaders were held
in abeyance, and the change of front was
an after thought to preserve Office in the
hands of a certain set of stay-at home
shoddy- politicians, who had fattened on
office and contracts while their country
was bleeding at every pore, and therefore,
like the silyersmiths of Ephesus, they
raised an out cry at any settlement on the
restoration of peace, by which sthis, our
craft Is In danger to be set at naught."
. The secession leaders at the Charleston
Convention broke up the Democratic party
to obtain pretext for disunion, because
they feared particular clique could not
continue to hold office any longer, and now
the controlling faction in the so-called Un-
ion party is playing the same game to perpet-
uate in their own hands the offices, for fear
that the restoration of the Union will trans
fer them to others. But the same fate ul-
awaits both classes of conspirators
when the people fully understand their
projects, and learnthat their innate patriot-
ism and love of the Union is simply being
made petard by demagogues to hoist
into office. Every day it is be-