Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-01-04
1so7.

year 1867, it would give usinfinite
pleasure to be able TO proclaim, to our
readers, that new light had dawned
upon the political horizon, heralding
the early advent of peace, prosperity
and liberty to the wholepeople Of this
distracted country. But the begin
ming Of the new year, like the end
Of the old, finds mischief and mad
ness still in the ascendant, and each
succeeding day frightening the chain
of despotism and deepening the gloom
of a future through which no cheer
ing ray Of hope has reached the eye
of the most sanguine believer in the
better day to come. Were we, like
the Mexicans, a mongrel horde of
semi -barbarians, upon whom the light
Of reason has but feebly glimmered,
and to whom neither christianity nor
science nor experience has disclosed
the agencies by which the blessings
of good government can be secured,
ignorance of the right might make
us patient, ifnot content, under the
wrong. But the claim has been set
up, that we are the most enlightened
people on earth, and that we had the
"best government the world ever saw
What has become of that high intel
ligence, and that best government?
Have both been annihilated together
by four years of WARP The intelh-
gence is still here, but is subservient
to demoniac passion, the forms and
principles of the government remain
unchanged, but have passed under
the control of those whose high in
tellgence, guided by none Of the no
bier instincts Of true manhood, only
serves to give to their yillainy more
sure and fatal effect.
Well may the civilized world stand
amazed at The facility with which
such government has been subvert.
Gland such people enslaved. Other
republics have fallen by the slow
process of corrosive corruption, and
the stealthy inroads Of aggressive
tyranny; but it remained for ours to
fall under single blow, with all the
blessings Of free government fresh
in our memories, with all its forms
entire, and its principles acknowledge
ed by the majority; with the intelli,
gence of the people unimpaired, ex-
cept by passion and villainy, and
their energies in full vigor, though
strangely directed to the work of pull
ling down the institutions that guar.
antee TO them all Of liberty that is
healthful, aud all of prosperity that
political wisdom can ensure to honest
industry, untrammelled by the re-
strictions Of an irresponsible despot-
ism. When we observe the mighty
change which base ambition has
wrought, and remember that three
days labor, by an honest Congress,
could restore harmony to an angry
and divided people, prosperity to an
impoverished South and security for
the rights of all, it is hard to realize
that we are living under an absolute
tyranny, and looking into future
where nothing is seen but an inter
minablc train of coming ills.
What comment, is this, upon the
supposed capacity of the people for
self-government What a startling
contradiction Of the boosted theory,
that intelligence and virtue go hand
in hand Enlightened New England
stands confessed the source of every
curse now resting upon public moral.
ity and the administration of the
government, Its arrogant conceit
makes it inearably factious, and its
devilish instincts furnish tirelcss en-
ergy for the prosecution Of its des-
struetive schemes. 1t is New Eng
land that is waging war upon the civil
and religious institutions Of the coun-
try, and has embodied in it's serpent
coil, all the States Of the Union. Ii
was that same section which brought
on the war, and cheated others into
fighting the battles, whilst it coined
wealth out of the blood Of its victims
and now that the war is over, makes
the other States tributary to its fac
tories, aud tax payers of its exempted
bonds, That is the people against
whom every lover Of constitutional
liberty must wage energetic war, i
he would, once more see his countr,
free, and justice rs universal as wrong
and oppression are now.