The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-06-20
"Let Us Have Peaoe.''
From the Columbus Sun and Times. I


/ penned by Gen. Grant in response to a
communication notifying him of his Sc
lection as the Radical candidate for the
Presidency.
There is not a man, woman or child at
the South, entitled to the slightest res
pect Or consideration but that will re-
echo the sentiment of the man of war
with deep and heartfelt feeling. Peace
is what we desire, what we want, the
last and only boon that we crave Give
us substantial, permanent peace, and it
matters little what else may be done
with us. s.
/ But with what solemn mockery does
this petition for peace come from the only
man who through long years of turmoil,
outrage and oppression, by single word,
could have given peace and its blessings
to IL distracted land And how lightly it
falls upon the ear of those who have
reason to know of what kind of peace it
is that is prayed for! We have had a
taste of the peace that Gen. Grant prays
for-the peace Of the grave and the dun
geOn.
Under the orders and directions of this
man who fippantly prays for peace,
while he and his followers are still yell
ing on the war path, within few months
hack, his underlings have drawn tighter
and closer the bands and chains of the
military despotism which is surely and
slowly bringing about the peace of 81
lence at least to the South. Ii he should
succeed to the high hopes with which he
is now filed, we will have peace, the
peace that Dictator commands. Gen.
Grant might well have borrowed the
language of the Emperor Of the French,
and have announced it thus-"The En-
pire is peace"
The peace he means is the peace which
follows the death of nations hopes.
When we look back upon the record of
this man, from the time shortly after he
sheathed his sword and pronounced the
people of the South willing and worthy
to receive and enjoy all the rights due
them in a restored Union, until, through
fraud deception, falsehood and treachery
he is found as the chosen leader of fac
tion that still shouts for war, violence
and blood, we may we'll implore a higher
than human power that we may have no
more of the peace invoked in our behalf.
By the same train that takes this Jour
nal to many of its subscribers, there go
several of the most respectable citizens
OF this community to the cells of a mill
tary prison at Atlanta. Without charge,
warrant, accusation or hearing, they go
by order of Gen. Meade, the Lieutenant
of Grant, and there is peace so far as
they are concerned. More will follow
perhaps, and when free speech is stop
: ped, the press muzzled, the Courts closed
and the lives and liberties of the people
! of ten States are firmly grasped by mill.
} tary commission-when dungeons are
, checked with their prisoners, the hang.
man has tired of his work, and the sur.
vivors have ceased to writhe, groan OF
, complain, then will that peace have OBJ
tained in the land, for which Grant and
Radicalism pray.
J THE OATH OF OFFIcE.-For the bene.
f fit of all concerned, we print below {
f copy of the oath required of those wht
: are to take Office under the recent ordel
of Gen. Buchanan:
This oath must be filed in the office of Secretar,
) OF Civil Affairs, Headquarters, Fifth Mill
: tary District.
II --, do solemnly swear that
] have never voluntarily borne arm
!. against the United States, since j hav.
: been n citizen thereof; that have vol
: unfairly given no aid, countenance, coun
t sci or encouragement, to persons engaged
d in armed hostility thereto; that / hav'
v neither sought, nor accepted, nor at
! tempted to exercise the functions of an,
: Office whatever, under any authority 0
pretended authority in hostility to th
! United States; that have not yielded
i voluntary support to any pretended gov
Ex,rv arfh I'm
]. tion within the United States, hostile d
], illimical thereto. And do further swea
ID that to the best of my knowledge an
Ii ability, will support and defend til
% constitution of the United States agains
i: all enemies, foreign and domestic; tina
i will bear true faith and allegiance to tIl
u same; that.I take this obligation freel
e without any mental reservation or pul
a pose of evasion, and that will well an
faithfully discharge the duties of the o1
i flee on which am about to enter. S
I help me God.''
GENERAL LEE. Touching Incident
!. The following incident, related by tli
:, Lynchburg Virginian, of May 29th, vii
cause the readers heart to swell wit
: prideful emotion and his eye to suffus
with the involuntary tear OF irrepressi
BILE feeling
. Among the distinguished strangers j
!. this city last week, were Gen. Robert /
!. Lee and the Rev. VIM. E. Munsey. Me-
I tiler had ever seen the other, but happen
= ing To meet on one OF our streets, MI
: Munsey, at once recognizing the Genera
= stepped off tile sidewalk, uncovered hi
:. head and stood motiOnless until he ha
- passed. Gen. Lee, in recognition, res
!, pectfnlly raised his hat. Not word wa
:, = spoken; but the great heart of the ele
= quent divine was SO moved ut meetln
the grand old hero that the tears Welle
up to his eyes andtrans down his halo
8 cheeks. It was the spontaneous tribut
= of genius and virtue to greatness an
!. = goodness. s5 g
it An editor. with an eye to payment f
y what he sells, indnlges ii this little bit I
L philosophy - Every man onght t0pa
his debts, il he can. Every man shoul
ID work 10 suit his customers. if he- Cal
Of Every wife should hold her tongue, if sa
N can. Every lawyer should OCCASIONAL
q, tell the truth. If he can. Every ma
. ought to mind his own business and |,
= other peoples alone, if he can. Ever
1, man should take a newspaper, and pa
T. for anyhow.n =