The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-04-02
For the TRIBUNE.
WHO Is TO BLAME?

This question has never been so peril
nently before the people as now. alludt
of course to the unhappy condition o.
the country. Let US review our past ano
present conditions briefly. When the
great social and domestic compact of mu-
tuality was entered into at the time of the
formation of the Government as a Re
public one of the incidents of that COM
pact and the one which gave its dearest
and richest brilliancy, was, the right
OF the majority to rule in all political mat
tiers. With that proposition in view let
us proceed briefly Northern and south
sentiment was found widely at variance
on the question of admitting states with
proslavery constitutions. There was nc
possible chance for any bubble or doubt
as to what faction of the government
should exercise this power. Section
three of article four of the constitution
uneqivocally places it in Congress. Now
If a majority Of the people chose to favor
admission of states with constitutions dis
graced by the infamous proslavery feature
they had only to elect men to congress
upon that issue and the ignoble deed had
been accomplished It was made the is
sue, and freedom triumphed. What fol-
lowed? Rebellion, foul and fendish
spread her devastating wings over this
happy country because the majority
spoken in favor of freedom Yet, call it
wrong for the majority thus to rule in
favor of freedom if you chose-then you
can only infer that the deplorable(?)
choice Of freemen should be corrected by
the ballot, and not rebellion. Now can
did reader had the northern states COM
mitted any error up this period? We'll
let us proceed and behold how truly every
step of the government has had for
tuitious result. Various measures were
adopted to bring about reconciliation ard
peace. But, briefly, an army was called
for, to suppress the ebellion-stop
there saws my patriotic friend from un-
der his coppery masque-'the president
the beginning of the stop which precipi-
tated the government into ruin! All is
that it? Let us review it for one mo.
ment firstly do you think that the orig
inators and palpable designers of the
ruin are guiltless, and that the evil lies at
the door of him who anxious to protect
his country, in attempting to protect her
made a misstep? Suppose A. draws a
knife to stab B. and c. guessing the in
tended felony, under the excitement OF
the moment seizes A by the collar, in
stead of parrying the blo,o, which unfor-
tunately does not prevent the result, and
B. receives the fatal stab from A, is A to
be acquitted, G, to be covered with infa-
my perhaps indicted and hung for the
murder of B ? But if great army should
have been raised why did not that patron
saint, and example of southern chivalry
Buchanan do it? Last but not least my
christian friend, what could have been
done with more than 10000 men at that
time? could they have been armed and
equipped? De you not recollect that the
hearts of freemen grew sick, impotent at
the delay consequent upon lack of arms
and equipment even for those 10000? Do
you not also know that but for the en-
couragement and sympathy of northern
nlnl.. h y.
but short distance away?
There is however one other grave ele-
walton laid at our threshold-hke all the
rest it finds no fault with the rebelious
faction, but charges that we by an excit-
| ing and behgerent press fermented and
| lncensed the south to hate us until they
found it impossible to live longer in har-
mony with us ! OF course if we did we
We're very wicked and they had a right,
| to rebel-of course they had; but let us
| see; how many of the very wicked aboli
ton papers were read in the south? We
viii not inquire how many southern gen
tlemen could redd-but as to the circula-
ton among them we aciU inquire. Now
In most all of the southern states it is a
great misdemeanor to be seen reading the
| antl-slavery papers, and even where it is
not expressly forbidden by law no man S
life even was safe who dared to read one
But let US pass on again The wal
with ali irs deplorable consequence was
entalled upon u.s. The very foundation
OF this nation tottered and the country
reeled above the yawning gulf of destruc-
ton which greedily awaited to environ
her; at last there came an end a dread
tul and calamitous end, to the perpetra-
tors OF the evil-but that end left the
walls of our government shrouded in sa-
BILE, mourning at the memory of brave
| and noble hearts stilled in death-for the
weeping and lamentations of widows and
orphans. and the unhappy condition OF
the distracted country. A great national
| debt had been contracted and the nation
honor had been pledged to pay it. Neve,
in our nations history had there been a
time which required the same degree OF
original political skill, and integrity; the
peculiar, complex condition of things
considered in connection with the form OF
our government, and condition of our
laws, afforded US no preceden, IN the his
itory of the world, which might shed light
tupon the manner of settling this new and
wonderful problem; it required original
thought ingenuity, and all that fragmen-
tary help which the history of other ma
tons could afford. We are now naturally
led to a consideration of the taxation and
nhanelal system adopted by congress,
"hich will consider next week aided by
soen hight as the law of taxation in other
nations will afford. ~ o'''e'
|