The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-01
Broksn Faith.

Alabama, after all, was included IN the
omnibus bill. OF all the enormities concen'
trated in that bill, this of including Alabama
ia the most shameless in its hagrant VIOLA
ton Of pledged faith. Al the other states
have their common grievances with her oil
are subjects Of tyranny without conscience
and without law. But Alabama suffers un'
der an exceptional outrage beyond her SIS
ters in misfortune. With them, congress,
with the caprice Of irresponsible power
dealt by cruel experiments, altering laws
from time to time in order to prevent their
own escape from fate predestned from the
beginning Alabama they pursued with
the same inveteracy Of hatred but added
to it the shameless per6dy Of Furnishing her,
because she complied with the exact PROV.
sions of the law they had enacted and
presented to her for action, The honor OF
the nation was pledged to her that unless
majority Of the registered voters should
approve by their votes the constitution to
be submitted, it should DO held to be Lost
| The stipulation was az clear that refusal
70 vote should be counted as Il negative
aud the ground was taken with an air OF
punctilious respect for the will Of apeople-
a precaution, demanded by republicanism
against the possible ascendancy of minor
tiles, that if majority Of the voters should
not take sufficient interest in the form Of
government to express their opinions III III
favor, it should not be fastened on them
This vas the promise Of the law. Trusting
to it the majority signihed their dissent, a.
they were empowered to do, by staying away
from the polls. The constitution was there
fore defeated by many thousands, in The
form which congress had prescribed to tn
voters.
Yet congress- has now declared the sam,
constitution adopted by the minority witt
voted, and thus annulled the decision Of tn
great majority whom it deludsd in.o stayinl
away from from the polls By solemn legisla
tive promise that their absence should b.
registered as effective voting. In priyat
life such transaction between individual
where one oyerreached the other and get
possession Of property or rights by promises
which he breaks at the first convenience
would be- called swindle, and the perpetra
tors be fortunate in jury if they kept out 0
the penitentiary. II is the more dishonora
bic in government on whom the observe
ton Of faith is more imperative when il reT
1esents power without responsibility, and tn
sufferers from tho breach Of public engage
ment are without recourse for relief Thi
freak of the fortieth congress, in dishOnorin
the pledged faith of the law in order the bet
ter to swipdle Alabama outofthe chance Of e'
cape foom fate which the majority of he
people looked upon with horror, stamps o
the actors the opprobium Of a Punic foith a
bad rs this Carthagenians ever deserved, an
, as lasting. Hereafter if one wants q term {
bitter reproaeh for the breaking Of a pligh
ed word, he may say "faithess as the blac
and tan congress- Of 1868"
This radical cheat of promising the peopl
, Of the south tho privilege Of voting on thei
own government, and then turning it to
nochery and injury, prevails towards all III
states. 1t is a fraud-even a little MOI
, than that of the Roman general who, accep
ing the surrender Of an eastern king, prom
! isep to return him one-haif OF his feet, an
kept the promise by saving the gallcys
e two and sending back half the pieces.
r They were as worthless to him Us th
, rights of suffrage, given back, are to Il
! south--mutilated with an ingenuity beyOn
the conception of Psgsn--which could OF
" be reached when the vices of CiviliEstio
L. had armed tyranny with so many new an
, deviish refuements.--Nep orleans Pea
I | lfug