The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1868-11-01
The Crisis Passed.

, dence upon at least gradual, if not sud
, lden, improvement in the condition of Affairs
! in the South. IL case of the election o.
Seymour, the popular verdict will have
: been SO decided in favor of fraternal equal
f ity, that the enemies of the Constitution
the contemnors of vested rights, who have
? of late welded such unlimited power in
their favor of an overwhelming national
party, will sink into instant and abject
{ submission. Like all factions of q mere
selfish and unprincipled character, Repub-
) licanism has no inherent vitality.
i But if Grant should be elected In that
case the blow to Republicanism will not be
SO Immediately fatal, but will be of a very
SOLDERING weight and efficacy. The evidence
will be 30 strong of their extravagant pol
icy being disapproved, that the instinct of
self preservation will counsel future
course less hagrantly violative of justice
4 and humanity. Hatred is passion whose
/ public qualification always turns the tide
of public support in favor of the victim
and against the oppressor.
The very courts of the country are point
ing the finger of scorn at the childish and
| are the grand conservative elements of gov
ernment. They are not ut all heroic in
their conservatism, and cannot always be
relied on in q crisis for moral or physical
courage. They may sometimes yield a
feigned acquiescence under the pressure of
terror, but after the danger passes, when
violence no longer threatens, justice re-
sumes hef~seat, as unerring and as faithful
as ever. The judicial tribunals of New
York have lately decided that any law OF
that State depriving a>citizen of any status
or privilege, for rebellion>e or other acts pre-
viously done, is an cr post Jacto law, and
clearly unconstitutional. What a COM
mentary on congressional legislation tow
ards the South ~I
This judicial expression will soon be re-
echoed throughout the length and breadth
of the land. The reconstruction and other
unconstitutional acts of Congress will be
contemned and overturned judicially. The
tyrannical madness of local legislation will
sink into mere record of impotent malice,
before the injunctions and other writs of
critical justice. Justice is timid maiden,
md easily frightened by the clashing of
arms, but sagacious and inexorable when
safe from violence.
1t is matter of the greatest congratu1a=
lion that our people are daily becoming
more and more inclined to judicial reme-
lies for their grievances. If distasteful
police is about being organized, n writ of
issues,if an oppressive tax is laid
or purposes of plunder, and the tax-gath-
,rer is authorized by solemn enactment to
enforce its instant payment by seizure and
ale without form of law, an injunction nips
lis smiling triumph in the bud. The mat
er is tied up in the courts for a year or two,
nay be three or four, at any rate long
enough for justice to recover from her
right, and for society to cool down from
he boiling heat which brought SO vile
cum to the surface.
So far the South has triumphed in fair
ontest with the prejudices of the North,
nd the Vaccinations of a willy and desper-
tie party. 1t has triumphed by forbear- s
nee for which few were willing to give it l
redit. We who have suffered know the a
ightmare of oppression under which we e
ave been suffocating through the unnatu-
al domination of greedy and unscrupulous II
dventurers. History will one day make Il
very body else appreciate it. History will
lsa record the dignity and wisdom with t
7hich our people have resisted the appeals L
f passion and followed the counsels of pru- I
ence.
Our insolent oppressors thought that a "
ot-headed and impetuous people could be e
asily goadcd to phrensy by insult and an y
oyance. They fancied themselves so much
hrewder than the Southerner that the T.
anne would be altogether in their hands.
tut they have been humiliated by the dis t.