The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-03-20
The Bucllshot War.

The condition of things ut the Ma
ional Capital to-day, very forcibly re-
minds the spectator Of the scenes enact |
ed nearly thirty years ago at the Capt. |
tai of the State of Pennsylvania not |
only because it is by the same political
party, and because the object is the
same; but also because the leading ac-
tor in the present drama is the identi-
cal individual who led the revolutions
ry forces in the attempt TO subvert the
government of this State. The whole
historical parallel is suggestive and Gu
rious, and we cannot resist the tempta'
zion of celebrating it somewhat, for the
information of our younger readers, and
as rcmembranccr to the older ones.
As in 1860, the Republicans came in
to power by Il most unfortunate and fa-
tai division in the Democratic party;
50 in 1886, Joseph Ritncr became Gov
ernor of the State of Pennsylvania, bo-
cause the Democrats divided their
strength between Wolf and Mullen
berg. Thus, in both instances, the par
ty of the minority came into power,
and in both, the same party sought to
prolong its lease by tramplingupon the
rights of the people, by carrying elec"
tions at the point of the bayonet, or by
treating. them as if they had never
| been held. In both cases weak and in
efficient and inexperienced men came
into power, and in both they were at
tended, wrought upon and controlled by
the same unscrupulous demagogue. So,
too, in Pennsylvania, the Radicals at
tempted to inaugurate civil war,
through the action Of the House OF
Representatives, but failed ; while on
the grander arena Of the House of Con
| gress ut Washington, their success was
perfect.
In the one case they attempted to
prevent Governor Porter from taking
his seat, and in the other they are now
attempting to deprive President An
drew johnson of his. In the one case
they invoked the aid of Judge Houston
of the State Supreme Court, and in the
other they tamper with Judge Chase,
of the Supreme Court Of the Unit ed
States. In the one case they sought to
defeat the adoption of the Constitution
in Pennsylvania, and in the other, to
do away with and destroy the Consti'
tuition of the United States.
Grown older in wickedness and bold
er in iniquity, the man who fled from
the righteous Indignation ofthe aroused
people of Pennsylvania, through the
back window of the Senate chamber, in
1888 now, in 1868, lords it over the peo
pie of the whole Union, having on q
grander and more magnificent scale, ac
complished the setting up of that des
potism, which the people of Pennsyl'
vania defeated him in, thirty years ago
| Then, Thaddeus Stevens and his radi-
cal confreres proposed only to disfran'
chise the county of Philadelphia, and
prevent the regularly elected men,
bers of the Legislature from that place
from taking their seats, and he failed
now, he boldly and successfully de
prives Ten sovereign States Of this Onion
of their legal and constitutional repre-
sentation in Congress!
Oh! that there existed now, the love
OF virtue, of law, and Ofiiberty, whi ich
made itself felt in all its magesty, bu
one generation ago; instead of seeing
the defeated hero of the Buckshot wal
leading in another crusade against the
rights and liberties Of the whole!nation
we should And him seeking some OBJ
scure hiding place, in the shelter OF
which he could escape the righteous In.
dignation of an insulted, an outraged
and betrayed people.