The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-01-09
EIIesslts SNErnDS.

1 nc ,remOVal Ol Oeueral lope ANU
Ord from the commands, respectively, |
of the Third and Fourth Military Dis
tricts, completes the Executive work of
emitting off the heads of the hydra of
military government in the South. 1t
is true that the body, in al, its dragon
deformity, still remains, and that, as in
the case Of the tabled monster, new
heads take the place Of those who have
been chopped off; but the new heads
are, at least, not Radical heads, and, in
fact, have no affinity Or sympathy with
the system Of military oppression with
which, by the necessities Of their Off ,ial
positions, they are connected.
The changes that have been made
viii doubtless DO much to restore conf
danco and activity to the South The
most satisfactory feature in this process
Of decapitation is, that L is so much in
accordance with popular sentiment,
as expressed by the recent State oloo-
tiors, that it cannot Withstand Congress
ional opposition by The mere foIce Of
the moral influences that surround it.
\ year ago the removal OF the CHOSEN
satra1s Of the Radicals would have iais
ed a storm in Congress that the Pres.
dent would have found it difficult to
contend against but to-day he acts un-
der The assurance that he is but obeying
the viii Of the people, and faction, th'o
furious aud defiant, is powerless to check
him. Thus already we are beginning
to reap the wholesome fruits of The pop.
ular reaction against Rodicalism, The
Radicals did their utmost to make par
ty capital out OF the removal of Gems.
Sheridan and Gickles. They invested
those gallant soldiers with tie mock in
sigma Of martyIdom and trotted them
around the country like two painted
idols, appealing to multitudes to fall
down and worship. But the people
knew very well how to respect brave
men With sacrificing great principles.
The day has gone by tor the masses to
their best interests. The triumphal
march of Sheridan did not prevent the
defeat o. lis party, and we think that it
is pretty well established that the peo-
pie are proof against demagoguism or
any Loyal League revivals designed to
blind them as to the real issues before
the country.
We hope that before long the whole
system Of military government will be
abolished. The masses know very we'll
that it is useless; and better still, to
their cost, they know that it is expen.
siye. The chief object fer which it is
maintained is to consumate the ojtct
Of negro suffrage, in defiance OF the
| popular sentiment against it. No one
believes that there is any more danger
Of revolt in the South than in the
North-eXcept on the part Of the ne
groos themselves, who have been cduca>
ted to insubordination by the Radicals.
But, as it is not yet possible to remove
that incubus upon our republicanism
which insults and outrages the spirit o.
our political system which its ministra-
ton by bayonets in lieu of established
laws and the irrevocable principles Of
| sell. government, let US at least hope
that, under the present heads of the
military departments, the odious ma
chincry of military government will be
stripped of its worst features, aud vii
be made as little as possible a reproach
and an injury to our nationalty.-Ncu
Iorh NcrS.