New-York tribune., 1868-01-29
THE STRUGGLE BEFORE U.s.
A CUAT WIN Mills O'KEILLI.

the time-n0t yet long agO-when 1t was
perlous to say that flag emOlazoned with
Freedom and Progress, yet employed 10 cover
the atrocities OF man-huntcrs and woman
stealers, was Haunting lie"-yet who doubts
il no,O? Who does not rejoice that the man
thief must take his life in his hand, and
brave the pistol and the prison. the law
and the sheriff, if he dares to lay hands
on man or woman suspected OF no CRIME put
the natural Partially for owning themselves
which God has implanted in the breasts OF the
human race? I am sure that you are heartily
glad that the laws of our country are now on
the side not Of the hunter, but OF the hunted.
Yet you will bear me witness that We owe
this great and happy change not to the great
marty whereof you are so distinguished pillar
and an ornament, but to its lifelong adversa-
ries. Nay: you cannot so soon have forgotten
that every step in our long and difficult adj
vance from Slavery to Universal Freedom
has been met by II cry of Constitution y Con
"stitutionw "YOu are violating tho Constltu-
"tiOn z" Even when you, Private Miles! had 80
far yielded TO the logic of Rebel bullets as to
concedc that "the nigger" could ''see, from
"under his wool, how to pail a trigger" and
in the natural generosity of your Irish heart
proclaim your willingness to share your right
to bc killed by Rebel bullets with Sambo, "and
"give him the larger half" you know that The
World and the great body of your brother
Indians in Tammany Hall relucted and reyoted
They were not willing to let Sambo fight for
the Union, though you were because they saw
the truth and force of Gen. Sherman's Oblec-
ton that if he were invited to fight to restore
the Union, he could not be dccently denied
voice in governing the country thus saved (in
parD by his valor and dcvOtedness. They
hated "the nigger; :" they did not mean 10 let
him vote anyhow; they were logical and cal
culating, while you were Miles O'Reilly.
Now, you want to support Gen. Grant for
President on personal and military grounds
You say that hundreds of thousands" of
other such Democrats share your admiration OF
the c0nqueror at AppOmattoy, aud want to
vote for him, if they can. And you say, through
me, to Gen. Grant. that he is likely to lose
your votes if he is understood to acquiesce "in
certain of the more extreme measures now
"before Congress- In so far as you speak for
yourself and your present associates, presume
this is so. Now listen to me.
l have nothing to say of or for Gen. Grant.
He is not my choice for President. though
shall very heartily support him if he shall be
the Republican candidate. But | know (and
so do you) that he will be such candidate only
in case his convictions and purposes touching
Reconstruction shall be in general. substantial
accord with those of the Republican party;
and that party is heart and soul with Con-
gress in its present struggle to secure Equal
Rights to al American citizens. Now and then.
an individual drops out of our line, as with all
advancing armies; but the host, nevertheless.
moves on. A few years ago. when Congress
proposed to strike at the vitals of the Re-
bellion through Slavery, Senator Cowan Of
Pennsylyana-then CONSERVATIVE" Rcpubli-
can, now bitter Democrat-thus protested and
predicted:
Pass this bill and the messenger who carries IL
to South will back To with tho news Of their
complete consolidation as one man. We shall then have
done that which treason could not do We ourselves shall
then dissolved the Union shall have rent It's
sacred charter and ettinguished the last yesgo OF a
fecton 1t ia the Slave States by our blind aud passion
ate folly
In the same spirit, and in nearly identical
language, Senator Doolittle-a later apostate-
now commences his elaborate attack on the
policy of Congress as follows:
"Br President there is involved in this measure
than in any other all others perhaps. see in It com
peie overthrow Of the Constitution ten states OF the
i
SEQ Republic in form at least still remaining north OF
tho Potomac. see an Empire rising south OF H. see
dual Exocutve-a President TO the laws in the
Republic OF the North military dictator Independent
Of the President to mako as we'll as execute laws IN the
negro empire OF the South"
This sort Of frantic, screechy rhetoric
has been the stock in trade of the enemies
of Equal Rights from the outset. Mr.. Lincoln
violated the Constitution by trying to provs-
20 Cu, Un x-io aI ctil nnf-
rageously by calling or the States for militia to
enable him to hold possession of the Federal
capital. Every Democratic Governor told him so,
in terms of intense bitterness and reprobation.
When he Invaded" the sacred soil of Vir-
ginia, there was another shrek but when he
most reluctantly and tardily, consented to
strike the Rebellion through its path. motive,
"guide, original .and end,' Human Slavery,
he was assaed and reved as though he had
committed all the deadly sins. No Democrat
in good standing and no tender-tOed Repub-
lcan, doubted that that was the end Of every
rational hope of restoring the Union. But it
was mt.
Now, Miles, my boy! the question TO be de-
cided is essentially tho same that it has been
from the outset. Slavery undertook to destroy
the Union. Her fundamental assumption was,
"Ths is q White Mans government" wherein
"niggers" are entitled to just such rights as
the Whites see fit to accord them "Squatter
Sovereignty meant just this. The Dred Scott
decision clothed it in judicial language. The
Rebellion meant simply, If this is Mia White
MANS government, we III make one that is."
Hence, every logical, persistent Northern cham
pion of Slavery was champion of the Rebel
lion. Hence, while every earnest blow that was