The Placer herald., 1868-02-29
FOR PR. Y.
GEORGE H. p ZION,
" The Grand Army Of the \

When, twenty years ago, CHI slice
Chase introduced the resolution in pe.'''ca'
convention. "That when the Constitution
of the United States conflicted with we
moral IDEAS of right of the individual. 1t
was right TO disregard it," every right think
inc man was shocked at the reasonable sem
tilnent it expressed. When thousands OF
New England preachers, and the focks
under their arbitrary control were sending to
Chase Seward and Hale, petitions for dis
solution Of the Union, the immortal Webster
introduced, as a rebuhe to these Senators,
a mock resolution, "that iDasmuch rs they
had taken solemn oath to support the Con
s,;tntion and laws made under it they do
now proceed to destroy boIh," the treason'
able intent Of these people was apparent
to all who were observaut Of public affairs.
Kindred TO these acts were the Modification
Laws of fourteen Northern States, the Kan
sas imbroglio, the John Brown invasion OF
Virginia, and to our mind the war between
the sectious was began in the same interest.
and carried out in the same spirit. There Is
in the heart Of the nation deep attachment
for the Union, aud to this alone, not to the
principles involved in the struggle, is the
result due. We are the more persuaded
that we rightly express the animus of these
people by what has transpired since the close
OF the war. Although the armies have long
been disbanded, Congress has not yet de-
clared it ended, but has proceeded to treat
the Southern people as if it was still going
on, and while the South has for three years
recognized, and conformed TO the result, the
Radicals of the North not only continue to
Cypress them by taxation without represen'
tation, but they have organized secret milf
tary societies throughout the length and
breadth of the land, calling themselves the
"Grand Army Of the Republic" What can
be the object of this army in time OF peace! !
is question which every peaceab'e citizen
should ask, and our answer to it is that these
men who all belong to one political party,
and that the party whose antecedents we
have above sketched are not the friends OF
Constitutional Government. They are of
those who have long thought that the Con-
sltution was "played out" and who have so
unblusbingly proclaimed their desire to
establish New Nation" and here we get
II clue TO The form they wish it TO take. 1t
is only through the military that Popular
Governments can and have been overthrow,
and the men who established ours well un
derstood it, and clamored loud against the
"Society Of the Cincinnati " until it was
dissolved, notwithstanding the Father of
bis Country, and those who with him had
conducted the war Of independence to a
successful close composed it. What need
is there for two military establishments in
the country? None except to those who
mean at some time to buck against the
Government, and here is exactly what it is
wanted for. They are doing all they can to
overthrow the Supreme Court, and TO destroy
the Executive authority, thus virtually put
ting an end to civil government, when pres
to! an excuse is found for dispensing with
President and Courts, and some successful
military man who drinks better whisky than
the Others as Lincoln said of Grant, kindly
consents to take the burdens upon bis Shout
ders. No,one is SO likely to be this lucky
man as the Chief of the Grand Army Of
the Republic, indeed they are everywhere
proclaiming him as "lbe coming man, the
tread of whose foot is to shake the earth"
But unless they crowd matters at Washing
ton-which they seem inclined to do
the people will have something to say about
it. Wherever they have spoken they have
in thunder tones told these conspiralors that
they are not ready yet to bury everything
that should be held sacred out of sight, and
they will make them to know that Red Re
pubIicanism cannot be lransplanted from the
faubures of Paris to this free land. Our
people intend to wear their freedom as If
they were used to it, and as Of right, not
revel in it as if it was but a spasm, the sure
sign of an unhealthy state of the body polite
But il they would they must frown down
these upstart attempts to subordinate the
civil to the military.