The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-23
4 STlRTLENG LlKENESS

From the Louisville Courier. I

tions in this country, and, connecting
This with the peculiar means which are
being used to elect Grant, argued with
great force that such an election would
make this PrGtorian candidate at the
head of his army a" Caesar lmpcrator."
Mr.. Davis gives it as his solemn opinion
that, ,"when General Grant is thus elect
ed and inaugurated President then will /
| the revolution OF our Government be
complete and permanent and long dismal
night of dcspotism will brood over the |
country"
The New York TfJune makes au
exceedingly labored srtempt to ridicolc |
this suggestion. Similar alarms have |
been sounded so often, in times of com
parativc safety, that the Tribune deems
it only necessary to laugh at this one to
induce the people to disregard it as the
the shepherd boys cry Of wolf. With
no dismantlcd States, no disfrauchised
and oppressed millions Of brave whites,
no hordes Of ignorant and desperate Af-
ricans suddenly crusted with political
power no Rump Congress to aggravate
discomfort, feed the flames of strife and
disturb the equilibrium of our system
by usurpations of power, it is probable
that the public could afford to indulge
its wonted confidence in the fxedness OF
our institutions. But fears which few
years ago appeared more visionary than
those of Mr.. Davis have been suddenly
realized, and changes more difficult than
those which ne foreshadows, have been
effected.
} New methods of lo, islating outside
of the Constitution" for unrepresentcd
populations, have been invented. That
instrument which once held all the
needful safeguards for the rights Of
States, of property, ana of persons, as
we'll as of the several depar tnlen,S Ct the
Federal Government, has been found to
be bottomless and void while Radicals
were in power. They have disregarded
T. its sanctions and proianed everything
which it made sacred. 1t has been
found possible to make Grant imperator
in ten States, and the power he thus
wields is to be used to make him Presi-
dent of the other States. Why may ii
not be used to keep hir; President or tc
make him imperator over all The new
element of military force has been in
troduced into the political contests ol
'u this country. 1t is recognized by Grant:
va supporters as a means which may be legit
N imatcly used in time Of peace to produce
IN such changes in the Constitution a
" their party interests may dictate. VIII,
/ may it not be used to change the Con
~ stitution an toto and to ordain a mon
archy.
III It's no wonder, then, that the vel
80 Of humor in which the Tribune attempt
,'' to treat the forebodings of Mr.. Davi
lie should prove to be very heavy indeed
H. The clanking shackles of ten State
Y? disturbed the pay of its fancy and tn
il ghost of murdered Constitution aros
, to rebuke its festive mirth. Its smile
became sardonic, because it is imposs
nc BILE to survey the situation of our coun
try and still to laugh sincerely at th
It. idea Of an impending military desp(
e ? tism.
do Nor is it strange that the IrtGm
p should, in this connection, proclaim i
VI self tired of hearing about the anciel
to Romans" The reckless extent to whiC
It'll party rivalries were carried and the al
imositics of civil war, kept alive f
,;u party purposes at Rome, created Il
" opportunity which has never existed
the history of anY republic, Whether
ins Greece, in Rome, or IL Holland, b
there was always some popular and su
rk cessful general to take advantage Of
The situation which resulted at Ror
"s in the despotism of the Caesars bears,
&c every essential particular, startli
ltic analogy to that which the Radicals d
inc preparing as an opportunity and ten
c,n tation to Grants ambition, 1t matte
not that they do not 50 intend it. 1t
0 d by their passions and not by their reas
ical that people enslave themselves. In t
/. eager pursuit of their own aims, and
has their hot evaporation against their
Il low citizens, these Radicals are reckle
" ly using weapons dangerous to the
Pon selves. They fan the embers of ci
war and foster sectional predjudices
sustain a party despotism and vindict
in sectional policy. They are accustom
ow's the people TO violent and revolutions
,Vor changes in TIE Government, and
y " changes of the Constitution effected
as the Mexican style. Already the b
that ouets of the Radical candidate CLEAN
,cise one half of the Union to execute
cans. sentences of his court martial, and
4hot enforce the rescripts promulga
- through his legislative couventic
loo The roses of four summers have blo
I. ed and faded upon the grave of the
'' soldier slain in battle, and still we
ONES all over the South the tread of Ora
lumn large armies, as they go about captuI
,irtv. electoral votes wherewith to make
-: President. Universal submission
>, 0'AO ana approval of this style of election
state ing is what he and his party mean "
hard they say IS Let us have peace"