The evening Argus., 1868-03-05
PoRr BYRON.

@a1 So PoRr BYRON.
For the Rock Island Argus.
Where are we Drifting
The imminence of the foregoing question
forces itself upon the consideration of the
thoughtful, and naturally Ais all minds with |
aaxiety. 1t is evident that our country is in |
a most depIorable condition and that con- |
stitutional liberty is now in more danger |
than it was in any period OF the late rebel |
lion The producing classes. which constr
tute at least 6ve-sixths of the population of
the loyal states, bear the whole burden of
supporting the government, and are ground
to the earth by heavy taxation; while the
states lately in rebellion, and which are un-
surpassed in fertility Of soil and salubrity of
climate, are in state Of starvation, and in
stead of yielding any revenue to the treasu-
ry, must themselves be supported by the
government. The tendency of the times,
influenced by the partial legislation OF con
gress, appears to terminate In making the
rich richer and the poor poorer. This leg
islation seems to have for its object the ere
alton of an aristocracy of wealth and pride.
Congress appears to have forgotten that
there are such people as northern laborers,
and therefore have not applied even finger
to tighten their burdens.
1t is more than three years since the war
ceased. The country then reloiced in the
prospect of peace. Since that period there
has been no enemy arrayed in arms against
the government, and yet we are now appa-
rently further from restoration of the Union
than we were on the day that Lee surren,
dered. This result is most justly charged
to the ruling party in congress. Ii can be
| placed nowhere else. 1t is useless foI dem
| agogues to say that the democratic party IS
| an obstruction the hindrance cannot be
| laid at their door, because they were in a
hopeless minority and were poweriess. In
| fact, all the legislation of congress on that
| subject since the death of Lincoln, has
| tended but to widen the breach between the
| late belligerent states. 1t is now perfectly
| apparent that all their reconstruction acts
are absolutely futile, and that no restoration
| of the Union can ever be effected on such a
| basis as has been proposed for the south.
| This is, in effect, admitted by the party in
power. The late proposition to place the
| ten states under the command of a military
dictator, is an admission of the failure-it ID
more: it is a confession of inability, on the
part of the present congress, to restore the
| of placing them under military rule, when
the citizens of that desolated portion of the
republic are as peaceable and law abiding as
any other people in the broad land. And
what is the character of all the acts of con-
gress on this subject including the tenure
! of-office act? They are openly and plainly
| in violation of the constitution. The bolder
| spirits among the radicals honestly admit
this fact t. that they "are legisiating outside
| of that Observation-Disclosures Justify them
selves under the subterfuge that whatever is
passed by two-thirds vote over the veto OF
the President, becomes, ipso .fdcto, consti-
tutional, no matter what may be the charsc-
ter of the enactment Every person, who
has thought at all on the subject, knows
them to be in violation of the constitution
Nobody believes them TO be in conformity
with that instrument; yet there are many
who are willing to find some excuse for con
gress. as they say, from the necessity ot
the case" hoping that good may come out o.
| evil.
Itis lamentable fact, known 20 all, that
Notwithstanding the enormous imposts and
taxes paid by the already overburdened pub
lie, the country is sinking deeper and deeper
in debt; the prices of all articles of provis
ion, food, and other necessaries of life are
l
the country is dying out; manufactures arr
languishing; agriculture is not fostercd as ii
should be by iudicious tariff; capital is in
: vested in non tax-paying bonds, when II
otherwise would be expended in building uI
manufactures and other internal improve
ments. Everything that is purchased mns
be paid for at q high price, except the wages
of the laborer, and that is diminished, re
gardless of the truism in political economy
that when the laborer is prosperous all othe
business must flourish. No man can dem
but that this is the condition of things a
! the present. This being so, it really look,
. as if the ship of state had drifted among
breakers, and unless some other and strong
: er hand be put to the helm and another ant
more efficient crew be put on board,
she will soon suffer shipwreck and her ent
!, will be inevitable ruin
4 Now, Mr.. Editor, after this view of tn,
} case. to say nothing of the quarrel betweer
the President and congress, nor of the at
tempt to subvert the authority of the su
preme court, what should a regular old-lin
republican do in the premises? There ar,
now but two parties in existence--the radi
Gals and the democrats. There is no longe,
any republican party-no matter what som,
men may call themselves. We read tina
thc ucVH SOmetiiueh IoOh the form OF an RD
gel of light. The grand old republican part
has gone up. There is not plank or
i vestige of the platform of 1860 or 1864, lol
9 which Lincoln was elected, now among tn
e radicals. on which a man can stand. "A
: between the two parties which are in actix
lite there can be no hesitation in preferrins
the democratic.a Nor am / alone in thi
matter. Many, very many true republican
: think as do. We are determined to trus
! ! the democrats. Things cannot be in wors,
condition if they are successful, than the,
J are now, and the chances are that the chang,
wiil be infinitely for the better, for there i
no hope of reform among the radicals.--
: comparing the past histories of the tw,
parties, we have every assurance of th,
a prosperity OF the country, should the democ
8 racy be triumphant. From the formation O
. our government till 1861, a period of owe
= seventy years, was there ever a country
> since man first set his foot upon the earth
8 which made such o march to greatness AM
i prosperity within the same space of time q
: our own i? This was done for the most mar
c under democratic rule. On the other hand
It can you point to any nation in history whicl
y has advanced with such fearful rapidity 4
!, perdition as has the United States, durinl
q fha locx xl-,o xooro uudor radical e-ar -,