The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-01
From the N. Y. Herald
Thc Revolutionary Programme
Offhe Radical OligarChy.

Offhe Radical Oligarchy.
The revelations of the plots and designs
of the radical oligarchy at Washington
which we published yesterday should ar.
ouse the people to a sense of the danger
that is threatening them. 1t has been
well said that eternal vigilance is the price
Of liberty; for it is in times ofapatby and
fancied security that tyrants usurp power
and destroy liberty. 1t is especially so
when a people became wearied and worn
out with apparently useless efforts to stem
the march Of usurpasiop. The castle that
is subject to continual assaults crumbles
piece by piece, and its defenders become
exhausted ). then by sudden coup de
main it falls. 1t is just tho same with
the liberties of a people. The volume of
history is full of examples. They result
from the laws aud passions of human ma
ture, which are the same in all times and
everywhere, and the consequences are as
inevitable as the successive ebb and flow
of the tide.
The radical conspiracy at Washington
to overthrow the constitution and govern
ment, for the purpose of perpetuating the
power OF tho dominant party, may or may
mob have formed definite plan or have
calculated exactly the end to be attained.
Revolutionists rarely do this at first
They generally expect to halt at some
point short ofthat which is 6ually reached;
but as it has been often remarked, revo-
lutions, do not 60 backward. In fact,
they advance with aceumulative force as
the passions become infamed, and as the
party controlling them feel their incress-
ing power. The end is, the same the
destruction of constitutional liberty,
whether the revolutioDists calculate all the
consequences or not, whether, the end be
the despotism Of one man or Of faction or
oigarchy, 1t seems, however, from our
important Washington correspondence, to
which We have referred, that some of the
leading radical couspirators, if not all,
have pretty well defined programme aud
object. If all the faction be not in the
secret the leaders seem to understand per-
fectly what they are driving at. They
have no doubt that under the despotism of
party control, which has become absolute
in this country, they can carry all the
radical republicans with them, whether
they explain their purpose or not, or how
ever far they may carry the revolution -
They believe; and we think with good rea.
son, that their party will 60 with them
even to the establishment of perpetual
Congress, Directory after the manner of
the French, a President for ten years, a
military dictator or monarchy.
The great leader Of the party, Thad
Stevens, has publicly declared the consti-
tuition abolished and that Congress is act.
ing outside oft Others believe tho same
if they are not as frank in avowiDg it, and
the whole party in Congress are acting
upon that presumption. This, conse-
quently, is the starting point of the con.
templated revolution in, tho government.
They do not recognize the con stitution
and are acting outside of it, There is no
difficulty in perceiving what wide door
is opened for doing whatever they choose.
There being no recognition Of constitu,
tioua! obligations the radical party in. Con.
gress is, as Butler declared the Senate to
be in the impeachment trial, law to
themselves, and, therefore, they will dc
whatever they like in rovolutionizing the
government and maintaining their power
This is the natural and logical result Of
their views and policy.
The programme, then, is to remove
President johnson, although there is bu,
the fimsiess. pretext for doing So, and
though the whole civilized world CRY
shame upon the outrage. The installa
ton of Ben Wade, one of the most ultra
and violent Jacobins of the party, will
follow. Then the Supreme Court will b.
virtually abolished and stripped of al
power to act upon the doings Of Congress
Gen. Grant, who is,at present o military
dictator over part of the country, is t
be made Prcsident-frst according to thu
forms Of law, and afterwards for ten years
or any other period, by the fat of Con
gress, under the plea of public necessity
aud the general good. This may appear
to some an extraordinary and almost in
credible proposition, but we are assured
it is in the programme Of the radical lea
ders as probably necessary contingency
to preserve their power. And why should
we be surprised !? Have not such things
occurred before2 Would it not be accord
ing to the natural progress of revolution
Have not the radical leaders declared
they are acting outside Of the constitution
OF course our radical Congress expects tt
control Grant and to make him mer
tool, but it has to be seen whether he vii
obey and leave the power in the hands o
this oligarchy or act the part of Cromwell
or Louis Napoleon. To the people i
may DE matter Of Indifference whicl
rules for either would be virtually
despotism and the death of the republic
and they may prefer one tyrant to few
hundred tyrants.
The national banks and bountiful issu
of currency are, we understand, locke
upon as important auxiliares in the revc
lutionary programme. These banks wer
established primarily for great politica
object, and though the father of then
Mr.. Chase, may not be able to use thei
influence as he expected, the radical part
will. This enormous moneyed power
entirely inconsistent with the spirit au