The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-21
IAN UNMIxED EVIL

The New York Times has long been in the
habit of viewing the worst developments Of
the dominant party as endowed with com
pensatory ingredient of good, and the wor-
thiest sentiments and aims Of the opposing
party as tented with fatal mixture of evil.
In recent editorial, however, the same jour
nal so far departs from this method of exhibit
ing the impartiality of Republican journal
with conservative proclivities as to call every
military organization designed for party
purpose an "unmiKed evil" whether in the
interest Of one party or the other. We do not
remember that the Times and other journals
OF Ike character, saw the thing in the light
/ Of utter indefensibility, as q mischief pure
| and simple, in the days when the +" Wide
| Awakes and the s'Loyal Leaguers," through
secret concert and cooperation, and through
| open turbulence and violence, assisted to
| spread terrorism fatal TO free speech, free
press and personal liberty, and practically
subyersiye Of the Constitution as a imminent
Of those rights. 1t is only when secret mill
tary association is resorted to for the purpose
of fighting these terrorists with their own
weapons, that we hear journals of the lacta-
queous conservatism of the New York Times
characterizing the whole system as an sun
mixed evil in the subjoined remarks, for
instance:
There are, however, good reasons for suppos-
ing that here and in other cries the beginning
has been made of an organization designed to do
fer the Democrats what the Grand Army of the
Republic il ready TO do for the radicals. IL has
been christeDed {" The Constitution Alliance aud
it is TO have the Characteristics OF secretmltary
order instituted for the promotion of political OBJ
jects. Societies and orders of this sort are an
unmxed evil. They are q perversOn of plans
which at the outset may be cOnImendable to pur-
poses which add TO the political Generalization of
the country, and very seriously endaager It's
peace. For all the legitimate requirements Of the
government there Is ample military machinery
regulated by an authority which may be relied
upon TO uphold order and law. II more than the
regular army be needed, there are prescribed
methods oeObtanibg additional streigth and ex
peIience has proved that these methods are equal
TO the most formidable emergency. No excuse
exists, therefore, for irregular organizations, Sc
cTet in their character, partisan in their aims, and
recognizing the right TO direct of men devoid of
all recognized responsibility. They are not
wanted by the couAtry, and their growth is not
calculated to promote its welfare.
Certainly no excuse did exist for secret and
irregular military organizations for political
objects, when the radicals commenced forming
them. But the case bears very different as
pect when their opponents are provoked to
organize in a similar manner for the purpose
of defense. Self-defense, by any means which
the nature of an assault may render, or may
seem to render necessary, is always excus-
able. Such system of party warfare is ex-
tremely deplorable, beyond doubt; but the
responsibility for its consequences must de-
volve upon those who first contrived it and
imposed upon their opponents the necessity
of following their example. The latter can
answer all protests which they may thus pro-
woke with the staggering reply that Alphonse
Karr once gave to certain French philanthro-
pists who were exclaiming against the horrors
of capital punishment. Certainly, he said,
the iDfiction of death on human beings was
horrible; the practice ought, by all means, to
be abolished; but really, he saw no
hope of effecting the abolition unless the
work was commenced by the murderers. Of
course, it is lamentable that society should
have to defend itself sometimes by putting
malefactors to death; but there is no certain
remedy for the evil if bad men will not vol
UNFAIRLY abstain from crime. And, of course,
it is also lamentable that armed and truculent
partisans, combining in the manner of the
"Grand Army of the Republic" should CON-
pei other people to adopt the prudent expe-
dent of arming to maintain rights indispen-
sable to freemen, and even to men; but it
clearly devolyes upon all who denounce this
state of things to insist that those who brought
it about shall take the initiative in terminal
ing it. Let the "Grand Army of the Re-
public, and organizations of like character
and design, disband and disarm, and the
head and front of the ''unmixed evil" referred
to by the New York Times will disappear, and
nobody viii have any real occasion for anxi-
ETY. and alarm on the score of partisan arm
ement, either open or secret But every re-
fleeing person may well be apprehensive of
grave mischiefs to the interests of order and
tranquility, and of peaceful industry and
prosperity, while the party which is ascen-
dant by usurpation does not scruple to per-
petuate its supremacy by using military
force, in every form in which such force may
be available, in every quarter where political
opposition may look formidable. 1t is the
old, old story of despotism and resistance;
despotism which is simply power maintained
10y war, resistance which is the natural and
indefeasible right of all upon whom such a
war is waged.
THE McCARDLE CAsE.-A Washington special of
the l7lh, to the Cincinnati Enquirer, says: