Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-04-24
RADICALISM.
No. 5.

! We have said the Radicals obtained
the majority in the legislative halls OF
the nation when brave men-now their
political opponents-were receiving KNOCKS
on every field from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande. Wherever the soldiers OF
the North became quartered they followed
them, pampered them, and lnVe1gled
them into sworn organizations. With the
passions, fierce contending passions OF the
moment. they became physically powerless
and intellectually blind. The soldiers of
the Great Northwest despised the fimsy
demagogues, and ever did despise, and ever
will despise and spurn their ffmsy, de-
grading principles. They were courted and
fattered. At first no such thing as eman-
cipation was dreampt. 1t was an idle
vagary, made current by the enemies OF the
Radical party! The Radicals lied in their
heart. They knew from the commence
ment the whole aim of the war, so far as
they were concerned, was to build for them
political capital They disbelieved the
'sirrepressible conflict" But they acted in
a covert manner to carry it on, rocking
little whether the country was saved from
degradation or no, so long as they could
sit and look in the full potency of authority,
and, like q Nero, laugh at the burning OF
Rome.
The war was ended. The soldiers of the
North returned in triumph to their homes,
and left behind them a Greece, but living
Greece no more. Starvation stared every
Southerner in the face. Pale want stalked
grimIy through the land. Desolation
reigned in every cottage, in every mansion,
in every village, town and city of the
South. Where now was the balm OF
Gilead ? What now was the shout OF the
Radical party? Was it peace ? ., no !;
their war was to begin. They sprang
forth like cats, and wolves, and tigers, and
bats, and owls, from their holes and hiding
places. Now they did dare to face the
light Of day, and did dare to seize upon the
honor which the drawer men had won upon
the crimson field of battle. The war, they
said, was not over. The South was still
rebellious, and must be further punished.
Now they were brave men and storm
ing fury, rose such as heard in HE'LL till
then was never" They fabricated the most
Infamous lies about the South and it's dis
loyalty. There was not a loyal man in the
South, and never was. True, so far as 10y
atty to their principles goes false, so far
as it goes, to constitutional principles and
the understanding of them. Abraham
Lincoln is assassinated. The South must
pay the penalty. But the Radical party
was glad, exceedingly glad, in the death Of
Lincoln. They considered him too mild
he would not punish the South sufficiently.
They now had man that would carry out
measures that might be probably placed
parallel to those of Jeffries, SO we'll known
to all readers of English history. Now
they would do what they were afraid to
face during the bloodiest days of the war
that is to come out and meet the " South
ern traitors" They had ANDREW JOHN
SON for their President, and he, they
thought, would carry outtheir odious policy.
Thank God, they were disappointed. "O,'
they often said, Lincoln is dead, but he
was a granny. 1t is good for the nation.
Now we have Johnson"