Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-09-10
A STARTLING LIKENESS.
The Emriss is Pesssss1AA . Let I ct us
have Peace

In recent letter Senator Davii
alluded to the situationIof parties anc
sections in this country and, connect
ing this with the peculiar and start
ling means which are boing used tc
elect Grant, argued witt great force
that such an election would make thil
Pretorian candidate al the head Of
his army "Cessr Impprator." Mr.
Davis gave it as his s(lcmn opinion
that, "when General Grant is thus
elected and inauRuratel President
then will the revolution of our Gov.
ernment be complete and permanent
and long, dismal night of despotism
will brood over the country"
The New York Tribune makes On
exceedingly labored attempt to ridi.
cule this suggestion. Similar alarms
have been sounded 80 often, in times
of comparative safety, that the Trib-
une deems it only necessary TO laugh
at this one TO induce the people tc
disregard il as the shepherd boys cry
of wolf. With no dismantled States,
no disfranchised and oppressed mil.
lions Of brave whites, no hordes OF
ignorant and desperate Africans sud
denly entrusted with political power,
no Rump Congress 70 aggravate dis
contents, 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 fixedness
of our institutions. But fears which
a few years ago appeared more vision
ary than those of Mr.. Davis have been
suddenly realized, and changes more
difficult than those which he foreshad-
ows, have been effected.
New methods of legislating "outside
of the Constitution" for nnrepresent-
cd populations, have been invented.
That instrument which once held all
the needful safeguards for the rights
of States, of property and Of persons,
as well as of the several departments
of the Federal Government, has been
found 10 be bottomless and void while
Radicals are in power. They have
disregarded its sanctions and profaned
everything which it made sacred. 1t
has been found possible to make Grant
in ten States, and the pow
or he thus wields is TO be used TO make
him President Of the other States.
Why may it not be used TO keep him
President or to make him imperator
oyer ALL The new element of mill
the political contests of this country.
1t is recognized by Grants supporters
as a means which may be legitimately
used in time of peace to produce such
changes in the Constitution as their
party interests may dictate. Why
may it not be used TO change the Con-
stitution in toto and 10 ordain mon
archy.
1t is no wonder, then, that the vein
Of humor in which the Tribune at
tempts TO treat the forebodings of Mr.
Davis should prove to be very heavy
indeed. The clanking shackles of ten
States disturbed the play of its fancy
and the ghost of a murdered Constitu-
lion arose to rebuke its festive mirth.
Its smile became sardonic, because il
Is impossible TO survey the situation
Of our country and still TO laugh sim
cerely at the idea Of an impending
despotism
Nor is it strange that the Tribune
should, in this connection, proclaim
itself "tired of hearing abou. the an.
cient Romans" The reckless extent
TO which party rivalries were carried
and the animosities Of civil war, kept
alive for party purposes at Rome, Gre
ated the opportunity which has never
existed in the history Of any republic,
whether in Greece, in Rome, or in Hol-
Iand, but there was always some popu-
lar aud successful general to take
advantage of it.
The situation which resulted at
Rome in the despotism of the Caesars
bears, in every essential particular, a
startling analogy TO that which the
Radicals are preparing as an opportu-
nifty and temptation for Grants am
bition. 1t matters not that they do
not SO intend it. IL is by their pas
sions and not by their reason that
peoples cnslave themselves. In the
Bagcr pursuit of their own aims, and
in their hot evaporation against their
fellow citizens, these Radicals are reck-
essly useing weapons dangerous TO
themselves. They fan the embers Of
civil war and foster sectional prejudi-
nes to sustain a party despotism and
, vindictive sectional policy. They
Nre accustoming the people TO violent
and revolutionary changes in the Gov
ernment, and TO changes Of the Con-
effected in the Mexican style.
Already the bayonets Of the Radical
CLEAN in one half Of the
Union TO execute the sentences of his
courts-martial, and TO enforce the
rescripts promulgated through his
conventicles The roses Of
four summers have bloomed and faded
upon the grave Of the last soldier slain
in battle, and still we hear all over
the South the tread Of Grants large
armies, as they go about capturing
electoral votes wherewith to make
him President Universal submission
to and approval of this style of cleo
tioneering is what he and his party
mean when they say "Let us bave
peace"
He is all the more dangerous bc-
cause he appears in this act only as
the powerful servant of the dominant
party. 1t is as the tool Of their pas
sions that he must acquire the power
IN haoof..o a Il a,~ afox IN - =.