The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-03-13
From the Ncm York Herald, March 8.
Thad. SfeUens Organizing q
Ref0n or Terror.

The proceedings Of Congress in the inn
peeclment business and particularly the Ian
guage and bearing of the Radical leaders, |
bring wildly TO mind the Jacobin reign Of
terror during the French Revolution When |
Thad. Stevens, on presenting the articles of
impeachment against the President, drew up
his feeble frame in the attitude of dictator
and shook his finger above bis head in a
threatening manner towards he Senate, |
while fercely exclaming, Let me see the
recreant who dares TO tread back upon his
steps and vote on the other side I" the histo.
ny of Jacobin terrorism in the French Con-
yention was faithfully repeated, u
All, but some incredulous and over hope
full people may say, all will come right An
drew johnson is not going to be hanged the
bloody scenes of the French Revolution will
not be repeated we shall come back to law
and order by and by, and so forth. Let us
not deceive ourselves. History shows us
that those generally who inaugurate revolu-
tons do not anticipate the ultimate conse-
quences When they start they calculate
upon stopping short on attaining certain OBJ.
jects but revolutions do not stop; they
grow with party necessities and as partisan
feeling becomes intensified. Such things as
many would shuddcr at in the beginning ola
revolution are accomplished with the great
est complacency afterwards. The very apa-
thy and over-hopefulness of the people en-
courage reYolutionists to move outrageous
measures. Do the American people realize
the revolution they are passing through ? Is
| it small thing to impeach the President of
| the United States and to depose him on such
| fimsy and ridiculous charges as the Radicals
| have trumped up against Mr.. johnson? His
worst enemies do not assail his honesty or in
tegrity. He has endeavored to perform his
duty according to his understanding Oft and
| the Constitution which he has sworn to pre-
serve. His sole offence is that he has not
gone with the dominant party in Congress in
their efforts to Africanize the country and to
revolutioniZe the Government Is it small
| thing to remove a President for party pur-
poses alone Such thing was never dream
| ed of before in the United States. 1t is an
important and very long stride in the way of
revolution.
And who a short time ago would have
thought that large section of the country,
! ten States of the Union would be kept for
years under military dospotism in time of
peace? Who would have thought that these
States and the white people of our own flesh
| and blood would be put under the govern
ment of barbarous negroes Who would
have imagined that Congress would have
ventured to abolish the Executive and usurp
all the powers of government in its own
hands? Who would have believed that a
powerful faction would dare to set aside the
! Constitution and declare it dead? Yet all
this has been done, and much more, within
the brief period of two or three years. Is
not this revolution 1t would be hard to
find in history greater and more rapid rev.
olution within as short a time. No, the rev.
olution would not stop with the deposition of
| the President. That event would only acce-
crate it, His removal would not be peace, as
certain Radical organs pretend to say The
necessities of the Jacobin party would impel
| il on to other revolutionary measures, ard
| probably to serious conflicts among the peo-
! pie. The people would become tamilarized
with these high handed and despotic proceed
ings, and either apathy, which is destructive
| 10 liberty, or countcr-revolutions would fol-
| low. What under other circum stances and
in former times would have startled them
might no longer create surprise, and reign
of despotism or anarchy would ensue. A
faction determined to rule will stop at nothing
when it has the power, and especially when
there is fear that this power is slipping out
of its hands The military despotism over
the South may be extended to the North
Some disturbance may be fomented as plea
for suspending the writ of ha6eaS corpus and
governing the North as well as the South by
the strong arm ofmilitary power. 1t is quite
evident that the Radical oligarchy now es-
| tablished at Washington would not stick at
this or anything else to perpetuatc its pow
er. AS this revolution proceeds we shall soon
find our securities will run down abroad, that
they will be sent back in vast numbers, and
that both the Government and country will
be plunged into great financial troubles and
bankruptcy. And what will become of the
debt and the bondholders? Is it likely that
the people will see themselves ruined by
revolutionary Congress, and then consent to
bear the burden of an enormous debt? If
they should it would be contrary to all expe-
rience where the people have had a voice in
the matter. This is the deplorable state of
things to which Congress is hulTying us on,
and unless the people rise in their might at
the polls and drive the Radicals from power