Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-09-23
WHAT MR.. PENDLETOk'S ELEC-
TION WILL SIGNIFY.

Some days ago, in a carefully
considered paragraph, we set forth
some reasons why Mi Pendleton
ought to be defeated by the people
of Ohio, and, among others, that
he is the representative of reaction {;
that his election would signify rev.
olutioh backward that it would be
interpreted to mean that the war
did not settle anything bat the rela
tive power of certain masses of
men; that Congressional recon-
strhction has no fixed precedents to
he recognized rs law and fact; that
the public securities may be swamp
ed in new issues of paper; and that
as nothing has been settled but the
relation Of military forces by the
war, there is TO be no peace, but
fierce agitation and fierce contrO-
yersy, to- disturb peaceful pursuits,
shake public faith, impair values,
and excite disastrous alarm.
The more wary Democratic news
papers have denied that his election
would have such profound signif
cance, but the Ashland Union, a
more outspoken journal, edited by
a rigid Democrat, and an enthusi-
astic friend and admirer of Mr.
Pendleton, confirms our judgment
of the matter Reaction, it says,
"is needed" and it supports Mr.
Pendleton because he is a reaction
ist. Revolution backward is what
Mr.. Pendleton and the party want.
."The sooner it COMES, the better"
says the Unionj "and the farther
we 90 back the more prosperous
will be the country :" and if we can
be carried back to the time "when
the operations were carried on for
sixty eight millions Of dollars per
year." the more it will please the
Ashland Union and Mr.. Pendleton.
To reach that time it will be nee
essary to undo all that has been !
done, so far as it can he undone,
since 1860. The debt must be dis
charged by repudiation, the recon
struction policy be overturned, |
slavery be e-establislcd as a do
mestic institution, which the Gen
eral Government had no cOnstitu-
tional right to interfere with, and
the right Of tIe States to secede at
their sovereign pleasure, be recog-
nized. This is what the Union un-
derstdnds as revolution backward. /
The var, it tells usj aid not settle
anything bit the fact that the Radi- |
Gals are at heart a set Of robbers,
barbarians and tyrants." eve de
ny" says the editor, "that anything
else was settled than that the North,
by brute force, and ovelpowering
numbers, conquered the South. III
it is legal for five great strapping
brothers, who have been trying to
cheat two feeble ones out Of their
patrmony, to drive them out by
brute force, and to seize and de-
stroy the property without compen-
sation, then the war settled the
right of the Abolitidn:sts to set
free the negroes. seize the property
of the people of the South, and then
disfFanchise the owners for resist,
ing these WRONGS"
This language has all the merit
of plain speaking. There is no
eqtiivocation or attempt to mislead
the people as to the significance
that will be attached to the election
of Mr.. Pendleton as Governor OF
Ohio. Not that his election can
bring about the state of things
which the Ashland Union desires
to see, but it will be an initial step
in that direction; and so regarded
by every Democrat who seeks to
open up the old controversies and
put the South into a position where
it can repeat the experiment of
1861 with a better prospect of sue
cess. A formidable blow is to be
aimed at the credit of the General
Government first. Without credit
it will be bound hand and foot and
ready for delivery into the hands of
the Philistines. If its bonds are
not to he paid in the legal currency
of the country, says the Union
'rThe sooner the swamping takes
place, the better it will be for a tax
ridden and outraged people. =
Those who advocate an enormous
issue of greenbacks to pay the
bonds, know that in three years
thew would be worth no more than
the French assignets, which had