The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-04-08
THE IRON CLADTEsT.
WORD OF COUNSEL.

The policy of the Radical rulers
having malignant development in tn
condition of anarchy to which the State
ofVirginia, Mississippi and Texas, hav
been reduced by the enforcement Of tn
iron-clad test.
1t is based upon the no less absur'
than false pretext, that the safety o
the public demands the expulsion from
Office OF the men who participated di
rectly or indirectly on the side Of tn,
South, in the civil war. The rea
animus of this policy is, the gratifica
ton Of malice and the advancement o
partisan ends.
This latter motive is especially dis
play ed in the course Of the ruling pow
ers in their bestowment Of confidence
and favors. No man hassbeen punish
cd for siding with his section who has
joined the Radical party. Its highest
honors were shared with Gov Brown
Of Georgia, in the Chicago Conven-
ton, though Of all the Southern Gov
errors, he committed the first overt
act Of aggression against "the flag. y
And this is but one of many instances.
But these considerations will not
| release the people Of the South, who are
the intended victims of this yindictive
legislation, from the obligation todho
the best they are able for themselves
and their country, under the circum-
stances. Abstention from public af
fairs by people desiring to be free,
is always bad policy. 1t IS especially
so at this time. This policy of Austen
ton, no matter whether originating in
stupid Indifference to public interests,
or a still more stupid idea that the evil
would work its own cure, or reliance
upon impossible agencies for relief,
has been the curse of our people.
BY the order of the District Com
mander all incumbents of Office who
could qualify under the iron-clad rule
were invited to do so and continue in
the discharge of their public duties
We presume that such persons have
in good faith to the people by
whom they were elected, availed
themselves Of the privilege. In
cases where offices have been abso-
lutely vacated, it is the duty Of all
good citizens to unite in recommending
to the District Commander competent
persons who can subscribe the required
oath and al least manifest a willing
Eess to cooperate with him in sparing
the public, as far as possible, the ills
Of lawlessness and anarchy inevitable
from the wholesale vacation of the
offices established for the protection of
society. If he does not choose to avail
himself of the information which they
may furnish him, they will at least be
rewarded with the consciousness of
having done their duty.
With the scanty material at COM
mAnd, with which to execute the pro-
scriptive decree, it is to be expected
that at best, bad appointments will, in
some instances, be made. But, even if
the worst come-if the incumbents
are to be taken from the flock OF hun
CRY vultures that, lured by the hope of
revealing on the wreck of the fortunes
Of a once prosperous people, have
lowered over the PROSTATE body of the
the State, let her prescribed people
nevertheless possess their souls in pa
tience; yield strict obedience to the
powers that be-" and shun every
temptation to even the semblance of
violence. The present order Of things
is not agreeable to people accus-
toned to the choice Of their own agents
and the framing Of their own laws
but it is state of bliss compared to
the confirmed and perpetual enforce
ment of the infamous schemes concoct- |
ed in the interests of the EggIeston-
Stringer party, and rejected by General
Grant and the majority of Congress.
HoPE DEFERRED.-The latest eX-
ample is in the suffering of E2gleston |
q Co., who for four long months have
been petitioning Congress to give them
by forcible seizure the offices which the
registered voters Of the State refused |
to confer. 1t is worse than a case in
Chancery. They had better have
taken their chances under the test
oath resolution, which the District
Commander is required to enforce
He has great many appointments
to make. with scanty material, and +.
must necessarily make some selections
that are wretchedly bad. The pat
riots have missed their opportunity.
The Cincinnati Gazette referring to
the self-destruction Of the late j. Il.
Parsons calls it "frightful MURDER
and cites it as proof that the ''condi
a.. 4 NTs-s-.,,,>, : c,ob