The national Republican., 1869-01-14
THE OLD THREATS REVIVED.


When human sisvery existed In this coun-
try 1t Kept, M everybody knows, a perpetusl
diseord between North and South; and when
anything was said against It (slsvery) In or
out OF Congress, the chivalry were accustomed
TO crack the whip, and thfeaten what should
be done unless this sort OF thing wss stopped
The South has a sort OF chronic disposition
TO scold, and her politicians and statesmen do
not seem, notwithstanding the significant and
serious lessons which have been given them,
to have outErown their predisposition to
threaten.
We are led to make these remarks In conse.
quence OF the very extraordinary speech made
In the Senate the other day by Senator Fowler,
OF Tennessee, on the question As to whether
the general Government shall acknowledge
and pay the claims belonging to loyal citizens
living In the rebel States during the war We
dot not now raise the question whether It
ought to pay these claims or not We have 10
do at this time, with this remarkabl speech
OF the Senator. 1t 10 the voice Of an honora-
BILE Senator OF the United States, and as such
Is separated from all personalities, and is suE-
gesttve Of purposes and aims which are ma
tonal aad far.reachtng in their character and
results.
Mr.. Fowler not only denounced what he v.s
pleased TO call the policy Of declaring that the
loyal citizens residing In the disloyAl States
were oonstructively public enemies as an un
wise and impolitic thing, as he had a cleai
right to do, but he went further and foreshad
owed purposes which, II they mean anythinl
and are participated In by the people Of hil
section, indicate that mischief 10 brewing
which may work out much disaster and numer
Gus evils TO the country, II not another rebel
lion, unless nipped In the bud.
He says we need not expect single vote II
that section II what he condemns IL to be tn,
policy Of the Government. This Is a matte
ofbut very little account In itself considered
because people will vote, and they have a righ
to vote as they please. But his threat Eoei
further than this; he tells US that "epcry man
ipoman and child tcfH be In arms;" and more
over that they will not consent to pay the
United States bonds. We do not quote hi
precise words, though we give the substance
But we say again, there is much signiHcanc,
In this utteranee of Mr. Fowler. He is no
only q Senator, but he 10 q calm, clear.headed
dIspassionate man. We are Induced to sepa
rate what this gentleman says from himself
and feel very far from making any personal
attacks upon Mr.. Fowler on account OF his
words. We must take the Senator to be a
representative man, and conclude, therefore,
that he foreshadows In his remarks the pur.
poses OF his section. His words mean this
much, or they constitute mere threat. We
are constrained, therefore, to believe that the
Senator and those whom he represents are
ready In a contingency to go for nullIaestion
II not for secession. 1t is repudlstIon in its
worst form, because It 10 the individual tax.
payer, indeed the community, and moreover,
entire States, repudiating their oblIs ations to
the General Government, thus compelling that
Government nd
pudiate Its obligations to the public creditor
We are glad the Senator has sounded the
alarm, and that the nation is warned. "Fore
warned, forearmedm