, 1869-01-08

During the past three years, says the
Sacramento Reporter, we have frequently
heard patriotic citizens, true lovers of liberty,
their country and the Union, express doubts
as to the stability of our free form of Gov
ernment. The faith of these men in the
permanency of our free institutions. we know
was shaken by the alarming Innovations aud
palpable infractions of our glorious Constitu
tion by amendments proposed and advocated
by the radical majority in Congress.
1t is true that the majority of people of
the nation. during the rebellion, acquiesced
cheerfully in all thai was believed necessary
to maintain the Constitution and preserve
the Union, and sustained and approved of
many acts of Congress, and orders of Execul
tive officers, which were not only unuecess-
ary, but which were, in fact, injurious to the
success of the cause to be served, as we'll as
wIckedly unjust and oppressive in character.
In number of the Southern and reconstruc-
ted States, where the radicals still have
complete control, thousands of good citizens,
who never took part in the rebellion, are
denied their rights; in other words, are dis
franchised. But, it must now be clear to
all, we think, that the American people are
not disposed to hereafter sanction these radi.
cal acts of wrong and oppression, and will,
ere long, in bold language, demand justice
for the prosecuted and oppressed
If we we're to measure the value of bless
ings according to the degrees of their sus-
ceptlbility to abuse or danger in the misap-
PlicatiOn of principles, we should soon arrive
at the conclusion that men are incapable of
safely exercising power. The fears which
we have alluded to, as expressed by well
meaning men, are measurably the offspring
of distrust of the masses and their want of
devotion to their own true dignity and dear
est rights and interests. To all such we
have to say nH desperahduns never despair
of the Republic.
It is true, that such men as Sumner, Viii
son, POmeroy, Butler and others, even now
favor startling infraetions of the Constitution
of our country, in all of which we are conf.
dent they must and will sgnally fail Like
all other great instruments of good, party
spirit commits ignoble deeds, and 'like the
troubled sea, casts up mire aud dirt Party
spirit sometimes elevates to places of power
and trust wicked, reckless and unpriucipIed
men, who, in the hour of triumph, or indu.
enced by prejudice aud passion, aim to tram.
pie under foot the Constitution of their
country, in order to crafty political hatred,
and advance their own selfish purposes.
The acts and expressed views of these bad
men may indeed disturb for the hour may
cause uneasiness and even alarm to the tim.
id, but are certain, sooner or later, to arouse
the masses, and to cause them to move with
great unaminity and irresistible force for
the preservation of our free form of Govern.
ment, as framed by our fathers. The Am>
erican people are ardcntly and sincerely
devoted to the Constitution and the free ine
sttutious guaranteed them by it, and we are
confident will refuse their assent to the
impracticable constitutional amendments now
pending in the two Houses Of Congress, and
which if adopted will but mar the harmony
of the provisions of that grea. safeguard of
American liberty. We are very certain that
the Legislatures of three tourhs of the States
of the Union cannot be induced to indOrse
the absurd propositions now pending in Con-
gress, and we even have doubts as to a major,
ity of the States being willing to sanction the
overthrow of their own governments. In
short, we are now sanguine that the people
Of the nation will not be satisfied with the
refusal of their assent to the proposed Con-
stitutional Amendments-but will, when
called upon to act, rebuke, as they deserve,
the radical leaders who are now endeavorirg
to destroy our free form Of Government by
amendments Of the Constitution in direct
conflict with the spirit of that instrument,
aud the liberal and patriotic designs of the
great aud good men who framed it. We may
it is true, be mistaken in the signs of the
times, aud the action of the people in the
future, but at this moment are sanguine
that radicalism is soon to be rebuked, aud
that too by an arm to which its leaders claim
to have given strength and power
The radicals claim that their organization
is party Of progress, and that its views aud
designs are LIBERAL but this is simply untrue,
as is clearly proven by their enactments dis
franchising hundreds of thousands of worthy
and intelligent white citizens in the South,
who have neither been charged or convicted
Of any crime whatever, and by many other
acts which we could, it necessary, point out
and fully expose their iliberal and unjust
character.
The democratic party, in truth, represents