The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-03-12
;m1ht gseil MIhi9
ELKTON, MARCH IL, 1870.
One Year.

One Ie0rs
One year ago on Friday the 4th instant,
U. s. Grant was inaugurated President,
and the Republican policy of administering
the Government commenced. The corrupt
gold and whisky rings had been fostered
and encouraged by the prohigate Andy
Johnson and the Democratic party, in
their desperate efforts to overthrow the
Republican party, and reinstate the men in
power who had been buried beneath the
ruins Of the rebellisn. When President
Grant took hold of the reins Of Govern
ing furnace Of political discard. with or
gaAized Ku Klux bands to drive out and
murder the Republicans and freedmen.
The old slave democracy were bent on
regaining control of those States again;
and if not welding them in the interest Of
Slavery, they were to be exclusively deai-
Gated to reputation of the debt incurred in
putting down the rebellion, CT the assump-
tion Of the rebel debt created in fighting
the battles of slavery, and a we'll organized
opposition to the Federal Government and
the national credit. To this end the DEM
ocrats. Conservatives. or whatever name
the enemies of the Republican party and
the Federal Government, from time to time
assumed, the new Adminstra tion found
working. Johnson and his imbecile and
corrupt Cabinet found powerful allies in
the gold gamblers and whisky rings, whose
colossal power threatened to overtop that
Of the National Government, whose offices
were filled by their tools, and whose dlcta-
ton was fast becoming the policy Of a weak.
but wicked and ambitious Administration.
General Grant laid strong hand on
these enemies, and one year has seen them
scattered like the cohorts Of the rebellion
whic he n in arms. Gold has tumbled
from 14O and upwards to 10, under the
steady business like management Of Bout
we'll. The gigantic abuses that have crept
into the Mail Department of the Govern
ment have been seized by the stern hand
of Crsswell and their reform boldly de-
manded of Congress. The people have
been confidently relied upon and appealed
to. and have rallied with alacrity on tie
side of the Postmaster General. Expenses
have been cut down and Topped off where
ever they could be without detriment to
the government, the offices filled with hon
est, faithful men in place Of the bounty
jumpers and renegades which held posses
sion, and plnndered the Government under
johnson. Taxes have been reduced and
further reforms in this direction prepared
for the future, and ninety-eight millions of
the public debt paid off, advancing the
Government Bonds above gold in the stock
market, and in the course of the approach
ing summer we may safely predict the adj
.iustment of trade on gold basis and once
more find it moving along with confidence
and prosperity.
But these are not the crewnirg slerics Of
the Administration and Republican Govern
ment, achieved in one short year, where so
much of wrong had to lie undene, before
the right could DO restored. The "way-
ward sisters" that had been stimulated by
the bad ceunsels of the worst man who
ever-by misfortune to the American peo-
ple-occupied the Presidential Chair, lar
rowed by civil connections, have had their
turbulent spirits controlled by support
and encourage ment of the men who de-
clared for the Government. and prepared to
take tho new departure made unavoidable
by the War When the Administration
assumed control it found these States I'M
represented, and so destitute of govern
ment, as to require military Governors to
be placed over them, and at the end of one
year finds them almost entirely recon-
. structed and taking their places again in
the Union, which they had so madly and
blindly tried to fly from. The end of that
year of good Government and wise RUE
finds infinitely more than all these, it
reioices in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments engrafted into the
Fundamental law of the nation, and the
civil rights Of all men acknowledged and
guaranteed, the Constitution wrested from
the crooked constructions slavery and
States Rights had placed upon it, and Goa
forming to that great and inspired charter
of liberty, the Declaration of Independ-
eHcs. in letter and in spirit.
Thus in single year Of Republican rule
we have the rich fruits of peace, returning
prosperity with the national debt diminish
ed by nearly hundred millions, liberty 5
interpreted by the spirit of advanced civil
cation, shedding the light and blessings of
Republican Government over the whole
civilized world.