The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-25
SWORD AND BAYONET.

From the Petersburg (Id) Courier.
The sword has lost its sheath and the
bayonet is permanently fixed. They, now
and henceforth, are the law, and they the
majority. We may as well comprehend this
at once and to its fuH extent: for twill
ezra monv a blunder free us,
An foolish notion"
We have been restored to the Union, it is
true; but reconstructed State to a recon-
structed Union. In both State and Union the
citizen has been dethroned and the reigning
sovereign is the soldier From the Atlantic
to the Pacific, from the Gulf of Mexico to
the northern lakes, Constitution and codes
are under the foot of force. The United
States have actually ceased to exist, except in
name, and we are now partitioned into SO
many garrisonedmilitary departments, wherein
law is silent under general orders, wherein
the Sheriff and his posse COn5tGtuS yield be-
fore the corporal and his squad, wherein the
Governor succumbs to the General command
ing, and where, over all, the President is
merged, sunken and forgotten in the Com
mander-in- Chief of the army. This is so
and the Union saved; it is so
now, notwithstanding Virginia is
readmitted to representation in Congress,
and in the very face of General Canby's pre-
tended abdication in favor of Governor
Walker. Nor is it only so here and through
out the South, but is so North, as much so in
Massachusetts, as in South Carolina or Texas.
The melancholy truth is that an arbiter has
been called in that is devouring both Sides
North and South alike appealed to the sword,
and now the mutual penalty has fallen-to
perish by it.
Cold steel and villainous saltpetre are
sometimes good servants, but they are always
bad masters. This was we'll understood by
our forefat hers, who, for themselves and us,
their posterity, took every human precaution
to place and keep the military poweri in subjec-
tion to the civil. But our folly surpassed their
wisdom. The liberty and independence they
bequeathed US have been lost. Yet even
fools can feel and experience may teach
them something. Although an impartial es-
| innate fixes the proportion of fools in the
United States at ninety-nine out of every
hundred inhabitants, still these abounding
| nincompoops, in course of time, may learn to
| regret the good old ways and tire of the
peremptory interference of sword and
| bayonet. They may like to hear again their
last popular voice" They may grow i'm
patient and indignant at the impudence with
which the odd man of the hundred has his
| way against them on q matter of common
right by an appeal to headquarters" or to
Washington. Even they OF Massachusetts,
may have their withers wrung by a system
of national government which, in effect, ties
every citizen hand and foot and puts an
armed soldier in every house. Yes, it will
not be long ere all men from one end to
the other of the country understand that
there is no question, no matter how
local soever, nor how small soever-whether
affecting States, cities, or individuals, and
whether relating to life, liberty or property
into the scales of which the sword cannot
| and will not be thrown. The blndest ass
will see that every United States law bristles
with bayonets, that every United States oti-
cial wears a sword, and that tho whole land is
subjugated to the most grinding kind of mill
tary despotism. But what of that! The
people of France and Russia see that they are
slaves, and remain so The people of Anne
rica, let us hope, having better opportunities
to recover their freedom, will recover it, and
know how to secure it.
Meanwhile, we of Virginia must not deceive
ourselves as to the facts of the situation. we
must be guided by what is and not by what
ought to be. Let us be as wise as serpents,
if we can, but as harmless as doves, avoiding
all collisions and troubles that will ll'lneyltaoly
result in bayonets. Discretion is the better
part of valor just now; and if we patiently
bide our time, it will be sure to come ana
bring round its revenges.