The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-09-23
Then ant Voc.

The reigning party in tho United
States claim to be the party of moral
ideas. They belong to a set called
"Thc Perfectionists." They are the
saints Of the land, and oil Democrat Is
and Conservatives are the Sinners
They are pure and chastc like the
Summers, mild like the brakes, TEN.
perato like the Chambers aud Yatcses,
refined and discreet like the Wilson's,
disinterested and virtuous like the
Wendell Phillipses, modest like the
Fentons and Camerons in q word,
the very saints Of the land, and as
such the original Of that inmaculat te
party who many years ago met in the
old Bay State and resolved
First, That the world and the fullness
thereof belong to the saints, and
Secondly, Resolved, That WE ARE THE
sAINrs.n
We do not question that the Rad
ical leaders sincerely believe that
they are saints, and that all the rest
of the world are sinners. "See,"
said one Of them, "All these Demo-
cratic grog shops" "Bchold," said
another, ."all these Democratic semi
paupers, and so the Radical Phari-
sees run the round of self-rightcous-
ness and vituperation. "See,' we
might add, "tbe frightful Increase of
corruption in the Federal and State
Legislation, the rottenncss of public
men and public life, shoddy contracts
and work for the government and peo
pie. "Behold," we may add, 'the
growing generalization since the
Republican party was born.'' The
Radical party may not sell as much
rum, but they drink as much and pre-
sent much worse example. They
are as profane and indecent, as i'm
moral and impure, as extortionate
and unjust, as those upon whom they
put the ban Of accommodation. II
there is ''woe unto them who call
good evil, and evil good," they are
not likely to stand above their fell
lows. Pretention is not virtue, and
preaching righteousness is not prac-
ticing it. This is not the FIRST epoch
in which we have heard the doctrine
of universal brotherhood - from the
forum and pulpit. The same cry
with many is but another namo for
tho old Casarism, and with others but
another name for the old Panthcism
The new name or new fact is, federal
Capitalization in the name of the pco-
pie, for whose real welfare it cares
not at all. It absorbs States, weak
ems free Governm ent, segregates the
people, combines the purse and the
sword, establishes military rule in
place Of civil rights, fights for power,
maintains power, lives on power,
claims everything Of individual and
civil liberty, and yields nothing.
We should be very sorry to despair
Of the Republic, or to be considered
as mere croakcrs in discussing its
welfare but history. reason, and ma
ture alike teach US that we are human n
and therefore not infallible. The
theory Of our Government is that of
a representative democracy-a Re-
public. The theory of the Roman
Empire was, upon the contrary that
of representative despotism. But,
as names are not things, let US ask
in what do we differ d? The Roman
Empire had o Senate. which was the
depository of great power-and so
has the United States. There we're
political spies and private aceusers
in old Rome-and there arc hosts Of
these in the United States. Augustus
and Tiberius were not worse con6sca-
tors of property than were Messrs.
Seward and Stanton under Mr.. Lin
coin. Congress has made the poor so
poor at the Federal Capital, by it's
Legislation and pernicious teachings,
as to be compelled to distribute mon
ey to the people; and this is just
what was done in Rome-Patrician
luxury for the great in power, and
the poor conciiated by corn and
bread. So long as Rome maintained
the autonomy of the States or Colo
nies, the people were comparatively
free. When the dividing lines were
boken, despotism was supreme; and
SO it will be with US. Rapacity and
corruption were the Great Roman
crimes, and it is the same with us.
The old Pr9torial Guard was an in
cident Of civil war, and the military
satraps Of the South have been the
fruits Of the same sad precedent
The old Northern tribes we're taught
by Romo that the gates of Walhalla
were forever open to the warriors who
presented themselves stained with
the blood of their vanquished enemies.
These, we read, were converted into
christianity, but carried their old
feelings into their new creeds. We
have just this parallel to-day, when
we see Gen. Ames made, by his own
sword, U. S. Senator from Missis-
sippi !; Gen. Candy. after ruling Vir-
ginia. made the chief of a new Mill
tary Department, and a monstrosity
like Gen. Sickles sent to represent
the U. S. Government and its Radi-
cal saints in far-off Spain.
We are sorry to hear this from
Renublican nancr .--t lonO lea 90