Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-08

tosSi W ~ MQt suFeEuG4 OY ptAAs
ciple, but BY passion: be sinks his
principles under his prejudice. He
should remember that The former
difference between Wings and
Democrats was a question OF de.
gree rather than Of principle.
And how can he 60 70 a party
whose excesses as far surpass
those Of the Democratic party as
the rays Of the sun suFpass in
brightness the mild beams Of the
moon. l have no such prejudice,
nor can / forget that opposition
to the usurpations Of Congress
opposition to its oppression Of
the S0uth-opposition to It's arbi-
trary exercise OF despotic power
over the Southern peOple-oppo-
sition to its utter disregard OF all
the reserved rights Of the States,
was first commenced By the
Northern Democracy, though then
greatly In q minority. Their no
bic efforts deserve the highest
commendation, and / shall not
abandon them 10 join the party
that has oppressed us. / am NOT
particular about names, but look
to principles and purposes.
There may be some who reason
in this way; "rhe Radical party ia
in power. Il win pursue and carry
out its policy at any rate, and why
oppose it9 tits better 70 90 with
It," Those who thus reason COM
init great error, an error fatal to
the perpetuity ofany free govern
ment. 1t was once said by an
eminent man that, "for a people 70
be free, it 10 but for them TO viii
it,. With far more truth may It be
said, that for people to be slaves
it is but for them to assent to 1t, or
to acqulesce in the abuse Of power
The people ought TO know that
their liberty is protected only by
their Constitution nnimpaired and
held inyiolate,and that 1t win fail to
protect them against the encroach-
ing spirit Of power when they pas
sively submit to It's violation.
Their only hope lies in q deter
mined, persevering resistance to
every infraction, by all the means
in. their power. A bad precedent
tolerated becomes law, and is sure
to be followed by others still more
aggravated. Thus their Constitn-
tion soon becomes an obsolete
form, observed by none, respect.
ed by none. To this end is the
policy Of the Radical party rapid
ly tending; and for this reason
to arrest such o calimity-the
Wings and Democrats have united
as a party 70 eppsae them.
In view Of the adverse policy Of
the two parties, the reader of Eng
lish history will at once see the
resemblance which they respec-
lively bear to the two parties in
England, the Democrats TO the
Wings and the Radicals to the
Tories, under the reign of the
Stuarts. Then the Tories sus.
tanned the monarch in the almost
unlimited claims to enlarged pre-.
rogative, which he set up under
the new theory Of the divine right
of kings; whilst the Wings op-
posed the theory of divine right,
as well as the excesses to which II
led. For their opposition to the
Tory doctrine and its destructive
consequences to the British Con-
stitution, the Wings were perse-
cuted in every variety of form, as
well with as without the semblance
of law. They were charged
with disloyalty, even with trea.
son, on frivolous grounds
and 1t was then an easy matter
10 obtain convictions on any
charge, as the judges and jurieE
we're but the servile instruments oI
the Tory party. Sidney was
charged with treason, and suffered
on the scaffold, without any proc
of guilt except that he had writer
essays against the Tory theory o
the Divine Right. The Radicals
or Tories here seem to exhibit I
similar spirit Of vindictiveness
loyalty now means fidelity to thu
party, as in England. They os
tracise all who do not give in theil
adhesion to the party; they usurI
the power of Acknowledgement
and even to resort to military pow
er to carry out their purposes
To join the Tory party in England
worked immediate absolulion, and
was generally rewarded, as be
lieve is done here, even in the cast
Of prominent rebels. 1t is to bC
hoped the time is not distant
when the noble example Of Hall
fax, who, becoming disguised
with the Tory party, left Il, vii
be more generally followed here
You also, gentlemen, ask my
views Of the political situation
Perhaps to some extent l have
already given them to you. Iwil
only add, in the language of Ji
SiHs, to the English people, lie
me exhort and conjure yOl
never to suffer an invasion of YOU