The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-07

IS bolt from part OF tne urnl9nlenV Wnlcn
was thought to be very supshiny For our
Governors Just indignation at the nearly
consummate outrage here the Federal Execu-
tive and his little court we're no doubt pre-
pared, and had for the sting which it gave
all manner of pleasant appliances and party
poultices. New York is unfriendly, and of
course its Governor would complain" But
Pennsylvania, loyal Pennsylvania-home of
Borie and Cameron and the once faithful
Forney, whose votes the gallant Geary mar
shalled and led into line for Grant-that it
should fall away, and that too at the very
crisis of fate, must be hard to bear. It is
not the envious Casca of Democracy but the
well-beloved Brutus of military and radical
companionship, who now brandishes the
steel. Seriously speaking, it is a very i'm
portant development.
We have never been, as our columns abun-
dantly attest, admirers of the gentleman who
for the last few years has discharged execu-
tive functions in our sister State. There are
traits OF character and have been acts in his
military and civil career which command no
sympathy or approval on our part, and, so
far as we meddled with it, we have never
hesitated to say so. We are quite aware of
the force or the weakness of the sneer with
which radicalism will greet any apparent
change of tone. But neither sneer nor any
thing more serious will deter us from praise,
if we cared in this instance to go out of our
way to bestow it; certainly not from empha-
sizing marked political incident, which this
unquestionably is. Relatively to what was
attempted and done here, the Federal intru-
sion into Pennsylvania amounted to nothing.
It was altogether tentative. 1t was putting
out the hand, with q sword in it too, to see
how far the arm might be stretched and the
weapon pushed. There was q new circuit
Judge on hand, freshly appointed to do dirty
work; but he was not our Woodruff nor
pressed by Woodruffs necessities. The
District Judge, a thorough lawyer and
Democrat, looked on coldly. The District
Attorney actually refused to have anything
to do with it. Judge McKennon did all that
was needed, and Forney's marines marched
back again. All this, however, contemplate
as it seems now, was initiate, and so Gov
ernor Geary seems to regard it. He looks
at it earnestly, he speaks of it
solemnly; and, although three months have
passed since the deed of wrong was at
tempted, he speaks of it with all the gravity
! and emphasis which an act of yesterday
might provoke. He deneunces it, its author
aiders, and abettors-President, Attorney
General oficious soldiers-and calls to it as
their act, for which they are responsible, the
attention not only of the General Assembly
but of Congress- ''It merits" says Gov
ernor Geary, ''your prompt consideration
and decisive action" What Congress can do
one of it's statutes and an outrage on State
is not very clear, unless, GbSH omen, another
impeachment is suggested but the appeal to
the State Legislature is much more intelli-
gible and practical. 1t is, if we mistake not,
General Assembly of balanced politics-the
Senate Democratic, the House Republican
and hence representative of general popu-
lar sentiment; and this the Governor had in
mind when he said what he did. The GAS
1vn tal a
cisive action" when thus invited. 1t is an
invitation to the Governors friends; an adj
monition, in a friendly spirit, to his enemies.
Neither can we'll disregard it, unless he is by
Federal influence to be excommunicated; and
then he is sure of welcome by all honest
and patriotic men of both parties. Cover.
nor Geary's language is more than earnest
1t touches the edge of severe satire, and its
force is duly estimated; for, oddly enough
our neighbor of the Tribune shows his appre.
citation of the force of words by italicizing
one phrase. We quote from Geary dpuG
Greeley on Thursday, the italics, we repeat
being the 1a1buneS:-
with a good President" says Governor
Geary, 'the exercise of this power might
have no njurious results, but in the hands o
bad man it might prove exceedingly calami
tous. Unc0nsci0usly a good President n1tgh
be induced to employ 10 aor0naf,tNy; a bad one
would be almost certain to use it to his owl
advantage"
There is something exquisite in this attrac
tive suggestion, and the Tribune adds to it
felicity and force by ostentatiously making
: choice, and by italics proclaiming that ou
President is good one, doing wrong and no
knowing that he does it. Our inclination, w
confess, is to the other proposition. Vienna.
be permitted to observe, in conclusion, tina
desperate indeed must be the outlook of tn
Grant administration when protective Penn
: sylvania thus deies him. He had better
before it is too late, become revenue re
former.