The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

Executive, and provided an official ma
chinery by which the liberties of the
people are menaced, and the sacred right
of local selfgovernment in the States is
ignored, If not tyrannically ovcrthrown
Modelled after the sedition laws, so obi
Gus in history, they are at variance with
all the sanctified theories Of our insti-
tutions, and the construction given bv
these Radical interpreters to The four
teenth amendment is. to use the Ian
guage Of an eminent Senator, (Mr.
Trumbull, of Illinois, an ''annihilation
of the States"
Under the last enforcement bill, "the
Executive may, in his discretion, thrust
aside the government of any State. sus.
pend the writ Of habeas corpus" arrest
its Governor. imprison or disperse the
Legislature, silence its judges, and tram
pie dewn its people under the armed
heel OF his troops. Nothing is left to
the citizen or the State which can any
longer be called right; all is changed
into mere sufTerance
Our hopes for redress are in the calm
good sense, the "sober second thousht'
of the American people We call upon
them to be true to themselves and t.
their posterity, and disregarding party
names and minor differences, to insist
upon a decentralization of power, the
restriction Of Federal authority within
its just and proper limits, leaving 20 the
States that control over domestic affairs
which is essential to their happiness and
tranquility and good government.
Everything that malicious ingenuity
could suggest has been done to irritate
the people of the Middle and Southern
States. Gross and exaggerated charges
of disorder and violence owe their orr
gin to the mischievous minds of poten-
tial managers in the Senate and House
of Representatives, to which the Exec
utive has, We regret to say. lent his aid,
and thus helped to infame the popular
feeling. In all this course Of hostile
legislation and harsh resentment. no
word of conciliation, Of kind encour-
agement, or traternal fellowship has ev-
el been spoken by the President, or by
Congress, to the people of the South
crn States They have been addressed
only in the language of prescription.
We earnestly entreat our fellow citi-
zens in all parts of the Union to spare
no effort to maintain peace and order
to carefully protect the rights of every
citizen; to preserve kindly relations
among all men, and to discountenance
and discourage any violations of the
rights of any portion of the people Sc
cured under the Constitution or any of
its amendments.
Let us, in conclusion, earnestly beg
of you not to aid the present attempts
of Radical partisans to stir up strife in
the land to renew the issues of the war
or to obstruct the return OF peace and
prosperity to the Southern States be.
cause it is thus that they seek to divert
the attention of the country from the
corruption and extravaganza in their ad-
ministration of public affairs, and the
dangerous and profigate attempts they
are making towards the creation of CEN
tralized military government.
In the five years Of peace, following
the war, the Radical Administrations
have expended sl,200,0OO for ordinary
purposes alone, being within $2O0,000,-
600 of the aggregate amount spent for
the same purposes in war and in peace
during the seventy one years preceding
June 80, 1861, not including in either
case the sum paid upon principal or in
tercst of the public debt 1t is trifling
with the intelligence of the people for
the Radical leaders to pretend that this
vast sum has been honestly expended
Hundreds of millions Of it have been
wantonly squandcred.
The expenditures Of the Government
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1861,
were only So, 900, ,000, while for precise
ly the same purposes-civil list, army.
navy, pensions, and Inaians-Sl64, ,000,-
600 were expended during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1870.
No indignation can be too stern, and
no scorn too severe, for the assertions,
hy INSCRIPTIONS Radical leaders, that
the great Democratic and Conservative
party of the Union has or can have
sympathy with disorders or violence in
any part Of the country, or ir the depri-
yation of anv man of his rights under
the Constitution.
1t is to protect and perpetuate the
rights which every freeman cherishes
to revive in all hearts the feelings of
friendship, affection, and halmony,which
are the best guarantees of law and order,
and to throw around the humblest citi-
zen, wherever he may be, the protecting
@gis of those safeguards of personal
liberty which the fundamental laws OF
the land assure, that we invoke the aid
OF all good men in the work of peace
and reconciliation We invite their gen.
erous cooperation, irrespective of all
former differences of opinion. so that
the harsh voice of discord may be ST.
fenced; that new and dangerous sec
tional agitation may he checked; that
the burdens of taxation, direct or indi.
rect, may be reduced to the lowest point
consistent with good faith to every just
national obligation. and with a strictly
economical administration of the Gov.
ernment, and that the State may be re-
stored in their integrity and true rela.
tons to our Federal Union.
Signed by fourteen United States Sen.
ators and ninety-fve Representatives.