The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-07-06
THE COMING REVOLUTION.

~ THE COMING RENOLUI1ON'
We touch bottom. The descent has
been long. and to lovers of the Com
stitution most painful. But there is
a point beyond which the American
people viii not allow their liberties to
be invaded, their supreme law to be
violated, by any party, under any pre-
text, or in the name of any cause,
however specious. We believe that
point has been reached and passed
The powerful resistance made by some
of the ablest Republican leaders to the
usufpatiohs of the Executive, to the
prescription of men like Sumner, the
abuse of patronage, to the refusal of a
Republican caucus to permit bills for
the removal of taxation to be even
considered, and finally to the utter
prostrrtion of civil power at the feet
of the soldier who would be dictator
if the people were as cringing and
subservient as the majority of g his
faithful Senate" proves, we feel as
sured, that a large body of Republican
voters will no longer sustain the usur-
pers at Washington in their assaults
upon the rights and interests of the
people. These leaders, brave as they
may be, have not so sharply contend
ed against the majority, in the face of
prescription never surpassed for Bit
terness, without ample assurances of
support from the people. They are
not men o'speak thus strongly with
out arousing public attention and fix
ing the convictions of thousands OF
thinking men. The measures which
they denounced were so extraordinary
that only plain exposure was needed
to arouse against such deeds the in
dignation of all thoughtful and patri-
otic citizens. That exposure, if made
by Democrats alone, would scarcely
reach the mass of the Republican vo-
ters. But it will reach them when
made by Republican leaders so prom
inent and influential. We look for
ward, therefore, with confidence to a
general and overwhelming reaction
against the power which has so mis-
ruled the country. &
It is high time. Year after year
Radicalism has become more daring
in its disregard of every constitutional
obligation; more open in its assaults
upon the rights of the people and
their local elf-governments; more
rapid in its strides towards centraliZa-
ton of power; more shameless in its
defence of monopolies and contempt
for the interests of the Millions
Starting with false policy towards
the South--a policy of repression, Sc
verify, and force--instead of that
statesmanlike liberality by which
alone the bitterness of feeling left by
civil war can be removed, Radical
ism has tried one expedient after an
other in vain. Each measure has
aroused greater irritation of feeling
and ended in more conspicuous fail
Hre; each failure has forced the party
to choose between total reversal OF
policy and the adoption of measures
still more harsh. Shame to confess
that they had blundered drove some
forward; vindictive feeling some,9 de-
sire for party success others, and pure
Ignorance, misinfOrmation, and utter
want of craftsmanship made many the
facile tools of desperate delna agogues.
There are men who deliberately cal
culated upon the irritation and vio-
lence which harsh measures would
provoke at the South as q means of
reviving the war spirit at the North
and as pretext for resort to more
shameful abuse of power. Under
these influences Radicalism has been
hurried forward in a mad career which
in the nature OF things, couldsend only
in its overthrow or in military despot-
ism. Each new measure of repress
strained the Constitution still further.
One after another the safeguards of
individual liberty and the rights of
local cal-self-government have been bro
ken down. Between the Ku-Kiux bill
which empowers the President to sus-
t,ob ba6 III
whenever he pleases, and military
despotism more absolute than that OF
Russia, there is but. single step and a
narrow one. Let the next Presiden-
tial election pass without reaction and
febuke, and that step will also be at
tempted. T. ta .i4 IS ao-i "a
We rejoice, then, that reaction seems
sure and near at hand. We speak not
as partisans. Dearer than any party
is the country. Higher than any OBJ
legation to any party is our duty TO
the Republic-to that experiment of
self-government which, within few
short years, will either vindlcate itself
or end in failure. That it may not
fail RadIcalism must be arrested in its
mad career. If the reaction be thor
ough it was of minor consequence
whether it came under one banner or
another. Possibly public opinion
might have been SO rapidly aroused
that the Republican party itself could
have cast out its evil spints; but the
Ku-Klux bill settles that question it
is the clutch of ,despotism upon the
throat of the party which will not be
shaken off, and wise Democracy has
now but to invite and welcome the aid
of all honest and patriotic men. A
better day will dawn. Lawless sol
diers will be dismissed from the halls
of state, to make room for men who
respect the laws and know something
of statesmanship..; Political freeboot-
ers will be warned to eseek other lands
where Saxon love of liberty does not
forbid chronic revolution. The mad
ness of partisanship will cool and give
place to reasoning and candid pat
riotism. That horrible apparition-
the man ON horseback with naked
sword-visible now these six long
years in the political horizon, and
growing ever nearer and mo distinct,
will vanish forever. Justice, with her
equal balances will once more appear.
Hasten the day, brave Republicans
who battle against the wolves of par
ty to save liberty and justice from
their jaws. hasten the day, stanch
and patriotic Democrats who can we'll
afford to forget how long You have
denounced this fatal policy if in the
end your country may be saved. Join
hands, both, in one vigorous and res
olute effort, not for this party or for
that, but, to arouse the people of this
land to a sense of their danger and
their duty. Bring 1t to vote wheth-
er the "peace" which we are promised
shall be such as the Gar gave to War
saw. Bring it to vote whether free
America means to build up thirteen
Irelands between the Potomac and
Ohio and the Gulf. Let it be at once
adjudged whether all the industry of
the land shall be at the mercy of few
monopolists, and all its liberties at the
mercy of a few demagogues and one
soldier l. World.
g Mr.. BRowN, you said the defend
ant was honest and Intelligent; what
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