The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-01
p
Amnesty,

1t IL cheering sign when tne new AohA
Tribune takes bold and open stand I'm ia I
vor of amnesty. To be sure the reasons
for such course are not of the most
elevated character, being drawn simply
from expediency, but then we do not ex-
pect much sentiment from the Tribune. 1t
ia journal of facts and knows better than
to fight idly against their logic. 1t says
that in Missouri Gratz Brown has received
1O4,374 votes for Governor against only
81, 1886 for the regular Republican can
didate, and that on the question OF
restoring suffrage to the Rebels the
votes stood 127, 643 in favor to 1926
against. This Crate Brown, it must be re-
membered, is boiling Republican. he
bolted on the question of restoring suffrage
to those excluded, and his vast majority
was due to the magnanimOus and sensible
stand which he took in favor of the meas
ure.
This fact, coupled with the Republican
loss of Virginia and West Virginia on the
same issue, has frightened the Tribune. 1t
says that "the time for acknowledgements
and prescription has passed ?" and it calls
General Buffers especial attention to the
| data from which it comes to that conclu-
sion. We really suppose that the Tribune
would not care o cent for the voting in
Virginia, West Virginia and Missouri, and
all the other Southern States, provided it
could count on a solid phalanx north of
Mason and Dixon. Let the North be
united and the South would still be coerced
with all the rigors of "disfranchisement
and prescription SO far as the Tribune
might be- concerned, to judge from its style
of argument.
But the real source of alarm, we think,
lies in more dangerous latitude, which
the Tribune cautiously ignores while
, making the most of argument for which
it. really cares nothing. 1t knows the will
y of New York, it has trembled at the re-
turns that came in recently from Boston
it has felt the strong eddying of the chang
ing tide in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois ant
! other States.
The heterogeneous mass constituting thu
Republican party, is kept together siinpl.
!, by the cohesive force of proscriptive pas
sion. Take that away, remove the fanati
:. Gal rancor which survived the recent wa
-. and the Republican party is disban ded
), OF course it's spirit will survive in som
! other shape, for that spirit is the oppositio
to the genius of American liberty whic
"a has existed in the community from it's ear
i Hest days, and which always must exis
70 Democracy in its purity corresponds wit
!. the idea of popular Republicanism, c
\ American liberty. Blu. this sentiment
IT. not universal throughout our population
Va There is latent spirit of absolutism whic
a. has its adherents, and which takes the nam
n of Federalism, Whiggery, Nativism, {
10 Radical Republicanism, according to I'll
an IDEAS of the day. its essence is centraliz'
81. ton of power. 1t caunot endure stat
Ia rights or the confederation of sovereigntie
he it longs for closer unity, it tends to
,s consolidation of power wherein one ma
10 shall be supreme and rid it of all I'll
disauietudes> and cares of self government
m There is large class of people in a
- countries who feel in this way and the
-, people are not Democrats though circuI
q stances sometimes force them to act wi
No that party.
"a Republicanism, as party organzatio
80 is the latest manifestation of this spirit
"a depotic government and as it is entirely o
ri posed to the genius of the American peoI
~, it is doomed to the same destruction viii
~ overlook its predecessors. The ,occasi
-, and circumstances which have called it
ces 10 "'o Nv" -
,va fluence, and no matter how the Greele
ri. and Buffers may agree or disagree abe
III. the expediency of party measures, it
r, doomed, and must soon disappear bene'
IA the disgust of an awakening people.
of r-,,,