The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1871-11-09
The Vipers.

AAO NAPOASs
The Houston Union, in apparently
candid tones, suggests that, the election
being over, partisan discussions should
ALLURE all bitterness and he conducted
with the mildness appropriate to the
discus ion o. other subjects where men
honestly differ in opinion. This would
be very we'll, and would meet with
hearty second from US, if the alarming
fact was not plain to every good citi>
zen that wrongs, grievous wrongs, arc
daily being inflicted upon the country
by the faction of a party now control
ling the State Government. These
wrongs are SO great that it becomes the
duty of every good citizen and patriot
ID denounce them in the strongest
terms the English language affords.
So long as every vestige of individual
liberty is trampled on by despotic
power that respects neither due laws
of God nor man; so long as all the
reserved rights of the people, guaran-
teed to them by the most solemn enact
ments of the Constitutions of the
General and State Governments are
set at defiance; so long as the military
overrides and tramples undorfoot the
civil authority; SO long as any portion
of our State is suffering and agonlzlng
under martial law, the suspension OF
the writ of habeas corpus, and subject
to the extortions of enormous taxes
not authorized by law; SO long as any
portion of our citizens are being
arrested without warrant or cause
assigned, incarcerated in jail, denied
the right of bail, and tried for offenses
not known to the law, before a corrupt
and merceuary court martial organized
solely to convict; so long as these
things exist in our midst and are per-
petrated under our immediate observa-
ton, it would be inexcusable in us to
remain silent. 1t is the duty of every
journal to speak in plain terms of de
nunciation against these outrages, and
to speak of the perpetrators as tyrants,
usurpers and robbers. No other terms
will express the idea intended to be
conveyed, or make known the facts.
Well may the advocate and apologist
of these infamies counsel the country
to mildness, and advise the reference
to them only in terms appropriate to
be used in announcing the progress OF
campmeeting or the condition of the
crops in the country.
During the canvass, the people were
asked to either endorse or condemn
the administration of E. ]. Davis. We
then dealt with the questions growing
out of the issue before the country as
we deemed right and proper, feeling
that when the issue was decided al
the ballot box, THAT decision would be
fnality. But though the verdict was
against Davis and his administration
measures, there has been no relaxation
of its odious and oppressive features
On the other hand ,maddened by defeat
the party manipulators in the Legis
Iature and the Executive department
have increased their expressions of tn
people and now goad them with create
wrongs. Even the men elected ar
denied the certificates of the fact tina
thew were so elected. An infumUusi,
corrupt trio of official usurpers, pre-
sume to set aside the voice OF tn
people and deny them their right t
representation in the National Legis
lature, by the men chosen by them 70
that purpose. While these things con
tinue, we do not propose to remain
silent, nor yet to seek for mild ant
honeyed words in our denunciatioD
of them. So long as these high crime
are unblushingly committed, we will
publish the crimes and the criminals
and arraign them before the bar o
public justice, until by the return o
law and order another tribunal vii
take Jurisdiction over such offenscs.