Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1871-05-04
Decorate Address.

acquainted with the actions and designs
of those who control the radical party.
and we feel called upon 10 utter few
words of warning against the alarming
strides they have made toward centrah-
cation of power in the hands OF Congress
and the Executive.
The time and attention of the radical
leaders have been almost wholly directed
to devising such leg islation as will, In
their view, best preserve their ascenden-
cy, and no regard for the wise restraints
imposed by the constitution has checked
their reckless and desperate career The
President of the United States has been
formally announced as candidate tor
reelection. The declaration of his sell
fish supporters have been re-echoed by a
subsidized press. aid the discipline OF
party has lready made adhesion to his
personal fortunes the supreme test of po-
litical fealty The partisan legis latlon to
which we refer was dccreed and shaped
in secret caucus, where the EXTREMIST
counsels always dominate, and was adop-
ted by subservient majority, If not with
the intent, certainly with the effect to
place in the hands of the President pow
er to command his own denomination,
and to employ the army, navy and militia
at his sole discretion as means OF OBJ
serving his personal ambition.
When the sad experience of the last
two years. so Disappointing to the hopes
and generous confidence of the country,
is considered in connection with the vlo-
lent utterahces and rash purposes OF those
who control the Presidents policy, it is
not surprising that the gravest apprehen'
sion for the future peace of the nation
should be entertained. At time when
labor is depressed and every material IN
tcrest is palsied by oppressive taxation,
the public Offices have been multiplied be-
yond III precedent to serve as lpstru-
ments in the perpetuation Of power
Partisanship is the only test applied to
the distribution of this vast patronage.
Honesty. fitness and moral worth are
openly discarded in favor of trucking
submission and dishonorable compliance
HeEce enormous defalcations and wide
spread corruption have followed as the
natural consequences Of this pernicous
system.
By the official report Of the Secretary
Of the Treasury, it appears that after the
deduction of all proper credits many mil
lions Of do liars remain due from excel
lectors of the internal revenue, and that
nc proper diligence has ever been used
to collect .hem. Reforms in the reve-
nue. and fiscal systems, which all expert
cnce demonstrates to be necessary to
frugal administration Of the government,
as we'll as measure of relief to an over
burdened people, has been persistently
pos tponed or wilfully neglected. Con
gress now adjourns without having even
attempted te reduce taxation or to repeal
the glaring impositions by which indus
try is cheapencd and impoverished.
The Treasury is overlooking and al
axcess OF eight millions of revenue is adj
mitteG, and, yet, instead of some meas
ure OF present relief, barren and delu-
sive resolution is passed the Senate to
consider The tariff and excise system here
after. as if the history of broken pledges
and pre- tended remedies furnished any
better assurance for future Legislation
than experience has done in the past.
Shipbuilding and carrying trade, once
sources of national pride and prosperity,
now languish under heavy load of :axa-
ton and nearly every other business in
terest is struggling without profit, to man-
tain itself. Our agriculturists, while
paying heavy taxes Oh all they consume,
either to the governmental to monopo-
lists, find the price for their own products
SO reduced that honest labor is denied its
lust reward, and industry is Frustrated
By invid ious discrimination. Near 2O0,-
600, 900 acres of public land, which won ID
have been reserved for the benefit of the
people, have been voted away 80 glan
corporations, neglecting our soldiers and
enriching handful of greedy spectators
aud LOBBY lists, who are thereby enabled TO
exercise most dangerous and corruptlDg
influence over State and Federal legisla-
ton. If the career of these conspirators
be not checked. the downfa Il OF free gov
ernment is inevitable aud with it the ell
ovation of military dictator on the ruins
of therepublic.
Under the pretense ofpassing laws TO
enforce the fourteenth amendment, and
for other purposes. Congress has conferr-
ed the most despoiic power upon the Elk
ecutive, and provided ansoffical machinery
by which the liberties of the people are
menaced, and the sacred right Of local self
government 10 the States is ignored, if
not totally overthrown. Modelled upon
the seditlon laws, SO odious i'll history,
they are at variance with all the sanctif-
ed theories of our institutions, and the
construction given by these radical in
terpreters to the fourteenth amendment Is,
to use the language of an eminent Senator
Mr.. numbuli, of illinois, an ''annihilu-
ton of the States"
Under the last enforcement bill "the
Executive may, in his discretion, thrust
aside the government of any State, sus-
pend tie writ of habeas corpus" arrest its
Governor, iMprison or dispense the Legis-
lature, silence its judges and trample
down its people under the armed heels Of
his troops Nothing is left to the citizen
or the State which can any longer be call
ed right all is changed into mere suf-
ferance.
Our hopes for redress are in the calm
good sense, the ''sober second thought Of
the American people. We call upon them
to be true to themselves and to their pos
terity, and disregarding party names and
minor differences, to insist upon decen-
tralization of power and the restriction of
federal authority within its just and pro-
per limits, leaving to the States that con-
troll over domestic affairs which is essential
to their happiness, tranquility and good
government. Everything that malicious