Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-11-15

Tue announcement thaJ martial law
has been proclaimed in several of the
Southern States | find tho following
startling telegram from Washington,
under date of Nov. 1st:
"a special dispatch from Washington states
that II is asserted on authority Of Senator Poole
that the President expressed his determination to
declare martial law throughout the entire South
in consequence Of the continued outragcs"
Now, what right has General Grant
to declare martial law, unless he
claims that brute force is law? the
same which the robber and brigand
asserts. What right has Congress, or
by what power does it claim 10 hold
the Southern States under the bloody
hand of military rule, unless it also in.
ssts on the highwayman's right to rob
and plundcr at will ? Every man who
stoops to accept an agency under this
despicable despotism is in the eye of
eternal justice an outlaw, and his life
becomes the common property of any
man or any community finding itself
oppressed by such & creature. And
by virtue of tho Constitution of the
State and the United States he is a
traitor, and may be tried and hung
the instant the authority Of law can
ovcrtake him. There is an indostruct.
able right OF all people to selfgovern
ment, and neither Congress nor any
of its lictors, nor the dobauched indi-
vidual who pollutcs the White House,
has any power to deprive them of such
right. 1t Isl universal right conferred
by God and Nature, and has been
claimed ever since the world began.
The American people should read
the words Of this telegram with hearts
of FIRE and nerves of steel; and mark
well the words, undermined to declare'
(strong words "mdrtial law through.
out the entire South" Not in specific
localities, but throughout the entire
length and breadth OF the South-not
alone where illegal acts may have
been done by connivancc of the tools
of the government, but everywhere,
this enthroncd brute, called Presi,
dent of tho United States, threatens
to appoint military satraps, and call
them Governors, TO overthrow the
civil laws of States. BY proclamation
he orders elections, and when held ac-
cording to their diction, he sets them
asiIe - ths "se~l.~ daos not cult him,
by another proclamation. Has the
world ever beheld such spectacle Z
Can the history of the world, reced-
ing back for thousand years, produce
anything like il! But we, in this en-
lightened century, proud OF our nation
ality, proud Of our fame, proud OF hav.
ing the chest government the world
ever saw" boasting of our achieve
mcnts and proud in our debase-
ments, indeed, wo seem anxious to
initiate Africa, TO show degree Of
intellect and courage equal to the lazy
and british negroes on the banks of
the Congo. Since the sudden exit Of
the Abolition monster who called him.
self the government, Congress has put
on bis shirt Il do not call it mantle,)
and carried on in its own name the
impIacable despotism; using the Ga.
lena tanner, smoker and whisky-guz-
zler, for which the name of the rail.
splitter was formerly the shibboleth.
And still, proclamatiOns are used in
the half of what was once the Union.
How long will il be before the same
thing will be practiced among us here
in the North? Men clad with des.
potic authority appoint elections and
remove civil officers by edicts and
proclamations. Witness the conduct
of Sheridan in the stricken city of
Chicago few days ago, when this
debaucbed william, bloated with his
military authority and beastly capacl.
ty for gin, took possession of a hotel
there to regulate the price of boarding
and to give him free access to the
rum which his bloatcd carcass coveted.
Who gave Phil Sheridan the right to
take possession Of the property Of any
man in the free State of Illinois, who
violated no law, and was seeking only
to get amid scarcely and high prices
proper remuneration for his meat,
bread and bed, from tho idle specta-
tors who were focking to Chicago
after the fire to crafty morbid curl
osity, to feast on the ruins, and per.
haps admire the plumes and strut, and
bombast and bloat Of the greet Win.
chester ridcrY
This conduct Of military satrap is
only the outcropping of the despotsm,
which is, step by step, and clinch by
clinch, fastening itself upon the peo.
pie, or, will il be necessary TO convince
you of the designs of our rulers, by
calling your attention to the brutal
murder Of Mr.. Grosvenor, who was
cruelty and brutally shot dead in the
streets of Chicago by n man claiming
that he acted under tho military or.
ders of General Sheridan and Colonel
Sherman, who had exactly tho same
right and no more to shoot that Har.
der had to stab Dale and murder him
in our streets last summerl This
military horde arrogated to them.
selves power which belonged to the
Constitution and laws of tho State OF
Illinois, and tho man who violated
that law aud killed Mr. Grosvenor, is
in the eye of the law and before high
Heaven, a murderer, and Phil. Shcri
dan and Frank sherman are his aides
abettors and assistants, and should, tc
+ vindicate the outraged law of the State
Of Illinois, be swung upon tho sam,
gallows. Let the people, o, let then
pause but for one moment, and ponder
well the si.ualion II may bo yet
time to save our liberty. But, if The
ordinary forms fail, and the party o.
liberty of this country secs that law
will not restore them their rights
they must prepare to obey ard serve
God by resisting tyrants. For nc
man can fail 10 sec, unless he is will
fully blind, that if this state of thing'
: continues, il proclamations pass fol
laws and willing knavcs are always
sady 10 execute them, without exam