The Van Buren press., 1871-04-25
The Old Game.

II has been the policy of the Radical party
ever since the commencement of hostilities
between the slave holding and non-slav'
holding States to effect success In their nefa'
rioas plans, by wilful, gross and wicked mis-
representation of the people of the South
Their desire is to centralize all power, in Con-
gress and the Executive, or in the former
first, and failing there, then in the latter
They prefer Military DeSpotism rather than
loss Of power Rule or ruin " has ever
been their motto, and they Intend to wreck
the Republic rather than lose their offices by
the success Of the Democratic party. The ef-
feet of the Reconstruction Acts was To begct
the spirit Of centralzation in the Southern
States, by throwing the political power In
those States, into the hands Of Radical poll
ticians. All the Southern Constitutions,
framed pursuant to those acts, are full of the
one man po,cer idea. Our State Constitu-
tion peculiarly so, clothing the Governor
with patronage amply sufficient to give him
complete control OF the political destiny of
the State Grant has manifested his entire
appreciation of the ruling idea, )" by usurp-
ing the war making power in his San Domin-
10 scheme, and so fragrant is this, that Mr..
Sumner, Mr.. Sehurze and other Republicans
have had their eyes opened to the danger
which lies before us. The consummation OF
all yillainics, however, was reserved for the
present session of Congress.
The game of deception must be practiccd
In the campaign Of 1872 and the ku-kluy Bill
Is the source of the wicked power to be used
by Giant. In order to effect his reelection
against the eii! Of ar indignant mGjordy The
political journals are to flood the North with
outrageous falsehoods. about the criminal acts
efthe Mystical ku-klux, and the consequent
danger to Union men. 1t Is to be again re-
iteratod to the Northern people that the civil
authorities of the South, are powerless to
protect life or property and the President
must suspend the writ OF Habeds Corpus ana
use his military TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS.
This bill puts tho people of the South COM
pletely In the power of an ambitious man,
who Is shown TO be weak statesman. but
bred a soldier, and who will be the candidate
chose election is 10 Be accomplished 6y the use
ofhis troops, with no check upon his actions,
and having SO much power that he is virtual
iy beyond the control Of any power legisla-
tive or judicial, and cannot be made to an
swer for any usurpation. In the face OF his
San Domingo conduct 1t is Il little strange
that even q radical Congress could trust him
with such power yet. The time is coming.
and much faster than we supposed, when the
President OF this Republic tciH be q King in
VII but the name.
1t will doubtless occasion some surprise
when our readers learn that Gen. JOHN Ed.
WARDS, the Member OF Congress from our dis
trict was one of the men who endorsed and
rotsd for this piece Of anti-republican iniqui-
ty. We all remember with what zeal "hon-
est .Jolu," opposed the adoption of the Ar
kansas constitution because of the lone
man" power 1t contained. How eloquently
he denounced the conspirators who concocted
this constitution. How the old man rode day
AFTER day to tell the people Of their danger
and to exhort them to vote down the "infa-
nous thing" How he led democratic journ-
ais TO believe be was one of the conservative
republicans who would frown down all at
tempts at Capitalization. And, 10! the first
few days Of his Congressional life, he WAS led
up Into the mountain and fell dozen aud ror-
shippeG the demon Of centralization.
The Democracy of the third district have
been shamefully sold but the sword of perse-
cution will not turn aside from the rcpubli-
cans of the third, who honestly joined hands
with the democracy In the attempt to curb
the spirit of aggression that promises soon to
sweep from our country every vestige of lib
erty. And with the power conferred by the
ku Klux bill, Grant is Il king; Ours is nc
longer a republic. When the constitution
was wantonly aud avowedly set aside In Or
der to force upon us the Reconstruction acts
we predicted the time not far distant when
We would have a Republic only in name.
Has not that time arrived? Under this bill
are the people Of the South as free as are the
people of Great Britain? Yet they do not
make an empty boast of being republican
Our government has indeed become "Repub-
lican In form" The spirit Of republcanism
Il dead aud our dclectablc member from the
third district helped to drive nail In it.
coffin. All thanks to him. After strug-
gle for office. whose length Is measured by
his residence IN Arkansas, he has succeeded
In "bcing IN at The DEATH"