New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-04

ic party, because it is not in keeping with
its usual cunning and sagacity in political
matters, and it is as much libel upon
the people of this country as upon
President Grant.
In regard to the federal constitution
and the next Presidential election the New
York World has said:
All Democrats deny, most Republicans
affirm, that the federal constitution has I'M
dergone such changes, since the close of the
late civil war, as to admit of the exercise OF
the powers of imperial and centralized des-
potism assumed in the recent ku-klux legis-
latiOn of Congress.
Now it is worse than silly for the De-
mocratic arty to attempt to make any
such issue as this before the American
people, who have not yet forgotten that
the Democratic party boldly proclaimed
there was no power under the constitu-
ton to prevent State from peaceably Sc
ceding from the Union. And there is not
doubt but that the Democratic party
if it answered truthfully its opinion upon
the subject, would say that the ''powers
of imperial and centralized despotism"
were exercised by the government to
prevent the States from seeding. Ac-
cording to the Democratic party
it was the "powers of imperial
aud centralized despotism that
struck the chains from the limbs of four
million slaves and babe them be freemen.
1t was not necessary that the constitution,
as understood by the Republicans who
framed it and the Republicans of the
present day, should undergo changes in
order to give protection to persons and
property This the good men who framed
the constitution designed it should do.
This is the object of good government,
and Republican Congress and President
have decided that all citizens shall at
least have the aid of the government,
if necessary, for protection against
the lawless and unprincipled. What
is called Ku-Klux legislation by the
Democratic party, and characterized
as the work of imperial and Gen.
tralized despotism, is law to protect all
citizens in their rights, enacted by the
representatives of free people. And SO
far as the control over elections, that Con-
gress has been compelled to assume in
order to secure the equal civil and polit-
ical rights of all, is concerned, We be-
lieve the people will indorse that measure
with the same alacrity and enthusiasm
that they have the amendments to the
constitution, and the reconstruction laws.
1t is true these measures were adopted by
Congress at a time when it was COM
PEELED to act without the assist
ance of representatives from the
States that were unreconstructed;
but the legislation is valid never
theless, just as valid as any legislation
that took place during the war, notwith
standing the Democratic party may have
deemed it unconstitutional. The Demo-
cratic party no doubt considers all that
was done by the government while the
rebellion was raging as unconstitutional
as the work of an imperial and centralized
despotism. If the Democratic interpreta-
ton of the constitution could have pre-
vailed, the great American republic
established by Washington and his noble
compatriots would have been cut up into
as many petty sovereignties as there
were States in the Union, each
welding an imperial despotism over
the masses of the people who. had
been divided for the purpose of making
their enslavement easy and complete.
And as if to complete the Democratic
measure of guilt against the republic and
its great captain who conducted its valiant
soldiers to the final overthrow of the rebel
armies, it now has the audacity to accuse
the government of desire to transform
itself into an imperial despotism for the
purpose of securing President Grants re-
election. The thought is both insulting
to the people of the United States and
their worthy President who, no doubt, is
as ready to retire at their bidding as he
has been ready to serve them in both
military and civil life when called into
service.