The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-01-19

| things, extend to nights not granted. II IL
did, the states themselves, with all their
rights, might be amended out of existence,
| if thres- -fourths of them were foolish enough
TO consent to their own destruction.
There are an hundred other novelties
| which would no doubt attract. the serious
! attention Of our visitant, if indeed they are
not just now alarming our own stupid in
| difference into their anxious consideration.
| For instance, the spectacle of millions OF
/ American citizens disfra nchised, and mil
! hons of African slaves clothed with political
power to rule over them through the medi-
um Of that viest spawn of the civil war. the
.scarpet baggers," and such negroes as felt
/ themselves equal TO q contest with them IN
! the scramble for the spoils of ruined peo-
pie 1t is painful and humiliating sight
to see proud and chivalrous people, like
/ the white inhabitants of the southern states,
subjected to the rule of their own slaves,
with negro governors, negro legislatures, aud
negro judges, while that people, with all It's
faults. are still of our blood and race, and in
their nisfortunes entitled to that mercy at
our hands which we ourselves expect for our
own transgressiOns. State elections, too,
have been held with an armed sodiery on
the ground to overawe the voters. even IN
the great cities of the nnon, without even Il
preteuce of domestic violence which the
state authorities could not repress, or indeed
! any violence at all.
| But in turning away from this dark pic
ture, we are cheered by undoubted signs
that the terrible saturnalia is drawing To a
| close, and that a weary and repeHtaut peO-
/ pie are returning to reason.
| The Romans at one time had festival,
which they called Saturnalia. During this
/ Saturnalia-it happened-what singular
coincidence about this time of the year. l
/ don't know why these people will always
/ have it about Christmas and New Years.
[ believe it was originally discovered that
! the sun, after having refrigerated until the
| day dwindled down to less than ten hours.
! creeps up, as it were, about the 18th OF De
/ cemher, on its back ward course towards
another spring and summer, creating, as 1t
| were. another life.
During this saturnalia, everything was to
/ posterity upside down. Servants became
/ masters, ami masters became servants; the
noble mixed with peasant, and the peasant
( took the Fl ace Of the noblcman. All classes
4 mixed themselves together, threw off all the
restraints which well regulated conduct i'm
/ posed upon them. After the experience of
/ about week of that kind, it appears that
! every body was anxious to fall back into his
old place, his old station, satisfied that what
/ ever evils may have oppressed him they
were nothing compared with that which re-
suited from an utter license, free from all
restraint whatever.
Now we have had our saturnalia, sat
! urnalia of long period. War, terrible
war blood poured cut like water; widows
aud orphans might by the twenty thousand
be seen; battle fields, earth dreuched with
! blood and strewn with corpses, everything
] fhpus-r,I Of ka oi,l
wasted in this contest. Aud people have
| changed their places. Those who were
! masters have become slaves, aEd those who
were slaves are now masters. The political
! power of ten or twelve states Of the Union
/ wrested away from the citizens, the actual
| citizens. those who always exercised it, and
/ those whom it was supposed were capable
/ of exercising it, and given to slaves. What
would Odd Hickory" think If be came back
now from the shades into life, and when he
/ came back to sec niger governors in the
/ executive chairs Of the southern states; mig
/ ger Legislators, Niger judges. niger jurors
aud niger congressman in the United
States senate. But the most painful thing
OF ali ls that the people Of our race, Of our
I blood and kindred, should be subjected to the
dominion Of these semi bar barOu5 slaves, who
at the best are only food for the carpet bag
gers. MIR. Chairman, in responding to your
toast it would not be proper that your in
vited guest should occupy ali evening
Several voices, Go on.") Our saturualia
looks as if it were coming to a close. We
are a repentaHt people, and returning TO
! reason, and the democratic party will have
its turn. There Is mono other that the cOun-
try now depends upon to rescue it. and its
mission, Mr.. Chairman, is q high and a
holy one. Let no man uudervalue it let no
man disgrace it! it is to bind mp the broken
fragments of the nation. 1t Is to restore, to
heal the wounds Of all, to restore peace and
harmony amongst all. And this it can do
and can do readily, and gain success by re-
turning simply to the principle Of that cons
stitution. They are beginning to inquire
into the nature Of the changes they have al
lowed in their governments, and to find
that, just as usual, the few have their nils
lions and the many :hoir burdens and toiis.
The good and the true are everywhere turn
ed aside, while the wicked and corrupt are
roting in the public spoils, and ready at
any moment to sell themselves 10 the high,
est bidder.
Ia the acknowledged political demoraliza-
tion prevailing. the democratic party, per
haps has reason 10 congratulate Itself that
1t was not in power during the last few
years. None of the mischiefs Of which the
people complain can be laid to its charge
and 1t can now start on its way rejoicing to
restoration and reform, purgeG of all the
rogues and knaves who used to infest it in
its days of power. Its mission is holy; it
will bind up the broken fragments of the
union; hea! the wounds of the long national
strife, and make us once more free and
united people.
In conclusion, hope your association will
tNa Fayaa & t,o - I
contamination so devoutly to be wished.
On yesterday week, Robert W. Mackey,
of Pittsburgh. who held the office for one
year-from May 1868, to May 1sG9-was