Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-25
A Tale of Prescription and On
preston.

improving on the democratic address,
nntolds fearful tale of prescription,
disfranchisement, confiscations, pris-
ons scaffolds" to which the eX-rebeIs
of the South have been subject by the
''tyrants" of the republican party. The
Democrat further informs us that the
spirit evinced by the Union of the
country against the bel-leaders, 'sis
the very quintescence of unreasoning
vindictiveness end hate, exhibiting the
narrow guage of a narrow mind of a
would-!e despot, actuated by which, no
republican form of government could
exist an hour" And now, the same
paper tells us, the climax is reached in
that 'great act of despotism" known
as the Ku- klux bill.
The innocent men who have suffer
ed all this oppression" are the foment-
ers, supporters and abcttors in a con-
spiracy to destroy the nation. They
ale the excellent worthless who left
their seats in Congress, which they had
used to Letray the republic, to inaug-
urate wicked rebellion against the
Union. They are the honorable lead
ers, who, with the oath of fealtv to the
government on their lips, hesitated
not to perjure themselves by plotting
and committing treason. They are the
brave officers who abandoned Gheir
posts in the army of that Republic which
had given them an education at the
public expense, to accept the com
mand of armed hosts in array against
the nation. And of what trifing acts
are these excellent men guilty? They
have only waged a terrible four years
war to destroy the Republic! Only
this, and nothing more! They have.
to be sure, slain hundreds of thous-
ands of brave "boys in blue" who
went forth to defend the Republic
They have imposed a debt of thous-
ands of millions on the nation as the
price ofpres rv ton. They have fought
on year after year until the euperhuman
efforts of the loyal men of the nation,
they have been rendered pOwerless.-
only this, and nothing more!
Yet, according to the democratic
leaders in every part of the country,
what terrible oppression has been
heaped upon these lamb like rebels
wLo were only standing up for State
rights. The student of history, famil-
lar with the decisive and severe treat
ment accorded to traitors in every ma
ton and ever age, and hearing the
democratic cry of republican oppres-
sion, asks if tens of thousands of rebel
leaders were summarily shot or hung
and the answer comes back that not
a single one of the long roll of per
jured traitors has paid the forfeit of
his life for his treason But have not
| hundreds of thousands been banished
from the country which they strove to
destroy? And the response is heard
that not solitary individual of the
traitornus bands who made war on the
Republic, has been forced to leave the
country or even his home But have
not multitudes of the leaders who con-
spired to destroy the nation been
stripped of their estates The an
swer Is heard that scarcely a score
have been called to part with their i'll
gotten estates, thrO" gh confiscation-
Well may the student of history, list
ening to these startling facts, aver that
never before was such remarkable len
iency shown to plotters against the life
of nation.
And pray, then, we may well ask oul
! democratic accusOrs, in what consists
| the ''vindictiveness" and oppression
exhibited by the republican govern
ment of the nation towards the men
WHO plotted and acted treason for -four
long years ? And they are forced to
admit that it doas not consist in the
hanging or shooting, or imprison-
ing. or banishing of single traitor
not in cOnfiscating their property; not
in driving them from theiI homes not
in refusing them TIE equal protection
of the laws; not in declining to eX
tend over them the guardian care o.
the flag which they trampied under
foot; not in closing against them any
avenue of business; not in refusing
them any privilege which would better
secure happiness and prosperity. II
the fourteenth amendment lies the
oppression" which has been heaped
upon these men who should have es
teemed themselves fortunate to pre-
serve their lives, and vino should have
. overflOwed with gratitude to be allow
ed the privilege of the protection o
the flag which they had trampled upol
and the laws which they defied- who
indeed would have considered them
selves fortunate, and who would hav
been filled with gratitude, had not tn
democrats of the North aroused thei
old passions and stimulated their oil
hopes. Read the tale of ''vindictive
, ness" and ''hate,'' the sole vestige O
the oppression" visited at the in
: stance of the republican Congress up
on the South, as we find it recorde,
in the fourteenth amendment of tn
constitution, in the following words:
mo person shall be a senator 0
representative in Congress, or electo
;. of President or Vice President, @
hold any office, civil or military, uT
der the United States, or under an
: state, who, having previously take
an oath as member of Congress, o
as an officer of the Uniten States, O
as an executive or judicial officer of an
o state, to support the Constitution {
F The United States, sLaI have engage
! in insurrection or rebellion against til
1 same, or given aid and comfort to til
enemies thereof But Congress may
by vete of two thirds of each hous
i remove such disability"
This, together with the fifteent
k amendment giving the ballot to til
h colored men of the South, eXhibi
k what the Bangor Democrat, imitatir
G and amplifying the Democratic az
o ! dress,-calls ''the narrow gual
). of narrow mind of woult