The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-03
evening State 9olsrnal.


the fifteenth amendment and protect lives
and property Of loyal citizens OF the South,
still continues. 1t is interesting to OBJ
serve the various phases OF character and
opinion developed in this discussion. AS
a whole, the Democratic members exhibit
little diversity. With brazen impudence
they deny the need Of legislation, brand
all complaints as false and partisan, and
present front of grim consolidated bar
barism in defence of the iniquities by
which they hope to regain power. Their
discipline is the untbinking of men who
are troubled by no careful balancing of
equity or constitutional authority, but who
waive and merge all differences in the
grand rush for plunder.
The Republicans, on the other hand,
show less united front. The centre, led
by Garfield, Dawes, Shellabarger, Bing-
ham, and other genuine statesmen, moves
graudly to the assault. But on either
wing there are different men: some weak
in brain and spinal marrow; others OF
tender constitutional consciences, who look
tremblingly back at their dead ancestry,
and fear to step with manly tread, lest the
spectre of States-rights should rise to con-
front them from their fathers graves.
Others, and still larger class, linger be-
hind, calculating the chances of coming
election, and the possibility of being just
in time to mount the wave OF reaction.
And so there is division and delay in the
ranks of Republicanism.
The President, catching with eye un-
dimmed by the slime and slush of political
corruption, the vision Of wrong which the
past two years unfolds, hearing the cry OF
the oppressed borne on every southern
gale, calls on the representatives OF the
nation for power to protect the poor ana
the humble from murder, rapine and de-
struction. Behind him, stands the people
bidding him God-speed, and urging their
timid leaders to fall into line and keep step
with the music of the Union. Yet while
crying evils call out for simple and active
remedies. men are found who halt and
hesitate and split hairs and busy their little
minds with microscopic technicallties.
That some of these weak-kneed gentle
men are sincere and honest in their hesi-
fancy we have no doubt.
We have never doubted the honesty Of
the great mass OF those who joined the re-
bsllion, and we presume that some of those
gentlemen were true to their convictions,
who thought that there was no corstitu-
tional power to suppress it. We rem en-
ber we'll how the army Of the Union was
impeded, and its situation compromised,
by constitutional scruples. We have to-
day in Congress, the counterpart OF that
portion of our war history, in the cold
blooded treatment of questions which in
volve all we fought to establish and main
tain.
1t was not to put down or punish rebel
lion, not to abolish slavery merely, that
those great sacrifices were made. 1t was
to establish the supremacy and integrity
OF the nation.
Thank God for fearlers and uncor-
rupted executive for noble people, un-
skilled in the wiles of politics, but with
-
grand and just instincts, which push away
the mists that fill the atmosphere Of Wash
ington, and demand obedience to its stern
commands. That people calls to-day with
united voice for the protection of the ma
tional law to be extended over every citt-
zen. however humble and obscure.
There are still enough true, brave men
in Congress to recall the rccreant and timid
to duty. Congress will not adjourn un-
til it has added substantial guarantees to
secure peace in the South and the protee'
tion of its loyal population.