Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-03-21
WendeII Phillips and the New Radi-
cal OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MfillOn-
aires must be Shot at the Drum-

aires must be Shot at the Drum
From the National Standard. this week.l g
A blow sometimes stuns drunkart
into sobriety. Possibly the insult offereC
and the peril brought TO the Republican
party by the removal of Mr., Sumner
may have this effect on the nation. W.
may see the loyal men of the Nortl
rally to the defense of the Union. l
not, then there is but one thing more fol
= Congress to do in order to sign the death
warrant of the Republican party, and
possibly Of the Union. Let Congress
now adjourn without authorizing mar
tial law at the South to curb the Ku-Klux
and they have assured the election Of 8
Democrat to the Presidency. Indeed
the mood at Washington in regard tc
the anarchy of the South is such thai
we consider the matter about settled
The thirty-three Republicans who last
week removed Mr.. Sumner from his post
elected a Democratic President for 1872
i Whether Grant will consent to run on o
/ Democratic ticket is of course uncertain.
Probably he does not himself know yet
But evidently Buffers bill on the Ku-
KluX is not likely to become law. The
same subserviency that ate dirt in the
Sumner matter stands ready to defeat
that. Any substitute that sends South.
ern assassins to be tried by jury oi
fellow assassins is a mockery. Nothing
short Of shooting half a dozen South
ern millionaires at the drum-head will
dice the Ka-Klur into submission.
There seems no likelihood of such
vigor either in Congress or at the White
House. The San Domingo collar on
Senatorial necks shows that they belong
to man who has entered on the course
where Andrew johnson perished. How
far he intends to advance on that path
way he does not himself now know. But
the descent is fatally easy. We did not
expect much from General Grant. But
when he so unexpectedly rose to the level
Of craftsmanship in the matter of the
Fifteenth Amendment and of the In
dians, we smothered all our doubts and
gave him large confidence. The last
few months, capped by this insolent in
reference of Congress, reveals the man.
We persisted in believing that Mr. Mot
ley was removed foradequate cause until
Mr.. Secretary Fish's clumsy letter dis
PEELED the illusion. That act, seen in
the light of this attack on Mr.. Sumner,
was evidently dictated simply and solely
by spite toward the great Massachusetts
Senator, James the First said, when he
came to London to mount his throne
and found only laundering officials,
They have given me secretary who
cannot write and speaker who cannot
speak"
Grant is understood to be in the same
affliction. And the Massachusetts, rene
gade, who helped Mr. Fish to his boyish
rhetoric, did his work so poorly that he
betrayed the secret, and let the world
see that, after six months incubation,
the Department could not hatch de-
cent excuse. Just as that discreditable
act was floating away into oblivion,
comes this usurpation, which puts the
present Executive into the company of
Jackson's bank intrigues and JohDson's s
attack on Stanton. The revelation it
makes of the servility of the Senate is
disheartening to all lovers of free gov
ernment. Every man knows that each
Senator who voted for,Mr Summers re-
moval did so solely because the Presi-
dent had let him understand that only
on that condition could he hope to have
any influence at the Departm ents in Sc
curing Office for his friends. We tell
only what is an open srcret at Wash
ington.
Politicians there, attitudinizing on
the floors of Congress, use words in
Pickwickian sense, and yarnish base
acts with comely phrases. But it is fit
the people should know the plain truth.
The President has bought off his oppo-
nents by refusing all winter to listen, in
the matter of appointments, to the re-
eommendations of any member of Con-
gress who voted with Mr.. Sumner The
only excuse individual Congressman
make for changing their votes is, that to
be ignored at the Departments when tax
ing offices for their supporters is death
to their political hopes. If San Do
mingo is annexed, Grant secures it by
threats and bribes. The poorest memory
will need but little effort to recall the
very embassy that bought Keystone
vote the judgeship which won Wolver-
inc, and the herring-post that made
another Senator put on the Domingo
collar. aHt
Ofcourse when party becomes merely
ring" to divide the spoils it touches
its downfall 1t is sad to think that the |
power of great party should have fallen |
into the hands of such low, mercenary
selfshness. 1t is said that we can oppose
to outlaw assassins at the South, banded |
together, mercilessly and at every sacri-
fee, for at least q great tobject-secession
that we can oppose to them only
gang of Swiss shamelessly exhibiting
themselves for sale to the highest bidder.
And so, cheated of half our gains, be-
traved in the house of our friends, we
must rally for another such fight as that
which crushed Davis and banked john
son. To prevent the choice of Demo
cratic President may be impossible. But
our effort must 90 deeper than that. We
must begin to educate the people into
the determination that il, encouraged by
a rebel President, secession ever lifts its
head again at the South, the North will
sweep rebeldom with the besom of utter
destruction, and leave it no ruler but the
sword until every now living white man
is in his grave.