Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-12-21
CESThsLfzArrox.

the people any harm. III the loss OF
liberty and the establishment Of
despotism car do no harm, then it is
Of no consequence. But how can IL
work mischief is the question which
follows every objection to the propos-
cd purchase. In The first place, it will
add An immense force to the army Of
office. holders already doing the bid
ding of the President. Every opera
tor aud messenger will be Radical
appointse, and sensible men will see,
at glance, that the increase Of -Iher-
eeusries resulting from this extension
of Executive patronage will give to
him positive strength and a rapidly
extending influence which will make
him Independent of the people on the
day Of election.
In the next place, every Dispatch
whether of business or political
character, must come under the i'm
mediate supervision Of a government
official. Add to the power of the
government, now practically absolute,
the opportunity to pry into the bust
ncss relations Of the citizens, to su-
pcrvisc his political sentiments and to
withhold from the press all informa-
ton calculated to enlighten the coun
,ry rs to the daily doiugs of the Adj
ministration, and what more will it
need for the consummation Of cen
trslised despotism? But the right to
purchase Telegraph lines will be con-
etrued into the right to build them,
and as economy has ceased TO be a
governmental virtue and the right,
already exercised, to appropriate the
peoples money for party purposes,
new lines will be constructed and every
rtat,on will be a recruiting station to
ewell the ranks Of the Radical army
the rate Of charges will be controlled
by the government; to Radicals, the
cost may be trifling, if not nominal,
wh!lSt every opponent Of that party
may be altogether excluded from the
benefits of the Telegraph. To say
that the Administration would not de-
grade itself by such conduct, is sim.
ply to deny that it has ever had recour.
&C to fraud and violence and usurpa.
tou IN order to secure the success Of
its party-it is TO assume for il mod
Grafton and observance Of the consti
tu,ional rights of the people that has
characterized not one of its acts which
involved, even remotely, the party gu
prcmacy gained, from the beginning
by fraud and force and TO be made
perpetual by Capitalization,
But the danger does not stop here
Fortified by the precedent that will b,
established by the purchase of all tn,
Telegraph lines, under the fimsey pre-
tense that they ought to be made
part of the postal system of the coun
try, what is TO prevent the purchase o
all the Railroad lines? They carr
the mails and are, to that extent, NOR
essential to the Post office Department
than mere lines of dispatch, thong
not quite so essential as al agent 70
the political cuslavemsut of the pee
pie. The money for the purchase Q
either, or both, must come out of tn
pockets of the hard working farme
0nd mechanic, but as the dear peopl
ssem willing to pay any price for
Radical despotism, the money consid
Grafton need have no weight in tn
d;rcussion Of the political merits {
IN. question Not a dime, will it co,
the mcmbers Of the Administration
or its influential outside adviser
though they have already calculate
,hc millions they can realize from II
Puccess of their speculation upon tn
gullibility Of the sovereign people.
Sorely discouraged by the recklcl
disregard Of the people for thsir higl
est political interests, their materi
prosperity and social happiness, notl
ing but sense of duty prompts US
call their attention TO the means 80 il
ganiously devised by their masters {,
tic subycrsiou Of popular influence
the administration of the goverume
aud transferring to the few, the pow
conferred upon the many The Fe
ersl Constitution was, once, the ri
of political action, as the Doealogl
was the chart Of moral guidance b
both are being looked upon as the il
practicable ideas of etfctc fogyisl
and political crime and moral depra,
tS keep even pace in their efforts
demolish the System Of popular go
crnment and to destroy the last vc,
ige OF public virtue. With the NJ
mentum already acquired by these
struetive agcne, it may be, even no
too late to interpose any ayailat
check TO their progress and not nm
the final crash, will the people be
far awakened as to see their self
fioted ruin and the criminal folly
their present Indifference.
- 500 -
The claim presented against /