The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-26
Thu Is.u.s OF tho Hour.

The Issues OF the Hour.
proAisate m~ercenarlea, with malignant pas.
Sion dominant, and the sordid love Of gain,
sharpened by party aHimosity, In the aseen-
dant; the myrmidons of spoliation and hate
swarming about the purheus of the capital,
and huge railroad monopolies lobbying and
barterlng for votes, and parcelling out 10 6loat,
ed corporations the public domain which should
be held sacred as the peoples own-anE 4ecu-
tive protesting ignorance OF the requirements
OF the constitution, and recognizing aS tIe
standard rule of his conduct, s'slc voio, sic
jubeo." Our domestic policy q seaman anua
reproaeh, and our foreign diplomacy q mogA-
cry and q disgrace. Driven at every poaus ~
the bravado and bluster OF GlaastoGe en aua
Granville at London, and ga 6ad W. Ron an n Pal.
mer and Lord Alexander Cockbnrn. Our Presi-
dent tsthe sublime of mediocrity," surround
led by courtiers and tavorites, instead OF inde-
pendent ministers, who, In humble suDser-
yIency, pander to his tastes and minister 10
his e~sprices; an administration WitnouG d
policy save to s%ubjugate and degrade, with
ont the majesty or awe of supreme power to
Impose or It's magnidcence to attract1t, has
no paralel. except ''when Pompey dictated TO
the Roman Senate, and Claudious rioted with
the mob In the FORUM" In a state OF pro-
found national peace, we nave seen lnaugu'
rated q state of war under the plea Of state
necessity; precedelts In legislation nave oeen
established, with the approval OF the Execn-
tive, fraught with more evils to the country
than eli the evils these statutes were designed
to suppress.
When our great writ of right, the habeas
corpus, was suspended, men held their Dream
in amazement, as the tremendous fabric OF
onr liberties trembled. The advocates OF CEN
trail power have 8 victory In thu establishment
: Of that precedent that will be q Justification
for further entertainments of power. While
1t remains upon the statute book, 1t Will be o
standing menace to the free cities and States
Of the Union, for what may be done III one
State to-day, and tor q certain cause, unue5
the plea of State necessity, may De attempted
In another State tomorrow, and for q dlher-
emit cause, until every vestige OF our ioerties
has been swept away. State necessity! IL
has been under this plea that the fires OF pei.
secution have been kindled In every age Oh
the world. This was the excuse gwen an III
dIpnsnt world for the cruel and inhuman exc
cniion Cf. the, Duke DEnghlen, and 1t was In
support OF this plea that q servile Judge.
backed by q %tyrannical prince, sent Russell
and Sidney, the two great martyrs OF EGG
lIsh liberty, to the disgraceful scaffold. IL mas
been under this plea that England, for over
eight hundred years, has tSrannizea ao over Ire.
has ever been the tyrants plea. Let no mar
charge me with sympathy with crime, or o
desife to screen its guilty authors. Yield to
no ona In my adherence and utter detesta-
ton Of violence and It's perpetrators, out
dare impngn the motives OF this leglslatlOn.
would, for other than purely patriotic pur-
poses. avail himself of the exercise OF such
nnprecedented power, without first exhaust
ine AM the peaceful agencies Of the law.
dare arraign llcenti0ns power arbitrarily e4-
erted. You have heard, but you have not seen,
q whole State outlswed, and its terIor.sIrlcken
communities flying before the bhghllng &C.
cusation OF the government spy and public
informer, whose whitening breath fell Without
discrimination upon the Innocent alike Win
the guilty. I have seen, and my blood creeps
and my cheek tlngles when l think OF II, Wnole
companies of poor emaclated creatures, men
Of your race and blood, dragged before The
national tribunals through the streets OF
Charleston, with a yelping, hootlDg rabole at
their heels, while q once proud people hung
their, heads In shame at the degradation OF
their country, and In sorrow for poor, suffer-
Ing humanity. While Justice sat enthroned,
surrounded by Federal bayonets, and he very
air was stagnant with conviction, and the
swelling utterances Of the advocate were
chokedeby the consciousness of condemnation
preordakned by the public prosecutor, 10 De
followed BY sure sentence and swift execu-
ton. Not even when Emmett, In the midst
Of his British guards, confronted Narbury IN
the dock at Dublin, was ever such q spectacle
of arbitrary judicial proceeding wit
never be forced to behold q Federal
soldiery@ in time OF peace encamped on
Boston Common, with the liberties of your
Commonwealth 10 their keeping, and the
CLEAN of bayonets flashing from the steps OF
your temple OF national Justice. And believe
reach further than South Carolina. 1t was to
prepare the way for q greater stretch OF Exec,
ntiye power. Il wa to accustom you and all
of ma TO the chains of military servitude. 1t
Ia thus the channels OF despotlsm are formed;
a stake Is put down here and anolner mere,
where once the streams Of liberty ran, until IN
one Irresistible torrent every landmark OF
freedome IA washed away. And / ask you,
shall the encroachments which are sapping
the very foundations OF our republican system
and preparing the way for the establishment
of an imperial despotism continue uoquestlon:
ed and uncoudemned ? VII. forty millions OF
freemen tamely submit, and see outpost after
sldious approaches OF the enemies OF Tree
government, until the very citadel OF onr
rights has been undermined Have you not
seen your own, great senator degraded from
his position In the Senate because ne dared 10
differ with the Presidents and oppose h1s policy!
It may be- reserved tor nm possloly iIGM lug
fate In store for the great Republic OF the
west, ,~asappallilg as that which excited, the
glooniest iorebodlpgsiof Cicero. the great Pa:
irIot and orator Of Rome, who foreBaw Tor his
countrS.in the decline OF popular virtue, q
dsy OF slaughter and shame and hopeless ire
mesdiable ~servitude, when the bands Of the
faithful were to be- scattered In every bat
tle. and the last. of the Romans should invoke
death with vows, sas theirchief good and; final
hope, and the CORY head Of the orator him-
self should be set up In mockery upon his
own rostra-a hldeous trophy OF parricide,
drunk with It's bloody orgies, and ruflaning
in It's nnhallowed domination. and the very
name Of his adored Republic bloltea out and
zone forever. God forbid IT. i! May the spirits
Of Adams and Jefferson, the authors Of our
immortal declaration and the pillars OF our
nationality, hover around and protect us. l
hear q voice OF warning and depreciation as.
oending frem:the tomb Of him who no. sleeps at
Of MIN who, on in tones OF unrigalled clio
quence, shook this the Cradle Of Liberty,
and from beneath tho shadow or yoade5 monu-
ment held up to the gaze ct an admlring
world the image of his conntry-"'g1tterlng