The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-06-01
Shall a Candidate be Dictator !!
From ohe New York Tribune-l

So far as the Senate are concerned
the country has abdicated its right OF
self-eovernment during the Presiden-
tial election. The law empowering
the President to suspend at his dis
erection the writ of Habeas Corpus
Yesterday passed the Senate by vote
81 to Is. There was little genuine dis
eussion in regard to it. The partisans
of the Administration and the men
who hope to be reelected by bayo-
nets. wasted a few hours III vague
or seurrilous talk. The ashes of the
extinct Rebellion were raked ana
blown upon in every sense, to see II
some lingering spark OF danger could
not be coaxed out of them. The TACT
that seven years of constantly increas--
ing quiet and tranquility have passed
since the war; that throughout the
South it is the first wish of nine out OF
ten of the population that peace and
order should prevail, that immigration
should increase, and good will be-
tween the races and the sections be
restored-all these evident facts pro
duced no effect upon those stolld pol
iticians, intent only upon drawing q
possible ephemeral advantage from
their reckless and ungracious act.
They have seemed to care as little Tor
tbe North as for the South. Every
utterance of public opinion has been
against this deplorable legislation.
| The great majority even of those pa
ners which sustain the Administra-
/ ton have deprecated the further eX-
tension of this Ku-Klux Act, as use
less and dangerous. But certain Sen
ators of the South have appeared TO
think they could gain more from the
nresence of the soldiers than they
could lose by voting to bring them,
and their Northern allies have steadily
supported them, with Il sullen con-
tempt for the universal voice OF warm
ing they have received from their con-
stituencies.
This isa fact of especial significance.
1t would not be difficult to imagine
the reasons which might induce SEN
ators, anxious for influence at their
ostensible homes and afraid of
their own people, to vote this
: force bill against any objections.
But the fact that the Administration
, members have supported it III solid
phalanx shows that it is earnestly de-
J sired by the Executive, and that this
strong and INSCRIPTIONS will is SILENT
: " exerting itself to accomplish this
, temporary Dictatorship. IT 1t were
, not for the stimulus of powerful self
: interest there would be no disposition
to endure the open ill-will which even
the prospect of this legislation has ex-
3 cited in evey part OF the country
9 The measure is clearly political one
Its object is to use the army III the
+ canvass in the interest of the faction
: now in power. The present military
t Administration has determined TO re
S main in Office. The men who ART
y strongest in it are men who know bu
: one way of accomplishing their pur
V pose-by direct and not very pune
t tilious action. They can easily per
suade themselves that the good of tn
e country requires that they shall b.
II continued in place. When you max
Il IL soldier Dictator aud President, AM
e virtually give him the classic charge
/. {. to take care that the Republic shal
i receive no detriment you give hin
IL very wide range. In his opinion tn
J. Republic could receive no greater Diet
) riment than to fail to re-elect him.
We still have strong hopes of tn
r House of Representatives. They hav
e, once or twice shown favorable syml
i tons of Discrimination to be mounte
$. by the rough riders of the Govern
,e ment. They are nearer to the pee
t. pie than the Senate, and this fax
S, serves to preserve in them certai
W sense of responsibility. We beliey
ID they will refuse to join in this la
is desperate effort to revive the old pc
n icy of hate and distrust which h;
s. ceased to have any reason for existing
in 1t is time, now if ever, for q resuml
#. ton of the reign of law.
ic 1t is time to sheath the sword whiG
ty has been brandished too long over Il
r. people of the South. Let us have
of true republican government ONT
It more. la the South, as in the Mort
Mt let us have peace.