The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-06-07
Our Government and its Sue
HnSSpS

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The latest enemy of the United
States who has come to grief is Cap
tain Jack, the Modoc chief. He has
been pursued from hole to hole in the
lava beds, by brave and resolutt
officers and soldiers, many of whom
fell by treachery and ambuscade. He
probably never had with him at time
more than one hundred warriors, and
some accounts place the number at
much less. Yet he occupied an mac
cessible position in wild country,
where he could defend himself from
attack against great odds, and into
which it is next to impossible to throw
regular troops, or use cavalry. Ban
dts like Captain Jack often defy all
the efforts Of the Spanish and Italian
governments to capture or kill them
for years, and the instances are rare
i'll those countries where the troops
continue the pursuit of bandit beyond
the lines which separate the plains
from the mountains and caves. The
experience in this country is directly
the opposite. Here we have generally
succeeded in bringing outlaws and
public enemies to bay and breaking
up their bands. The fate of Tecumseh.
Black Hawk, Billy Bowlegs, Spotted
Tail, Captain Jack, and numerous
other savages who have tlourishcd for
time attest the prowcss of the SOL
diers Of the Union, and the indomita-
bic determination of the Anglo Saxon
| to assert his supremacy.
1t Is not alone in these minor con-
tests that the United States govern
mcnt has shown its superiority over
its enemies. 1t has undertaken and
achieved works of the greatest magni-
tude, in all of which success has been
accepted by the people as a foreg,ne
conclusion from the very beginning
The two contests with Great Britain,
the difficulty with the Alscrine pirates,
the war with Mexico and the stupen-
dous struggle with the great rebellion
are examples of what IL determined
people can accomplish when they set
about it, and attest the highest quail
ties OF the genius, courage, endurance
and resources of the nation. The
cases Of jeff. Davis, w likes Booth, the
North Carolina ku-klux, Colonel De-
Blanc and hundreds Of others illustrate
Its far reaching vigilance and unfail-
ing ability to lay the heavy hand of
authority upon any body who is
wanted. Iti such a government that
has proved itself more than match
for it's enemies in all the known modes
OF warfare, that certain small fry pol
lticlans sometimes delight in attempt
ing to hold up to ridicule for its inef1i-
cheney.
The most formidable, dangerous and
tenacious enemy that our government
ever had to encounter WAS doubtless
the spirit of slavery. But whenever
there has been q direct and open con-
tiict, whether on the battle field, the
halls of Congress, the courts of justice
or the political canvass, the right has
prevailed, and the enemy is slowly
and surely dying out even in the most
secret recesses, where the arts of cum
ming and strategy have been employed
by its sullen advocates in place Of open
warfare. The people Of the South
even are living it down, and it has
fallen so low that finally its friends
deny there is any longer life in it,
though it is plain that II love for it has
not Yet been fully eradicated from the
hearts of its votaries, and many of its
victims are still paral wed by the fear
that it may return. As this is ques-
ton which depends upon the power
OF the government to vanquish all its
enemies, it will be profitable to both
parties, those who hope for the revival
OF slavery us well as those who some-
times fear it, to study the successes of
the great power that has been able to
cope successfully with immense force
in the field, and willy strategy in the
forest and jungle. From the most
stupendouS contests down to the latest
capture of the Modocs, the Stars and
Stripes have been uniformly borne
aloft in triumph. And it will be we'll
for the enemy which Senator Carpen-
ter discovered lurking in the political
lava beds OF Louisiana, to come out
and have a ''peacc TALK