Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-12
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oNr Country.


n NAN rEr Rk SAVED.
Az M period since tho outbreak OF
shc civil war In 1881, has The general
sitaation of affairs in this country
~ favorable an aspect As AT
ms rrcsent time. We may venture
to say this in face even of the
astounding revelations of corruption
which have recently been made, a.,d..
which show q condition OF nusound-
ns.s, yes, Of rottcnuess in govern
mcrtai IN .chiaery state and national,
to make the heart sink al
the dismal prospect ahead; for to
the thoughtful patriot this sickenine
exposure affords the best assurance
ofthe perpetuity or our republican In
situations. For twelve years the Dur
ocratic press of the country. assisted
BY = few independent Journals, has
cried out Increasingly in epposition
10 the ruinous course pursued by the
dominant party, both in its assnmp-
ton aud exercise of unwarrautcd
powers inimicai TO the civil liberties
of the people and in its reckless cx-
eravagance which, heapiug frigh,ful
burdens upoa ths country, AT the
sams time discouraged the legitimate
methods Of business wherein lay the
only hope Of relief, anu transformed
na into q nation of INSCRIPTIONS
sr~erulators. For twelve years Dem
ocratic orators have borne the like
testimony. The whole land has
rung with their burning dcnuncia-
tions Of the prevailing tyranny and
corruption, and with pathetic APP
pcals to the country to throw off the
dreadful iacubus Of lawicssness and
submit itself once lore TO the peace
able rule of law and order. But all
infatuated people i'll the dclirium OF
siokly philanthropy or in the relcnt-
less arrogance of victory over q hated
rival turned a deaf car TO all admoni.
tions, or heard them as the ground
less c~omplainings Of an envious AVID
Jealous partisanship. In vain ~ it
urged that o too hasty gift of the full
powers of citizenship to the negro
would prove q curse to him aud TO
the country at large. To cxpiate
the injuries, fancicd or real, hereto.
fore Indicted on that race, tic lcgiti'
mate governments in the Southern
States must be pulled down AMI irrc.
sponsible military tribunals substi-
atutsd in their stead, under the sur.
vsillance Of which was acted tho de-
moniac FARGO of reconstruction, n
parody onsall legislation, a mockcry
VI every just principle of law. The
people Of tho South, SO gricvously
oppressed aud tramplcd IN the dust
Of humiliation, made dcsparing ap-
peals for relief TO their brethren
Of tho North, whose liberties they
had helped to achieve and to whose
prosperity they had contributed; but
their appeals were scoHed ut as Gro
6e]lions" and "traitorous,' while
their opprcssors were hailed as loyal,
patriotic asd in every way worthy
Of confidence. aud a carte blanche
given them 10 continue their ncfar..
Gus operations ad lbitum. The re-
suit was as rapid as it was inevitable.
Half a decade suficed to reduce the
entire South to the verge of bank
ruptcy, and to drive thousands of
her people oppressed with intolcr-
able burdens into exile from their
homes. The operations of this same
party in the North, while not SO fla
GRAVITY corrupt nor SO dciantly sub
versivc of law, were none the less
dangerous to the Peace and prosper
ity Of the country. Capital every
where exalted itself; aud law-mak-
ers everywhere bowed before it, and
legislation became the unnatural i'll
strument of throwing the wealth OF
the country into \ few favored hands,
while the masses Of the people found
themselves daily more st~raitcncd
to procure BIS their labor even the
common necessaries of life. Such ali
accumulation of evils in both Sec
ti"ns Of the country might well alarm
the more able and patriotic leaders
ct the Radical party, as Greeley,
Sumner, Trumbuli, Schurz, Palmer
and others, and induce them to cry
out to their followers, "hold
euough!" But the movement inaug,
urated by their influence had passed
beyond their control, and in attempt
ing to arrest it they encountered
political destruction. The result o,
the Presidential election was an OPP.
aren't endorsement Of all the evils
We have indicated, MS we'll as an earn.
est Of their continuation, and nc
wonder the most sanguinc patriots
abandoned the last remnant o faith in
u system Of government aud rec
onciled themselves to tho despotiC
rule which, from the causes that
seemed to render it inevitable, up.
peared also desirable. But, with na-
tiOns us with individuals, it seems to
be true that when the prospect is
eloOmiest and destruction yawns
just ahead, affairs generally take a
favorable turn aud disappoint the ap-
prehensions of despair; which truth
our own experience il verifying.
People saw congress. rcasscmble
without a angle hope Of relief. 1t
wa expected that "our representa-
tives" would al usual ratify the
iuiquiiies of the past aud concoct
others for tho future with n harmony
broken only by tho feeble protest OF
ahsndfuil Of Democrats aud Liberal
Republicans. But tho session had
Acsrcely begun before q speck Of clear
SKY appeared in the way of a COM
'uitee to investigate certain grave
charges affecting the characters Of nu
Alsrous high officials. Itdid not prom.
Use much at first. The friends Of cor.
ruption laughed derisively. The cur
tsins Of secresy they thoughthad been