The Van Buren press., 1874-07-07
The State.
[Arkansas Grange, June 3Qth. !

So"'''e1" ~ VIC choiI " haiuldiu tu'
peoples supremacy, nor do we desire tt
sit upon the judgment seat to condemn
any, who may have participated in th,
late revolutionary acts, but without th
least partizan zeal, we view our presen
status as happy terminus of the troub
les, by which we were SO lately surround
ed. We who look to the material devel
opment Of our country had in forme
years to bear, with patient endurance
the oppression, that rested so heavil.
upon our devoted State In travelling
through the State, We were every wher'
met with the exclamation: "When viii
these things end p "When will oppres
sion cease ?" "When will We cease tC
be ground between the upper and neither
millstones ?" "Oh for Moses to lead
US out Of our bondage7" When we tried
to induce the emigraut to bend his
course hitherward, we were met with the
reply: "What inducement can you Of
fer? "To be sure you have fine
country rich lands; good water power
unlimited mineral resources; your State
is intersected with many fine navigable
streams Railroad facilities are good and
becoming better; but sir, your govern
ment is simply unendurable. ," :" No
State in the Union has worse govern.
ment; and your taxes are so high, they
would consume all our substance. F"
Can you expect, us to locate in State
in which we would simply work to fatten
office holders ?" "No, sir; we cannot
locate where the people are so OPP
pressed. "We may sympathize with
them and desire to alleviate their suffer
ing, but we cannot share it with them
awe must therefore pass by your other
wise tempting prospects, and find land
of better promise. " And, to such utter
ances We could make no reply, but could
only hang our heads in very shame to
feel that we lived in the midst Of Re.
publican land; under the broad panoply
of the American flag, and had to suffer
from the verest tyranny that ever cursed
Morocco. But thank God, we no longer
suffer thus. The motto Of our State
Regnant Populi--is about to be realized.
Our disordered state of public affairs is
about to be referred back to the people
for correction; a constitutional conven
ton has been called to meet on the l4th
of July, and the people will then be per-
mitted to correct the evils that so long
threatened our ruin.
No longer will the tide Of emigration
flow across our borders to Texas, and
other more fortunate States, hut We may
now expect to fill up our fertile valleys
with the Industrious immigrants, and
open up the hidden treasures which our
hitherto neglected resources afford; yes,
the people may congratulate themselves,
not at Gov. Baxtcr's success, but that,
in his success, right has triumphed. This
is no time to indulge in reasoning, based
upon mere technicalities it is no time,
to return to the endurance Of a hundred
wrongs, that one single act of justice
may be done. We care not what may
have been our impressions as to the con
test for the gubernatorial chair. We care
not however just some may have thought
the claims of Mr.. Brooks, if, to seat him,
meant the peoples degradation or op
preston, wrongs worse more lasting /;
injustice more uncomfortable would have
been perpetrated than the denial OF the
claims of thousand Brookses. There
fore, even were we to admit the justice
of Mr.. Brooks claim, would it be right
to perpetrate a thousand wrongs upon
the rights of the people, that only one
good action might be accomplished,
Brooks success, as we view it. and have
the best reasons to believe, would simply
have been handing us back to the tender
mercies of our former oppressors. MIR,
Brooks would not have been seated
through the will of the people, but
through the influence of our oppressors,
and he would therefore necessarily be
subject to their control, whether he so
desired or not. Let those good citizens,
who sided with Mr.. Brooks, view the
matter in this light, and they must ae
knowledge that it is better as it is. The
Bible teaches that we must not do evl
that good may come of it. Ruin stare'
us in the face, and must we embrace i
that Mr.. Brooks may be accommodated
We are no partizans, but are simply
seeking the material development Of ou'
State, and in doing this, there is but one
course to pursue see to it that the rights
of the people are guaranteed.