Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-24
The Blackening Cloud.
From the Milwaukee sentinel.l

Southerners that President Grant an
nounced that the United States mar
shals in the South should be protected
in the performance Of their duties and
the laws Of the United States enforced
if need be by the aid Of the army
The repeated outrages in the South
called loudly for some decisive course
and it has been taken. But now we
see IN Louisiana ominous signs Of civil
war. From telegraphic dispatch we
learn that three hundred Prussian RI
files at one time were received and dis
tributed among the members of the
| White League in New Orleans; also
that another Invoice are now lying un-
der the surveillance of the police on
board Of river steamer, and threats
are made that the White Leaguers will
forcibiy obtain possession of the arms
that are thus withheld from them.
light, and show the determined prepar-
ationS which are being made to defeat
the objects of the fourteenth and ff-
teenth amendments, and to virtually
place the state under white and the old
secession rule. In order to satisfy
ourselves Of the purposes OF the out
laws who are thus organizing for mis-
chief, We have but to glance over the
files Of such sheets as fhe Shreveport
La.) Times. That journal, in speak
ing OF the support which the United
States goTeruinenU proposes to give Its
officials, says; The lighting strength
OF 3UO, 900 white people inspired by a
love OF liberty ami justice, arossed to
anger by bitter wrongs, and goaded to
desperation by ruin and despotism, can
not be lnUlmldaCed by a few regiments
OF federal troops, nor whipped into
submission by the armed police and
cut-thrOats OF loathsome .usurper
trumpets are sounding III the. gloom. ."
This has lie regular ante-bellum tWang
about it, but If we want TO satisfy our
selves more tully OF the .animus OF the
party the same sheet represents, we
can refer to the folio owing from its mild
| columns ''N e are moved at the fate
which mas be1allen the carpet-baggers
OF Red River Parish about as we
would had they been rattIesnakes"
This certainly looks like old times,
when Yankees We're tarred and teath-
cred and the circulation of Northern
newspapers was suppressed by mob law
III the state, when WiIiIam Lloyd Gar
rson was dragged half naked through
the streets OF Boston by rope tied
round his waist for being AN Abolition
lst, and when Loyejoy was shot down
IN Illinois Tor the same grave crime.
And now, coupling the fact that the
White League and kindred organiza-
tlons are being increased and armed,
and that they are encouraged openly
III their course by sucn utterances from
the press as We have quoted above,
what conclusion are We forced to ar
rive at! We find the federal authori-
ty denied, their vested rights of suf-
trage, and are assured that this posi-
tlOn Is to be maintained by force OF
arms The numbering and plundering
of both white and black Republicans
are iudorsed, and reign of terror
inaugurated. Ii this condition of
affairs does not mean revolution, it
means nothing. 1t means that the
Constitution of the United States IS
detied. 1t matters not right here, who
is responsible. That carpet-baggers
and demagogues have placticed much
political corruption; that there has
been baliot-box stufing by both par
ties, and that there has been some Offl
cial stealing, all must acknowledge;
but when the national authority is re-
pddiated, we come right face to face
with question that is as plain as
black and white.
What are we going to do about it :?
We believe that. the subject is one
which can not be lodged. 1t must be
met fairly and squarely. We attribute
much of this increasing insubordina-
ton IN the South to the partial Demo-
cratic successes in the North last year
The Republican defeats in Wisconsin,
Ohio. Indiana and Connecticut were
taken as evidence that the strength Of
the administration was slipping away
from it, and the old cause Of state
rights was gaining ground. The cleo
ton of such men as Gov. Allen and
Senator Eaton might well give rise to
an opinion in minds only too ready to
receive it. This fall that opinion will
be either strengthened or weakened
! by the results Of the elections. If the
administration receives the firm
support Of the people, more will have
been done In the way of restoring
/ order than can be effected in a long
time by force of arms. 1t will show
the law-breakers that their hopes Of
successful revolution have been ground
less. The policy Of the government
has not, at any time, been rash one.
1t has been to move carefully, but
firmly and no one doubts the strength
Of purpose of the executive to carry
out whatever he determines to do, pro-
vided he has the legal power to do it.
The situation is certainly grave one,
and the people should be brought to a
full realization of it. By temporiz-
ing policy, such as Democratic Con-
gress would adopt, the troubles would
be increased md prolonged, uutil we
found ourselves standing on the brink
of another civil war. with the negro
still the cause of contention. An