The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-23

idea of civil and political equality for all.
Persistent and determined efforts are made
by our opponents to create public opinion at
the North that the republicans at the South are
but horde OF robbers and plunderers, and
that the removal Of the control OF the States
to the old citizens will insure honest admins
trstion, prosperity and peace. We find our
selves persistently maligned through press
mainly owned by men who led the South into
rebellion. while the Associated Press agents
are known to be hostile to US. Failures and
extravagances in State financial affairs, even
corruptions Of insignificant amounts, when
compared with many notable instances in 9th
or sections, are magnifed and acclaimed
against as utter profligacy in the Republican
party, while like occurrences OF quite equal
magnitude, happening under Democratic
rule, are scarcely noticed and rarely exposed.
Crime, outlawry, and violence sre represented
as peculiarly pertaining to Radical rule. The
cry goes out that all Republican officials are
wanting in capacity and integrity, and the
continued lament of prescription against the
old inhabitants is but an excuse and subter-
fuge to conceal the real objects in view.
Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia are Differed
in every department by members OF the DEM
ocratc party. In Tennessee and Kentucky
the Same lawlessness exists, though the ex-
cuses are gone. The war Of class is cohtin-
ued persistenly in those States controlled
absolutely by the Democracy as it is in those
States the Republican party yet have control
Of, and throughout nearly all the recon-
structed States the power OF the Federal gov
enment is invoked to secure tranquility and
protect life.
The laws Of the States designed for the
protection OF life and property are not en-
forced with certainty, and in cases where
they are violated by members of the Demo-
cratic party for political purposes they are
violated with impunty. Congressional in
aat has m ba or
secret oath-bound organizations exist
throughout the Southern States that their
object is by force and violence to prevent the
newly enfranchised race from exercising the
right of suffrage, and thus to deprive them OF
political power; that in the execution
OF their design, the members of these
secret organizations have committed crimes
without number OF nature calculated to in
timdate and terrify; thai they are as free
from fear OF punishment, or cause to fear by
the enforcement OF the laws of tue States in
which the offenses were committed, as though
they were wholly guiltless 30 prevalent and
powerful is the sympathy for those who COM
NIT these acts that before it the law is insig-
niticant and powerless. In the rarest in
stances has grand jury preferred bill of
indictment against any or the perpetrators of
these crimes, and in no instance that has
come to our knowledge has petit jury been
found TO return verdict Of guilty against the
cruel murder, when committed upon the per-
son Of Republican for political reasons. In
this country the law IL sustained by public
opinion and public opinion is stronger than
the law. Our fathers, in the formation of our
system of government, never realized that
the day would come when the lives Of Amer-
can citizens could be taken unlawfully and in
great numbers, and no witness to such deeds
could be found to prefer a complaint to the
Sheriff to execute q warrant. and no senti-
ment in the community sufficiently strong to
secure condemnation of the offense, or the
punishment of the offenders. Yet this is the
case in Southern States to-day. powerful
press preserves silence as to the offense, or
persstentiy misrepresents the circumstances
under which it was committed or where con-
cealment is no longer possible, boldly defends
the act Of the criminal. The character of the
dead victim Is maligned, and deed OF blood,
horrible in it's details, is exalted into an act
of patriotism. Where under the laws of the
general government the United States courts
have jurisdiction of the offense, and succeed
i'll arraigning the criminal, the more talented
and influential members of the legal profess
sion hasten TO volunteer their services in his
defense, and where bail is required for the
appearance of the offender the wealthy men,
bers OF the community eagerly place their
names upon the bond Upon the trial it is
simply impossible to secure fairly, and
in the manner prescribed by law, twelve men
who will decide impartially between the gov
eminent and the accused, and render verdict
in accordance with the law and the evidence.
Those men who have sworn to murder them,
commanded by their secret organization, and
who were perhaps accessory to the commission
of the offense, readily appear upon the wit
ness stand to prove that the prisoner was en-
gagged in innocent occupation far from the
place where the crime was committed. All
the influence and power Of the Democratic
party are exerted in the defense Of the ac-
cused. and he may well view with indifference
the efforts of those whose duty it is to secure
the infection of the penalty for the violation
of the law. Tie criminal offenses over which
the United States courts have jurisdiction are
limited in their number, and the only restraint
upon commission OF crimes of the nature in
dicated exercised by the Federal courts
springs in most cases from the annoyance and
expense of undergoing a form OF trial, and
not from the fear of conviction or it's results.
IL in rare instance a conviction should be
had, the criminal, however heinous might be
his offense however much in violation of the
laws OF his country and of God, would find
| sympathy, and comfort, and support from the
members Of that party in whose cause he was
| required to suffer with no sense Of disgrace,
no feeling of remorse, but with mind imbued
with the teachings of his Democratic leaders
| he would endure the penalty for his odonse
| with the pride OF a patriot and the fortltude
of martyr. Allegiance and protection should
| go together. Ii the paramount allegiance OF
the citizen is due to the general government,
| it should, in return for this eXacuon, assume
| the burden OF his protection, instead of in
| trusting the matter to another power to whom
a secondary allegiance is due, and from whose
neglect or persecution there is no appeal. Ii
| the Constitution of the United States war
rants it. it ought to be made just az much a
crime to murder citizen OF the United States
| as it is to murder citizen OF State
When public sentiment approves and
| indorses tho assassination OF proml-
nent Republicans, as is the case in
most of tho Southern States to-day, the
| State courts have no terrors to evil-doers
| for men are never convicted Of crime where
the act Of an assassin is spplauded and re-
| garded as the performance Of a duty to the
State. Ii, however, evil-doers are given tC
understand that the matter does not end Will
| a verdict Of acquittal in the State court, anC
| that there is a tribunal clothed with power
| not only to review the facts and the law, bu
| to prosecute a murderer for the distinct Grim,
| Of numbering citizen Of the United States
| the spectacle annually presented OF UniteI
States troops ordered into the different South
ern States to prevent wholesale murder an,
violence would never again be witnessed. Tn
fact that the general government has to sent
troops into the Southern States to protect on
class OF persons from the violence of another
year after year, shows a defect in existing
legislation and the necessity Of tribuna
clothed with power to visit punishment upol
offenders that cannot and will not be inflicte,
in the State courts. The presence of troop
haa had as,xt. al,