Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-12-03

| Near Leonardtown, Nov. 81 1874.
Mesrs. Editors II notice two COM
munications IN the last BEkccx, one
from DR.. Abel, addressed to. Mr.. Har-
ms, and another over the signature Of
Mr.. Jno. N. Graves. Iwill not attempt
to criticise the former, for I feel could
not do so without marring the fair pro-
portions of a noble production. I can
only say that !. have no doubt it meets
with q responsive echo from the heart
OF every honest and true patriot who re-
veres his country. It Is with the latter
communication that take issue. Mr..
Graves tells us in the beginning that he
addresses himself primarily to the Re-
publican party, because I (he) believes
that party constitutes the majority Of
the laboring men of this county," &C.,
&c. Now, we all know what class of
men constitute the Republican party IN
this county-we know that it is COM
posed principally of negroes, and that
few white men belongtoit. Consequent
y it is principally the negro that, i 4
view, constitutes the la65ring men q
this county, and these, therefore, are
the kind of men che is endeavoring to
elevate to degree second to none in
the country"
He tells us further on ''that this ia
the party (meaning the democratic) to
which we might attribute all the hor.
rors of civil war;" &c, &c. 'The pri-
vations that have been borne and are now
suffered in the South" &c. "That kept
four millions of slaves in bondage" &c.
Now, as to which party was responsible
for the war is a disputed question, the
merits Ct which would involve lengthy
discussion. 1t is sufficient for the pres
ent to state, that the democrats exhaus-
ted every means to prevent rupture,
and it was only when the republicans
had refused all guarantees for an equal
ity of rights in the Union that the peo-
pie of the South resorted to separation.
But as to the responsibility for the suf-
ferings in the South since the war there
can be no question. All know that the
republican party have held the reins of
government since the war-that thew
are responsible for all the illegal and
tyrannical acts which have been visited
upon the Southern people, including that
greatest of denominations, the investing
with the elective franchise of four mil
lions of ignorant negroes, which has re-
suited in placing several of the South
ern States under their control, and pla-
cling them and the carpet-baggers to
rule over the intelligent whites, which
misrule has resulted in the destruction
and bankruptcy of large part of the
most beautiful portion of the country.
But does Mr.. Graves attempt to hold
the whole democratic pad y of tkeeN
try responsible for the Institution of
slavery, and gratuitously charge them
with wishing to get possession of the
government for the purpose of voting
themselves mpensation for their slaves:
Did not the democratic party of the
North fight as hard against the South
and perhaps furnish as many men to
maintain the Union as the republicans?
And is it not the great democratic par
ty of the North that have now wrested
the control of the country from the
hlnds of the INSCRIPTIONS party who
have been assembling ut Washington
who have been misgoverning and OPP
pressing tie people of the country with
unjust laws and unconstitutional Con-
stitutional Amendments-the republi-
canparty who have been robbing the
people of their substance by robberies
and high tariffs-oppressing the poor
just man by requiring him to ley near
lv double price for many of the neces-
saries of life by means of those tariffs
excluding foreign productions and for
eign competition with our own manu-
facturers, which tariff, though it placed
little or nothing in the National Treas
ury, Vet enabled our manufacturers to
run up their prices and still undersell
the foreignerand thus exclude him from
the market, SO that they might pocket
the difference i'll price and become mil
lionaires -: How, then, can the demo-
cratic party he charged with RESPONSE
bility for the institution of slavery or
with advocating or favoring legislation
inimical to the interests of the labor
lag man? The democratic party are
now and ever have been the friend of
the poor and laboring man. Do they
not now war against and oppose those
measures of the Republican party which
Cypress the laborer and consumer p
Are they not opposed to high tariffs !:
Are they not opposed to millions of
government bonds in the hands of the
rich being exempt from taxation. and
which receive interest in gold at the
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