Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-07-03

arOu~ Fhtments and tanatl-
cal PASSIONS e out the object of
its creation, that it tore into tatters and
trampled under foot, during the frenzied
hours of the civil war, the Constitution of
the Union and the rights guaranteed to
all under that sacred instrument, and
shook the temple of republican liberty to
its foundation. In 1865, the war was over
and it would have been well for the
present and future generations if this party,
.'battle born and blood sealed" had passed
from the political arena and handed the
government over to another not nurtured
amid such stormy elements. But no. in
fuenced by victory and uncontrolled Ii
cense, it had acquired pride and inso-
lence which made it believe that place and
power were its natural prerogatives. Its
had successfully carried it through the
civil war for the wisdom of craftsmanship.
And then whilst with one hand tanning
the embers of civil and sectional discord,
which should have been smothered by am
nesty, with the other they drew up those
Ubiquitous and oppressive measures known
as the Reconstruction and Enforcement
acts. The result Of these We all know
Instead of strengthening the bonds of
union, the only effect was to further de-
grade the intelligent whites of the South
by elevating the brutal and ignorant slave
to the seat of the master. Thievery, rob,
berry and anarchy followed as matter of
course. The helpless and conquered
whites heroically struggled against their
hard lot, hoping almost against hope
Time rolls along. There being no longer
anything for them to feed upon, the angry
passions of the masses ofthe victorious par
ty are dissipated, and it is then discovered
that the government has been swept along
by the mad current to the verge of bank
ruptcy and ruin. Men, who a few days
before, revealing in wealth, boosted, like
Gov. Cook of Washington, that it trou-
bled them to spend one-tenth of their in
come, suddenly found their money turned
into rags and themselves bankrupt Panic
seized upon all-business came to stand
still. All was doubt and uncertainty. No
man knew what the morrow would bring
forth. The capitalist boarded his money
and the unemployed mechanic grimly
stared starvation in the face. This was
the condition of the country when the
forty-third Congress met. 1t met as its
predecessors had for the last thirteen
years, with an overwhelming majority of
the Radical party in both Houses, and
the government in all its branches COM
posed of members of the same party, and
with small but intelligent band of Dem
ecrats in the opposition-so small indeed
as to be powerless to prevent vicious leg
islation, except by awaiting of some tech
meal parliamentary rule. Therefore, the
responsibility of the Radical leaders and
their party cannot be evaded IN this con-
nection. Has the party met the response
bility which was thus on it? We have
shown that the stormy school in which
these leaders were educated was not cal
culated for the cultivation Of prudent
craftsmanship, and the history of the Con-
gress, which has just adjourned its first
session. shows that with the long years OF
power those leaders of the party have not
risen above the circumstances which gave
;. it birth and are utterly unable to cope
kth the exigencies of the present. For
nst time in its history it was called
nlegislate on questions of practical
kati0p, which had heretofore been
euse of legislation inciden-
= he result before the
instance the two
should and did
Jon of Congress
1t was tinker
nd all the time
altering and
eaiference
r., iaNl1l