The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-11-12
our Southern Poland.

he feco9nized as true In every word
and sentence. The onIrages therein
hAnouneed ought to be sufficient to
aceonnt for the overthrow the party
guilty of their perpetratioH, and have
doubtless had much TO de in bring
ing about that result:
The name of Poland has been for
years the synonym for oppression the
world over. To the remotest borders
OF the earth the story of Polande
wrongs and suneFinss has borne its
burden of sorrow. From the unut-
terable barbarities of Catharine of
Russia when the national Dame was
blotted from the roll of nations to the
inhunlan butcherics OF ifs last sup
preston, that unhappy country has
been, by terms, the prey Of despotism,
of anarchy, of rapine and murder.
Hamanity ashudders at 'contefnpla-
ton of the terrible snfferings of a
people whose great crime was their
aspiration to be free. eas. 4fF
Behold the Southern States under
the protection shield of fself-goEeFn-
Fment, 4 condition more appalling and
more terrible. Murder aud death end
ed the sufferings of the gallant Poles.
The people of the Southern States
Fare suffering ayIiving death. No hh-
man language can exaggerate the
description. 1t beggars words. Ap-
,proach, the subject, diyested of ali1po-
itIitical prejudice, and il presents n pic
hfure of hopeless despair. 1t has al
ready touched, withsits sorrow, every
patriotic heart in the land. The. jour
mails of the highest character, represen-
Ting the Republican party, notably the
New York Times, are casting their
powerful influence in behalf of the
oppressed people. The details pub
lished in the above mentioned jour-
nal of Southern crueIties are hof-
ribIe. 49,, &,
The civil powers, laws, courts, jn-
rles, judges aud other officers have
been subordinate to partial law. In
every county and city and village
throughout Alabama, Louis4na, South
Carolina. and Georgia, a military
satrap oVer.awes the people and rules
with a rod of iron. There is no ap-
peal against Injustice The people
are neither. safe in their persons
houses, papers, aud effects against un-
reasonable searches and seizures! War
rants of arrest are issued unsupported
by oath or afirmation, and without
even probable cause. Citizens are de-
.priVed ;ofliberty and property with
out due process of law. Excessive
bail il required, excessive fines fmpos-
ed, and cruel aud unusual punishment
Indicted. A scene of Wide-SpEead
disorder exists. s.i L5a .siai,sais
L States are in the hands of rebberl
and susurpers, society disorganized By
banditti, public credit destroyed, the
fields of agriculture which should now
contribute their wealth of cotton tc
the prosperity of the country laid
waste, labor 10 oppressed ana the
march of civilization itaeIf turned bach
onl the downward step to ruin. The
horfible. and frightful details cannot
I-alf be given. Homes have no longer
sanctity. Neither the rich. MANI
palace nor, the, poor mans cottage. es'
cape the general ruin Women and
children are driven from home and
treated with merciless brutality.
y How long, how long il the country
Ito. suffer-? More than two 'hundref
millions, of dollars have been ,stoleI
from these poor5peopie. The cry il
still for vengeance The world stand,
aghast at such scenes in . free conn
Etry,s Tyranny points its fingers in de
risonv at our boasted land of liberty
and triumphantly asks ifhillis be lib
erty and self-government in the South
how long VIII it be before the Nortl
mag succumb 7a r1o sid s4t,a
- Far better for the United States
that the party Shibboleth should b,
treason and punished with death Lib
erty and mortality, and national.pros
perity are infinitely above all party
schemes and objects. Parties and poll
tics are becoming the death1y bane o
Ina Institutions, absorbing all thu
moral sentiments, blunting the con
seieuces and destroying the sensibiIi
ties OF the people. The clash of arrni
lis no longer heard, but no olive brancl
is offered to a stricken people. Pul
pits resould With the story OF Divine
love, but vengeaHce and hatred stalk
through the ruins of q once majestic
country. The piteous plea for peac,
trenlbles ON the air, and yet political
demagogues spurR itih a mad ;strug,
gle TO secure the triumph OF corrup!
tioH.s i.@ i'.7. '3A
There is no danger of smother civil
war. Slavery will never again pol
lutte the land with its touch. States
will no more be at war with State,
unless in far distant future still
greater, calamity than that Of the pas
is in store for the country But op
preston and wrong must sometimes
bring their own punishment. Ills as
true in the political as in the mora
world, that there can be no nopfosperitJ
f9anded on injustice and reared or
violation of Gods commandments Il
mankind" ~ 99aaoHo1si o'tw ,2b1i
fud f4tL--L- ------.--oSo-la4--- llLli sIgal
INsthenegotiatiola which prsceede cd
the surrender at Appomattox Gram
urged Lee to lay down his arms tt
the end that peace might be restored
and useless sacrifice of lite avoided
The desire for peace was the burdeI
of Grants demand, and he assHfed
Lee that real peace could be purchas