The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-04-09
THE ARMY WORKING IN THE
TRACES OF PARTY.

ed and unprotected community: The IN
fictions from irresponsible and lawless
robbers is even more to be dreaded than
the invasions of a regular army. Free
hooters from Mexico, and bands OF bor>
der rufians and robbers are laying waste
the frontiers of Texas. Good citizens
are being made prisoners, subjected to
the vIlest treatment, and held, like sheep
in the shambles, to be liberated upon the
payment CT the outlaws price. U.
mails have been robbed, and her officials
murdered Whilst such scenes, DIS
graceful to our national reputation for
its imbecility in failing to protect Amer
lean citizens upon our own soil from
raiders and Mexican banditti, who over
run the country, plumber our people and
take them captives to be bruta!ly treated
and forcibly driven, like cattle, beyond
our boundaries, the question naturally
arises, How is our army employed? Let
Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and
other States reply. By the employment
of the army, popular 90 Vernment in
Louisiana has been subverted, and a
creature of Federal protection imposed
upon an unwilling people, Even the halls
of the State Legislature have been en-
entered By an armed soldiery in the
service of the Federal government, and,
under orders from headquarters, have
constituted themselves the judges of the
rights of members to seats in the peoples
legislature, and expelled a portion of
them, at the point Of the baYonet, from
the halls of legislation. Mr.. Grants
henchman performed this disgraceful
duty, for which he was so peculiarly
adapted, and aston ished the country by
an act which trampled the civil author
itY under the heels of the military pow
er, An:enormity which has no parallel
since the day when the soldiers of
Cromwell entered the British Parliament
and drove from their seats the members
of that body. The Louisiana triumph
and shame was done, however, in times
of profound peace, when the State gov
eminent, de tacto as well as de jlre, was
in successful and peaceful operation,
and, by United States officer and sOl~
diery, responsible to and under orders
of the President of the United States.
And since that State has been deprived
of popular liberty and local government
by him whose duty it was to protect,
and not destroy, Mr.. Grant electrifes
the American people by proclaiming
that, as soldiers are net lawyers, they
must be the judges of how to act IN such
emergencies Is madness and in
sensate folly holding high carnival in the
White House2 Has the man at the
helm gone clean daft.2 Are the rights
that lay at the very foundation of popu-
lar government to perish at the scott
of a military dictator, and vanr
ish at the glitter of the flashing bay
onets of an imperious and triumphing
soldiery Shall republicanism fade away
and become as a vision that has pas sed g,
that the political aspirations Of military
chief may be promoted and accomplished
Shall this government (Which for the last
Is years has been) continue to be run
in the interests Of political party,
and not in that of the people2 The Pres
ident overides the once sacred right of
local government in behalf of hims elf
and his party, and party serviGty and
=, tbo oivIa1 Of fraa
government, handed down to us by the
creators of both State and Federal gOv>
ernments has whitewashed by a restitution
of approval in the very halls of our na~
tionGl Legislature, an act striking at the
foundation of popular government, and
destructive of the Try groundwork and
first principles upon which our liber0
ties are based 1t is asking too much
of human credulity to propose that We
should think Congress would have us
believe they seriously were in ears
nest when they ATTEMPTED to cover
Mr. Grants despo act with the follow
ing shameful resolution
Rrsolred, That the action of the
President in protecting (God save the
MARKEDLY the government of Louis
lana, of which VIM. P. kellogg is the
executive, and the people of that State
against domestic violence, and in enforce
ing the laws of the United States in that
State is approved"
Bow down at the behest of party !
Let the cub be licked into shape but
beware lest party triumph oUer liberty I
Go read the warnings of Washington,
and at a more recent date, those Of
Andrew jackson against the violence Of
unhallowed and senseless party despot-
ism and the patriotic bosom will shudder
at the almost complete realization in
this, our day, of the fears that caused
their great hearts to tremble with soiici>
tude for the safety of the priceless herit-
age committed to our charge. Behold
the startling picture, and blush to own
that these despotic acts, done in dehanc e
of all the well settled principles of our
popular institutions, and the sacred