The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-03-17

WEDNESDAY. MARCH II, 1875.


otats Rights and Wrongs.
While the late attempt to dis
member the Union was in progress.
all viii remember with what zeal
and confidence the religious demon
nations of the Northern States
hoped, prayed and labored for the
success of the Union cause. Not
for one moment did they cease their
efforts; never, for an hour did they
fail to hold up and cheer those who
had gone forth to battle for their
country, and we have sometimes
thought that the prayers Of those at
home ascending, as they did to the
Most High, at every hour of the day
and night, during the four years
and . half of terrible war-of suf-
fering, disease and death, which
swept over the land, was q more
effective weapon than any other
employed during hegloomy period.
It would be an invidious compar-
ison, when all stood so nobly by
the country in its hour of peril to
say that this OF that denomination
was more true to the Union than
the other. Disloyal men belonged
to all the religious denominations,
but the heart of the great body of
them oil were true to the cause of
truth, freedom and right.
Now, that there are again omin
GUS signs of new war; that the
old spirit of disloyalty and disunion
is again lifting its ugly head in the
land, we find that nearly every re
igious publication in the country is
sounding q timely note of warning,
and pointing out the fact that there
is still rebellious sentiment in the
land that is yet determined to
break up the Union if in it's power.
We have been led into making these
remarks by the brave and manly
words of the Methodist Recorder,
paper published in Atlanta, the cap
ital of the Stae of Georgia-that
are so nearly to the point; so full
of wisdom. and withal, coming from
such q locality-that we re produce
them entire, believing that major
ity of the readers of the Indianian
will thank US for so doing. The
Recorder says:
cit has never been settled how
great wrongs State may inflict on
ats own citizens before the rights of
the others will be infringed or the
General Government have a right
to interfere, or indeed whether it
would ever have right to interfere
to save tho citizen in his rights or
protect other States in their inter-
ests. It is this question, in one
form and another, which is now
crowding the porches Of the near
future for decision.
This is the shield which the
White Leaguers of Louisiana hold
out to ward off Federal interference.
Louisiana is q sovereign State
we are told. land has a right to
organize her Legislature just as
she chooses" In other words, the
claim is put up, and it is no new
one-that SO long as the govern
ment of State is republican in
form"-its acts within its own
borders and affecting it's own cit
liens, cannot be questioned or
contravened by Federal authority,
however fagrantly oppressive to
its citizens. >sThe Louisiana bust
ness" as it is called, is valuable as
the first outcroping of the doctrine
of State rights in our politics since
the days of reconstruction. It will
settle no questions. It will have in
itself no influence on the future of
the government. It is simply a
forerunner of revolution not sec
ond in Importance to that which
we have witnessed, and, in all prob
ability, not less sanguinary in its
character. The events of which
New Orleans has been the theater,
are to this mighty revolution to
which we are fastening what the
killing of Lovejoy, the recaptur of
Burns, the bloodshed of Kansas,
and the raid of John Brown, were
to the conflict which eliminated in
the rebellion--which slavery inau-
gurated for it's own perpetuation,
and the continuance of its power.
Not until the life of the nation WAS
attacked could the people of the
nation be made to believe in it's
danger-aggressions upon other
States-the denial of the most
sacred rights to citizens. insults to
the national flag, armed resistance
to the will of the nation, were to
be borne and condoned Year
after year, at the crack of the slave
holders whip, the North threw
herself on her knees and begged for
the continuance of the government
They would yield anything if the
imperial minded power which ruled |
the South would only let the ma
ton live. They would shut their
eyes to the future; they would |
forget the slave al the risk of being
forgotten by Him who
is always just before He is merciful; !
they would admit the doctrine of
State rights in all but its ultimate
the right to establish in
dependent nationalities. They |
would do anything that was de- |
manded of them if they would let
the Union stand. The people met
and passed resolutions, as they have
lately done, the press grew frantic
with patriotic rage, legislatures
thundered, the pulpit anathema
tized with unsparing maGgnity all
who deinurred to these concessions.