The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-24
Our New York Letter.
The Gag Law necision-The Adminisira-
tiOn's Southern POIIey-Dnnsers of the
Suspension of the Writ Habeas Corpus.
NEW YORK. Feb. %.

The Judiciary Committee of the United
States Senate lave made decisive puncture
of the 'gag law" bubble. One can imagine
the quiet amusement those gentlemen, Demo-
Gratis as well as Republicans, have derived from
seeing and hearing such haloo, all over the
country for eight mortal months, about an
amendment TO the statutes which had not the
slightest applicability to the offense of libel.
That so many newspapers were taken in by it
is curious enough, but that members of Con-
gress, themselves lawyers, should have been
gammoned into defamation against it, and
into pledges to move or vote for its repeal, is
indeed laughabe. OF course nobody will have
the effrontery to dispute the correctness of an
opinion which is concurred in by such othodox
Democrats as Mr.. Thurman and Mr.. Steven
son, although it puts some of the members of
the lower House in ridiculous position. The
journals which have been loudest in their de-
nunciation of an imaginary law maintain thus
far discreet silence in respect of this ex cathe-
dra Interpretation OF the actual measure. 1t
is rather embarrassing even to an anti-admin-
istration organ, to be obliged to annul one OF
the counts of its Indictment against the domi-
nant party. 1t is altogether too much to ex-
pect a confession that the indignant diatribes
which have been hurled against this perfectly
innocent amendment, were the merest clap
trap and demagogism.
But the gentlemen. who control the ''palladi-
um'' seem to think that the popular appetite
for unmitigabe nonsense can never be satiated.
Ever since the phantasm of Casarism was put
to such effective use by the leading guide of
the American press, there seems to have been
a rivalry between our metropolitan publicists
in the business of setting and keeping afioat
the most absurd topics. The originator of this
style of Elusive literature, however, still keeps
ahead of all competitors. The proposition that
the President should resign, is such arrant
drivel THAT it can hardly be possible to in
vent more whimsical theme of discus
sion, and I fancy there will be no lower
depth of bosh attainable. The trouble with
these toy shop weapons ct opposition war
fare is that they are sure to explode before
they have done any great harm. The fuss
about the gag law had an immense run coDsid-
ering that there wasn't the slightest atom of
specific gravity in it, but as an electioneering
cry it is worse than useless now. The third
term" chatter did duty great deal longer than
anybody who had reasonable faith in the intel
ligence of the age, had any warrant for expect
ing, but it must soon take its place among the
collapsed extrayagat:ons of the period. Some
new and original bagatelle may fret its hour up
on the political stage, but the chances are that
public patience will tire of such a surfeit of
trash, and demand more wholesome and in
vigorating regime. There are subjects enough
to elicit and demand sober and elaborate dis
QUESTION by the ablest thinkers in the Repub-
lic In fact there never was time, when the
questions of revenue, finance and reconstruc-
ton assumed graver Importance than now
A wrong disposition of them will inevitably en-
tail ser ous misfortune upon the whole nation.
Delay in dealing with them is dangerous to the
advancement and prosperity of all classes and
all sections.
But these matters do not admit of any parti
san treatment. There are really no distinct
lines of division between the two parties which
contend for the mastery. There is just as wide
a difference of opinion among Democrats as
among Republicans as to the best mode of OBJ
tanning the best means of carrying on the gov
ernment and the most feasible method of reg
ulating the currency. Consequently the outs
have been driven into taking their stand in ia
vor of surrenderng the exclusive control of
southern affairs to the white citizens of that
part CT the union. Thus we are threatened
with war of races. Sectionalism in its worst
form is to be revived in spite of all the warn
ngs of the past, of the fatal tendencies of such
narrow and mischievous issue. The policy
of agitation, of disturbance, of discomfort, is
initiated southwark and encouraged elsewhere
for the purpose of keeping the political caul-
dron hot. Every effort is to be made TO dis
seminate the idea that the Republican party
wishes to keep the states lately in rebellion un-
der kind of vassalage.
Now all this is wilful misre presentation con-
ceved in dishonest motives and pursued with
an utter disregard of fairness and reason. Be-
yond respect for and determination to main
tain the equal rights of the blacks, the admin
istration has evinced no disposition to meddle
with the affairs of any southern state. To
defend the colored citizens in their personal
liberties and the flee exercise of the franchise
was duty which could not be neglected with
cut absolute perfidy. And at that point fed
eral interference has reached it's legitimate
limit. Nevertheless, it is easy to see the drift
of the opposition 1t seeks to arouse the ami
mositiesl anu influence the passions of the
Southern people by appeals to their preudices
of race, and to unity them in hostility to the
administration by representing it as adverse to
their interests.
This arraying of sections against each other
cannot be too strongly reprobated. Any mere
party triumph achieved by such means ought
to be temporary and unsubstantial, and must
be indeed, for the good sense of the American
people will soon lead them TO reflect that the
union must be one in fact and not simply in
name We have had painful experiences of
the evils of the concentration of power with
in certain geographical divisions. A combined
minority held absolute sway for many years
prior TO 1860, and exercised it so arbitrarily
that consequences resulted which one cannot
contemplate even after this lapse of time with
out shudder. Andrew johnson predicted a
war of races uine years ago, and has done all
that laid in his power ever since to make that
prophecy fact. III the men who are now ex.
uiting over his restoration to the Senate should
succeed in securing ascendancy in national
affairs, we shall drift back again into the pitt
able condition of things which we witnessed
when the South bullied and the North crnged,
till the manhood of the country asserted itself
against the dictatorial spirit of the one, and
the subservient humility of the other.
1t is neither matter of surprise nor regret
that the intmation of a purpose to suspend the
wit Of habeas corpeas in time of peace has
called forth earnest remonstrance from emil
nent Republicans. 1t must be an overwhelming
emergency that can make so desperate remedy
tolerabe. have entire faith in the justice,
moderation and wisdom of President Grant,
but there is danger in the precedent which
such measure would establish. L would ra-
ther take some risk of turbulence in dsorderly
localities than to assent to a law, which car
res with it the slightest possibility of infracton
of the personal liberty, of the humblsst citizen
in the land. Civil rights, are not for the
blacks alone, but for the whites as we'll, not for
the few but for all. When they are in jeopardy
it is perfectly proper to fortify them with guar
antees; but the peril must be imminent which
can Justify their surrender or abridgment
have no doubt whatever, but that it is the de.
liberate plan of the Democracy to strengthen
themselves for the next Presidential campaign
by stirring up strife in the South. We have
seen what they have done and are doing in
Louisiana. The same agitation, if left un-
oh tya1 xui1t hn caf foof ole