The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-02-02
TUESDAY. Frh5 =, 1870.
The Pcc.cn. and unc Past

From the G~r'CItsbOTO y O. NgE
North Stutc.l
The present political excitement
against Gen. Grant for preserving
the public peace, enforcing the law,
and securing a constitutional govern
ment to Louisiana, furnishes a strik-
ing parallel to the condition Of affairs
in ls6O-6I. When Stephen a.
Douglas, in his great Norfolk speech,
during The Presidential canvas in
1860, announced the doctrine Thar the
General Government was not only
empowered, but was bound 10 coercc
the citizens or q seeding State into
submission to national authority, he
was bitterly denounced by Demo-
cratic speakers and newspapers as the
advocate Of despOtism and the enemy
OF Republican institutions. The doc
trines of the secession Democracy
prevailed at the South in the election
of 1860, and in n short time State
after Stale attempted to sScede from
the Union, seized the forts and ar
senals, ana placed themselves in
armed hostility to the Government.
When President Lincoln endeavOred
to maintain the control of the Gov
eminent over its own property, the
flag of the country was not only fired
upon, but was shamefully trampled
in the dust. Lincoln was denounced
by Democrats North and South as
a worse tyrant than Cesar or
Charles l..
The same old Democratic speeches
and epithets that werc used against
President Lincoln are now used
against President Grant. We all re-
member the grand indignation meet
iugs that were held in every part of
the country TO assert the constitu-
tional rights of the States and libcr-
ties of the citizens that had been
trumpled upon. Similar Indignation
meetings are being now held, COM
posed of similar material, and we
hear some of the same eloquent ora
tors, or the younger disciples of
Yancey, Wigfall and jeff. Davis.
There il, however, one great differ
ence between the present and the
past. General Grant, the true friend,
able statesman and great soldier of
the Union, is at the head of the
Government i;stcnd of the timid,
vacillating and rebCl.sympathizing
p,,l,r,, FHl,n ,,,,tI, nT inpAl,
Is upon him, and the gallant soldiers
and patriotic people who saved the
Union from destruction will rally
around him. General Grant need
not take the field again at the head
of the Boys in Blue" to save the
nation from White Leaguers, Ku-
KluX aud political indignationists.
By his great moral power he can,
without shedding blood, enforce the
law, preserve the Constitution and
snip treason in the bud"
The Democratic indignation meet
ings certainly present n strange spec
tacle; and their speakers and news
papers seem to have but little respect
for the intelligence or confidence in
the memory of the American people.
They would have the people believe
that Confederate generals, Copper
heads and White Lelgucrs are the
peculiar friends and defenders OF the
Constitution; while Grant, Logan,
the gallant Sheridan and all those
noble Senators and Representatives
who stood by the Union in its days
of darkness and dangerrare now the
enemies and destroyers of American
liberty.
General Grant stands in the midst
of the political storm as severely con-
tident of the rectitude of his conduct,
and of the appreciation of q patriotic
people as he did when at the head of
his brave armies in the battles
around Richmond. Again will he
be triumphant and deserve end re-
ceive the gratitude and applause of
his law-abiding and Union-loving
c~ountrymen.