The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-01-28

means Oy which he undertakes 10
change the political character ofSouth-
ern Legislatures would be equally ef-
fective in controlling the Southern
electoral colleges, aud he would seem
to be trying how far he may go in en-
ploying the army to Illustrate elections,
with view to future operations, when
all his hopes will be finally put at
stake. IN. Y. Herald.
After thePresident's special message
on Louisiana-a quilted patchwork
of retreat, resistance and protest hur-
riedly put together to conciliate Mr..
Fish and postpone Cabinet rupture
the Herald expressed the opinion
that our 'public liberties were in no
great danger" from the Executive, Be-
cause the President in this message
did not venture to describe the orders
under which the State House at New
Orleans was encompassed by Federal
troops and the members of the Legis-
lature arrested because he protested
that he knew nothing of the events of
that dreadful Monday till after they
had occurred, and because Sheridan s
"banditti" recommend alton = which
Belknap declared the President and
call of us" thoroughly approve-was
skipped over with the simple remark
that it "cannot be adopted" many per-
sons said the President quailed. Not
lie! His retreat was what military
men call 'sa feint." 1t had an object,
and the object was accomplished. 1t
was no secret that Mr.. Fish declared
he would not remain in An adminis-
tration which required or justified, in
time of peace, the military interference
by the army with a State Legislature,
or any civil department of the Gov
ernnent. He declared this freely to
the agents of the press, who asked to
know his purposes. And the Presi-
dent did thereupoH, of necessity, say
in his message:
Il am we'll aware that any military
interference by the officers or troops
of tho United States with the organi-
zation of a State Legislature or any of
its proceedings, or with any civil de-
partment of the government, is repug-
nant to our ideas of government. l
can conceive Ofno case not involving
rebellion or insurrection where such
interference byiauthority of the Gen
eral government ought to be permit
led or can be justified"
Declarations, like these, scattered
throughout the document, prevented
the threatened rapture in the Cabinet,
aud the peril to the Administrator
was thus over-passed. -H
But shortly after these apologetic
disclaimers came the affair of the Sher-
i'll at Vicksburg, and the President
was asked by Governor Ames for
soldiers to again Interfere with the
civil department of a State. Did he
hesitate? Not at all! Was there re-
bcllion or insurrectioD at Vicksburg?
Not particle of evidence of either.
And yet the President only few days
before had promised Congress, the
country and Mr.. Fish that he would,
in future, only use the army when one
or the other did exist.
The facts on which Governor Ames
applied for troops were not concealed
by him. They were these:
Crosby, a negro, elected to be Sher-
lit, would not file adequate bonds, as
the law required, aud therefore could
not legally enter upon or discharge
the duties of the Office. He finally re-
signed represented to the negroes
that he did so under intimidation, and
appealed to them to redress his wrongs
by force. After the resignation there
was new voting Flanagan was duly
elected, took legal possession of the
Office under tho election, aud was dis
charging its duties in peace and quiet.
A new term of the State Court was to
begin few days ago, and Governor
Ames telegraphed to the President
that he feared disturbance, and asked
for troops. These Grant quickly Or
dered Sheridan to supply, and, when
they arrived in Vicksburg, what were
they ordered to do? Not to suppress
rebellion, or Instruction, or domestic
violence, but with "fixed bayonets" to
expel Flanagan from office! And this
was done IN Mississippi, State as
much entitled to be free from such in
reference as is New York;
1t was Paul the apostle who said:
Sand whether one member suffer,
all tho members suffer with it." ai
This is just as true of each of the
States which make up this confeder-
alton of States which clasps us in the
dear name of country as it is in the
application which the great disciple
made. The brutal blows of military
violence struck by the President in
New Orleans and Vicksburg are felt
in every State, and shake the whole
bulwark of our system of liberties.
And, what is most alarming, the polit-
ical partisans of the President give
evidence that they intend to sustain
his acts, and not the doctrines an
nounced in his Message. That these
partisans do not comprise the whole
of the Republican party, we well
know. The contest in the Union
League Club attests that. But the Of
fice-holders do uphold the acts, as is
evident from the resolutions passed by
the Republican General Committee in
this city, and by the confession of the
Times that two-thirds OF the letters to
its editor even vindicate the "banditti"
of Sheridan.
"Public liberty" was never so much