The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-01-10
Cromwell III.


Legislature, last Monday, by the United
States soldiery will always rank in
history as an event OF almost equal CRAWL
ty, though not of the same character, as
the Declaration of the Independence itself.
The 4th of July 1776 was the birth day of
great Republic the 4th of January 1875
marked crisis which must decide the ques
tion of it's continued existence.
A Legislature which is not independent
of the military m is mere parody.
A Legislature which is controlled, do
minated, dispersed, created, by the army
is an agent of the army, not of the people.
The pretense that such concern is not
q military government but popular one,
just because the General in command calls
ita legislature, is not only an abuse of
words it is a contemptuous mockery of
common sense A child of ten years can
easily see that a>government is character
ICED not by a fiimsy veil of phraseology
thrown around\it, but by the source where
its power originates. If from the people,
it is popular if from the army, ir is mill
tary.
The army is sometimes mere agent of
the people, and may be sent by them to
destroy treason and sustain republicansm.
The people may even send it to interfere
with the sacred popular rights of locality.
In such cases the Interference is indeed
despotic, but it is still popular, and not
military, in it's impelling power. When,
however, the army receives its impulsion
from the mere will of it's Commanders in
chef, its whole actionis essentially military.
But suppose that Commander in. chief to
be at the same time civil President and
servant of the people, what then is the &C
tion of the army,-popalar or military in
it's origin and meanipgf
In the Louisiana case, there ia not one
white man in the United States, as
we believe, who thinks that the popular
will of the country at large demanded, OF
justifies, the position assumed by Grant
and communicated by him to the army
1t is not in any sense as servant or repre-
sentative of the people that he has acted
it was simply of his own volition as Com
mander-in chief. His motive was al
strictly personal as that of Cromwell in
dissolving the Rump Parliament. The
impulsion, the action, the influence of the
army was, therefore, purely military, il
its interference with our Legislature, ant
the government which resulted was at tn,
time, and has since remained, purely mill
tary.
Will the people of this country submit t,
a precedent so utterly at war with thei
principles, their affections, their sympa
thies and their history Are they tired O
self government, and have they concluded
to try a military despotem They Ger
tanly do not dream that Sheridans schem,
of dragon government can be applied t.
Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, ans
stop there. Make the President sole ar
, ture in each State, ard it would soon b
Grant Legislatures, only, which would b
backed up by government bayonets. Tbel
Brigadier General on the floor of Con
gress, with file of soldiers at his back
and that body would belong to Grant a
completely as the Roman Senate belonge,
to Nero.
But the people of this country do not de
sire military government. They are no
| lHCiiucu W 10 plOiOSSAOnot eohUicie, IhOuS
apt pupils in the art, as volunteers, wheI
occasion offers. Their President ought t,
be a representative man, not one who's
whole life, whose every aspiration, senti
ment and instinct is military. The PEG
pie in the excess of their warlike passions
arising from a great recent conflict, mad
grievons mistake in committing the chic
magistracy into the hands of a mere sol
der. If they get safely out of this danger
they will not be likely to trust another sol
der again in hurry, unless it be volun
teer like themselves.
Tho cI,+on, of Sho,yt,v