The Van Buren press., 1875-02-02
NO. Al

weakness against the oppression which
thcy inflicted upon us in the days OF their
power. Peace will come, too, sectional
strife will be ended. and the public rob-
bels, who now swarm the Southern
States. will cease their neiarious occupa-
ton when we revoke the license which
the appropriate legislation Of the last
nine years has given them.
But we cannot reasonably hope to &C
complsh the object Of our mission with
out much labor and faithful exc: ton AZ
ter the machinery Of the government
shall be put into our hands Fifteen
years Of domination by an anti constitu-
tional party, has utterly demoralizcd
every branch of the public service. These
corruptions have become so numerous
and so diversified, have set down their
tops roots so deeply, have been practiced
so openly, and have become in certain
sense so respectable. that for many ef
them mere chanaE1of administration
wflno speedily fuF&Ar a remedy. But
The abuses may he e7sfed By the inpul-
sion Of the same moral force which car
ries their authors out OF public life.
When Hercules undertook the task OF
cleaning the Augean stable, be did not
use the fork or the shovel, but turned the
current Of river upon it and SO swept
all its filth to the sea. The stream OF
public opinion il rightly directed will in
| like manner ad a Democratic administra-
ton This hydraulic method Of reform
being necessary, the freedom of the press
and the uutrammelled right Of the people
to speak their entimeuts--everything
that lets the water on--should be sedr-
lously encouraged and securely guarded.
So may it come to pass in due time that
we will remember the days Of the gag
law, the practice Of Kidnapping freemen,
and the murder Of innocent people by
military commission as we remember the
years of mildew and potato rot and chol-
era to only shudder at them and try TO
prevent their recurrence.
If should close here, you might mis-
understand me. have not the least idea
that we ought to unsettle anything which
has been fixed and determined, or take
from any human being right vested In
him by existing laws. We propose no
counter revolution. While we mean to
he Just we are determined also to be ! b.
eral in the broadest sense Of the word.
The faith Of the Government, no matter
by whom pledged. is irrevocable. The
whole civilized world knows that the
public credit is safer with us than with
our opponents. and this is shown by the
fact that since the November elections
Am rican securities have risen In every
market We submit to the amendments
Of the Constitution, though they were
carried by fraud end force, and the two
last were intended to take away our in
heritance Of self lf-government, and give It
to another race Of men without right and
without ability to hold or to use it. But
we will execute the whole instrument.
amendments and all. in way that will
save the rights Of the honest white man
as well as those Of the nbolitionist and
the negro.
Another thing; large and most re-
spectacle body of men who, until lately,
acted with the Republican party and
voted for our candidates last month. We
are not to forget how much We owe them.
Tie debt can be paid by showing that We
deserve their confidence in our modcra-
ton and fairness toward all classes Of
the people.
lam faithfully yours, etc,
j. s. BLACK.