The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-16

secracv and Way.

n,f1rfRsn Il NOVEMBER 10, 1876.
Secrecy and War.
II Is startling to those acquainted with
the peaceful and orderly times prior 20 .ne
war that the usages Of the Admin asions
nd subyersiye Oh civil supremacy, arc re-
aaraed with the liberation q iamnlaI,sy :.
Eyen in the South they are mot spoken Oh
xonss.cA with reference TO their nlonserous'
character as 70 the dishonest purposes for
which they are employed. s. 8 500
The sending OF troops through the coun.
try when there is no disorder or turbulence
that is not altogether within The control OF
the local executive, and when troops are not
called for by proper authority, Is gross
outrage upon both public land personal
liberty. Bad as it was to station these
troops in the States before the election, it Is
worse to order them to be present at the
counting OF the votes cast at the election.
War and peace are not twins. They are
aliens. When war appears, peace ceases
TO reign. She cannot constitutioInalliy
exist and breathe beneath the authority
OF war, no more tcan civil Z. proceeds
ings be sheltered under the shield OF lib
erty, when the voice Of the epauletted cap
tain may arrest them at any moment. The
freedom to investigate and to debate ques-
tions OF justice and law is but an empty
thing when it exists ut the will OF
the sword whose flashes CLEAN upon it.
That liberty bequsathed us by our fore
fathers OF 80 is, according. to their views,
practically annulled by the subordination OF
the civil to military power. The appear
ance OF armed men and shining bayonets
amongst the people when they are quietly
engaged in the pursuits OF peace our an
cestors thought utterly incompatible with
popular liberty and republicanism. Yet 1t
now seems harmless. Indeed, we see many
newspapers and orators, and even the Gov
ernor OF the State ,ohich originated the doc
Urine Of notification Mas achusetts -ap-
plauding General GRANT for sending mill
tary commanders with troops to superin-
tend the civil act OF counting votes OF three
"sovereign y States for President OF the
United States. The military feature OF the
1,surpation is not objected to, but is cyl
IDENTIFY considered proper in what is called
"peace measure IS - -. - = ?.
Then there are the messages in cypher
that are sent from the Federal EXECUTIVE
and the heads, OF the Departments to the
southern military officers and Radical lead
ers. What do they mean Is it proper
that such secret messages should be sentb by
them who are entrusted with affairs OF the
natien2f Certainly not. Secrecy means par
TALLY. Favor to one side, hostility to an
other. 1t means scheming-the arrange
ment of a plan whose success dependsNo on
secrecy, that no knowledge OF what is going
on shall get to the men to be injured by
what Is to be done. Is that consistent with
peace? Is it consistent with the public and
national obligations, OF the servants OF the
nation that they should be plotting and Sc
cretly working to the detriment OF part OF
the:people 2 Certainly not. 1t is treach-
ery-treachery to the nation. 1t is hostility.
It is war. upon the people. Thought to
alarm every man.. Every man has liberty
to lose or protect; and that same kind OF
strategy that Expresses liberty in one part
Of the land to-day may be turned upon, an
other section tomorrow or next year. An
assault upon the liberty OF one man-iet
alone a whole community should arouse
all men to make common cause with him.
That tyranny which is visited upon few
may as lawfully and as constitutlonally be
visited upon all. The republic is COM
munity of men holding their rights and
freedom from the same laws, guarded by
the same institutions. The whole must DO
protected or the whole must be imperilled.
It has been painful to all intelligent and
liberal men to perceive the indifference that
appeared in one part OF the Union while
another was distressed by the tyrannies and
outrages practiced upon them. Those who
were thus Indifferent poorly remembered
the wisdom and forecast of the fathers Of
the republic, whose warnings appear hardly
to have reached their ears. They seemed
not to be impressed with the commonest
teachings Of history, and even of
everyday life. Even morals drawn
from the fates of unreasoning animals
should teach them better. The horse of
Tended by stag sought the aid OF man to
punish his antaa onist, and offered to bear
the man in pursuit of him. From that mo-
ment the horse lost his liberty. The man
kept him saddled and bridled ever after for
his own convenience. .;,4,,ri:.
The body polite for its protection and
endurance must be united and "solid.''
There must be that community Of interest
which recognizes the absolute necessity OF
maintaining vigilant and vigorous defence
from all perils from whatsoever source. X q
Perpetual vigilance Is the price Of liberty,
and we fear from the familiarity and indif-
ference now displayed towards things
which our ancestors would have regarded
fatal to liberty, that the people are drowsy;
and disposed to sleep when they should be-
more'Sigfant than ever when the tyrant is
steadily stealing away their liberties, ~ ~
AGergman on the !. Count."'ll,Ga;i
AS northern clergymen, have had a, vast
deal to do. With keeping Radiealism in
power it Is matter of some interest to
hof o1, scic in