The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-11-23
A Dangerous Element in Our Govern.
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[Donn Piatt in Cincinnati Enquirer.l ]

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| tDonn Piatt in Cincinnati EnQuirerl --r
The people of the United States are
beginning to recognize the dangerous ell
ement that exists among us in the shape
of bayonets that do not think. The
President of the United States, Com
mander in Chief of our Army and Navy,
sends the first on the eve of an exciting
and close election into State, ON the
questionable request of Governor, to
guard the polls and see that order is pre-
served. Following this comes another
military move into State, when the
election is over, and when the returns are
in dispute, without demand from Gov
ernors or Legislatures, again to see that
order is preserved. fl3
From what source the President gets
his legal authority for the use of the
army to possess himself of the polls no
man pretends to say. 1t is common, |
know, for men to sneer at the Constitu-
ton. They sneer at all law which at
tempts to limit or control popular i'm
pulse. The gentlemen forget, however,
that their day is passed. The late cleo
tions prove, let the Electoral College be
W1ldt may, budb lAC Vi buC
people now favor, respect and believe in
sustaining the constitutional law these
gentlemen have heretofore laughed at
and abused. The fact that made their
sneers and usurpations safe for the last
ten years now make such conduct ex-
tremely dangerous
Unless l greatly mistake the signif-
canoe of the late popular vote, and the
alarm of many, and the indignation OF
all, it is not prudent in these advocates
of Grantism to continue the line of con-
duct that has made them marked men
for years. A popular tumult now would
have the moral strength that comes of a
support of law, and would be fierce and
vindictive from the sense of wrong and
insult the minority has so long suffered
in the violation of the Constitution en-
acted for its protection. The inde-
pendent editor would no longer wax fat
and rich selling the earliest accounts of
battles afar off. The battle would be
about his own Office, with an objective
pointin the lamp-post disagreeably near.
The war would not be at the South, but
whenever number of indignant citizens
uncovered Grant hound, be he editor
or official agent.
God send that We be spared any such
civil strife, but 1 warn my Radical
friends that an acsuiescence in Grants
infamous orders, and sneers at people
who oppose them, is not the better way
to avert what they have the most reason
to dread. ->--...-
I see that Grant, in late interview,
say that the use of troops sent South was
meant only to keep the peace, and if a
man behaved himself he had no reason to
fear their interference; and Sherman, also
interviewed, takes comfort to himself
that his officers were such gentlemen
that no man complained ofthem.
Now, since when have these epauletted
gentlemen been made our guardians ?
And how gracious sounds their assurance
that if we behave ourselves we have no
reason to fear There -was q time in our
history when the citizen was answerable
only to the law, and felt that no man
could molest or make him afraid. If we
are to have measures of this sort let us
look about us or send to Europe and Sc.
lect man. such as Bismarck, Garibaldi
or Won Moltke. who, to soldierly ability,
adds some information if not statesman
ship, in place of this man whose igno.
rance alone saves him from impeachment
If there was one tear more than
another that haunted the founders OF
our Government it was standing army.
This dread runs through all their
speeches, letters, essays, constitutional
| DraviSinnu opd otbar Iena1 aDa otm anfc
1t rests like a shadow upon WashiDgton's
Farewell Address, and more that one
election in an earlier day turned on the
fear of such an armed power. Who
knew of 40 and Van Buren's atandin g
army, as it was charged, but realizes the
memory of great fear, that until then
left us by the fathers, fell upon the
hearts of the people.
And well might there be such dread,
The bayonet has ever in the past been
ON the side of despotism, unless, indeed,
as sometimes happened in France, the
bayonet has been taught to think and
continues to feel.
We can not hope for this in our army.
1t is alive in all its parts. Modelled after
that of Great Britain, its officers, trained
to blind obedience, boast of their political
ignorance, and being without sympathy
for the people, are without patriotism.
When the late civil war broke upon us
West Point was go poorly instructed as
to the nature of our Government that a
majority of its graduates, were doubtful
about their supposed allegiance to the
Government that was supporting them
for its defense, and patriotism was at so
low an ebb that Jefferson Davis made
good his boast that he could have the
best the Academy afforded for the South
ern cause.
Nor is this any better to-day, and the
evil must remain SO long as blind ODE.
dience is taught, which means that, in
becoming an officer, one ceases to be 9
citizen. He is part of a machine con-
trolled by the President. The system j:
as dangerous to republic as it is ne eces.
sa1y to despotism.