National Republican., 1876-12-11
RIOTERS MUST TAKE BACK SEATS.

The Democratic press is greatly dis
turbed at the gathering Of few regular
troops in the Notifications in and about the
National Capital. The same press had an
ague fit of like character in 1861, when its
columns were filed with threats and
prophecies that Mr.. Lincoln would never
be inaugurated. Mr.. Buchanan was then
in the executive chair. He was very 10th
to allow General Scott aged and debili-
tated as that old hero then was, to come
here with his army headquarters from New
York, to which point he had been exiled
by the insults of Southern Democrats like
JEFF Davis and Floyd. he was still more
indisposed to allow him to call the few
troops that had been left within hailing
distance by the Vaccinations of those same
arch traitors to the protection of the Gov
eminent treasures and archives. But the
hegira of Davis, Floyd and company left
tie War Department IN charge of Judge
Holt, and he called Scott and the troops to
his aid in the preservation of peace and the
protection ofthe public property. 1t was
understood that Judge Black, who was then
Attorney General, but who soon afterwards
succeeded the late Hon. Lewis Cass as
Secretary of State, convinced Mr.. Buch-
ansn that it was his duty, as prudential
measure, under the circumstances, to as
sent to the calling of such regular troops as
were then left this side Of the Rocky
Mountains, and were not absolutely neces-
sary on the frontier to this city. The late
Edwin N. Stanton acceded to the Attorney
Generalship when Judge Black took the
portfolio of State, and added his counsel
TO those Of Black, Holt and Postmaster
General King against a surrender of the
Government into the hands of the seces-
sionists. They were afterwards reinforced
by General John A. Dix as Secretary Of
the Treasury. But General Sidney A.
Johnston was in Utah with the bulk of the
troops, showed in" at Camp Douglas.
He had been kept there by Floyd, although
all use for his force in that locality had
been cancelled by the action of Senator
Lszarus Powell and Ben. Mccullough,
whom Mr.. Buchanan had sent out as COM
missioners long before to prevent the coer-
cion of the Mormon rebels. Hon. Mont
gomery Blair, who soon afterwards became
Postmaster General, was also at this time
among the most active in urging the collec-
tion of force in this vicinity for the pro-
lection of the Capital and the preservation
of law and order. Indeed, he was, per-
haps, quite as anxious then for the peace
full Inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, into whose
Cabinet he was to go, as he is now for that
of ofGovernor Tilden, into whose Cabinet per-
haps he would like to go. Secretary Toucey
was passive, if not imbecile, and his navy
was in South American and Mediterranean
waters.
These retrospections are chiefly instruc-
tive as showing how changeful politicians
are in their respect for precedents and how
short-ived professional politicians ought to
be if they would preserve their consistency,
The great difference between the days of
1860-'61 and 1S76--'77 is that now we have
in the Executive chair tried and firm
patriotic soldier, bearing stronger resem-
blance to Jackson than to Buchanan; we
have the active and vigorous Sherman at
the head of the army, instead of the aged
Scott; we have as Secretary of War Don
Cameron, in the prime and vigor of his
manhood, with the State of Pennsylvania
at his back and the full countenance and
sympathy of the President at his elbow;
we have that sterling, honest patriot,
Montgomery C. Meigs. as Quartermsster
General, instead of General Joseph E.
Johnston, and we have Generals Sheridan,
Hancock, Schofeld, Terry, Crook, Pope
and Ruger, in their various commands,
instead of Lee, Sidney Johnston and others
of less note, who were in inferior COM
mands in 1861. At the head of the navy
we have Robson, instead of Toucey, while
our navy is in good condition and within
reseb, instead Of being scattered upon dis.
tant seas.
These are all SO many assurances that