The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-08-24

anu ugly WHltC WOtnen III HcOGSld.
That this infamous lie was intended
as a pretext for the slaughter there is
but little doubt.
MUST NOT SPEAK OF HIGH CRIMES.
Many wellmeaning people deplore
any reference 20 the outrageS COM
mitied in the South as inimical to
reconciliation and harmony between
the sections They are exceedingly
anxious that in this Centennial year,
past differences shall be forgotten,
and the people, north and south, for
getting and forgiving, and Mindful
only Of our great national future,
shall meet and embrace as a nation
Of brothers. 1t is a consummation
devoutly to be wished; but l must
remind such well-meaning people
that any formal reconciliation, while
the dearest rights of millions are sys-
tematically violated, and the greatest
wrongs passed unnoticed and unpun-
ished, will be the rankest hypocrisy,
revolving alike to divine and human
justice. 1t is only the knavish quack
who puts a plaster ovef the mouth
of the wound and says it is healed.
The healing process must begin at
the bottom, and be thorough to be
permanent and healthy. All the
gushing and Misunderstanding which
precedes the concession. of equal
rights and justice to men of all colors
and opinions in the Southern States
will be the veriest sham and deceive
nobody. Such foul wrongs cannol
be ignored and concealed. They
will forever obtrude themselves upon
the world and cry aloud for redress.
BUT ONE HIGHWAY TO PEACE.
Let me say to this class of people,
and the men of the South, there is
but one highway to reconciliation,
and that is open, straight, and free;
ard over its portals are inscribed
these words: "Equal rights to all; to
to all equal protection of the laws
and If the Southern people will walk
in that highway they will arrive at
the temple of peace and find unbro-
ken rest.
WHY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANNOT
BE TRUSTED.
The Democratic party cannot be
safely trusted with the control of our
Government for many reasons, few
of which | will briefly state:
|. Because the vital element OF
the party, the men who control its
action and destiny. were traitors, and
did everything in their pow err to DIES,
troy their country. No man who
deliberately betrayed his country
should be entrusted with its govern
ment. To forgive rebels is one thing,
to put them in power is another
thing. To place this Government
into the hands who sought it's des-
truction by armed rebellion would be
insanity. These men accept the Gov
ernment only as military necessity
They do not love it, care nothing
about its credit, and its very exis.
tence is rebuke to them. But this
does not diminish their desire to get
control of the Government, to rccu,
perate and repair their shattered for
tunes. The condition of the Democ,
racy of the north is somewhat differ.
ent, though scarcely better. Sympa.
thizing fully with the South, and EN-,
tirely subservient, it asks nothing but
office and leaves measures and poll.
cies to the South. Upon economic
measures that pertain alike to all
parts Cfthe country, while opposing
whatever is and all that has been
done, it has not even Il suggestion to
make, and is utterly bankrupt in
ideas. With individual members of
talent and intelligence, as an organi,
cation it has the confusion of ideas
and feebleness Of grasp which belong
to the senility of age that has outliv,
ed everything but its passions and
the memory of evil deeds. II cannot
escape from the past, and all its ira,
ditions are evil. 1t cannot point to
one of its leading measures in thirty
years that has not been condemned
by the voice of mankind. The other
day in the Senate | asked the ques-
ton, what good thing the Demo,
cratic party had done, or proposed
to do, in the last twenty-five years,
and said would yield the floor to
any Democratic Senator who would
answer The Senator from Delaware,
Mr.. Salisbury, accepted the challenge
and named the appointment of Inves,
tigating Committees by the present
Democratic House of Representatives,
The answer was an awful confession,
which was painfully felt by every
Democrat present. The distinguish
ed Senator felt the necessity of say
ing something, and could think of
nothing but the appointment ofsmell-
ing committees to enable the rebels
to find out whether we could not
have put down their rebellion more
cheaply than we did. The Fugitive
Slave law in 1850; the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise in 1854; Dor,
der rattan outrages in lS55'56; the
Lecompton Constitution and the
bred Scott decision in 1857; it's de-
NAL of power to suppress the rebel
lion in lS60'6l s; its responsibility for
the rebellion by sympathy and en-
enlargement; its resistance to every
war measure; its efforts in 1864 to
bring about the abandonment of the
war; its protection to treason and con-
spiracy in the Northern States; its
opposition to the constitutional
amendments; it's encouragement to
the people of the South to resist re-
construction and its defense of the
Ku-Klux, White Leagues, and every
form of organized violence in the
South, present an unbroken series OF
infamous measures which will grow
darker and darker by the lapse OF
time.
INVESTIGATIONS.
The House of Representative dur,
ing the last session instituted TWEEN
ty-six investigations into the accounts
and conduct of the Government Of
ficers. A majority of the committees
charged with these investigations
were Differed and managed by Con-
federate soldiers, and the sole pur-
pose of all seems to have been the
manufacture of reports to damage the
Republican party in the approaching
election. For this purpose the rules
of evidence were ignored, hearsay ey-
idence and unsupported rumors re-
ceived in testimony, the telegraph vi.
olated, private books and papers seiz-
ed, the rights of citizens trampled
under foot, and lunatic asylums and
penitentiaries ransacKed for witnesses.
lnformers were encouraged and en-
ployed, and the most incredible sto-
ries received with avidity although
and Scaftared To the