The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-08-06
Samson.
tunity.

when justice counseIs the destruction of
tyrants even at the cost of self sacrifice in
the avenger. The humiliations to which
captors and the surprising insolence of
those impious enemies of his God and his
race finally reached such a point of outrage
that with his giant strength he shattered
into ruin the great temple whose fall was
to overwhelm himself with their three
thousand mobiles in q common death. God
did not give him the strength, however,
to do this until he had repeatedly suffered
and his tormenters had repeatedly failed to
repent.
Do nations ever find themselves in con-
dition parallel to this7 Can a province
which has suffered untold persecution at
the hands of its conqueror be justified in
bringing upon that conquering people the
righteous vengeance of a general ruin, even
though its own case will thereby be made
worsef
Take the instance of some of these Sou
them States. They have for more than
eleven years been subjected to systematic
course of plumber and oppression. The con-
quering section animated, in its majority
sentiment, by spirit of hatred and malice
as devoid of reason as it was of magnanimity,
has necessarily interfered in their local gov
ernment in such wise as to nullify their
every effort for prosperity and hand them
over TO q gang of remorseless land pirates.
This was, for long time, done under cover
of majority vote of negroes. The white
people, of Louisiana for instance, finally
convinced many of the negroes of their po-
litical wrong doing and with the aid of
their votes carried the State election by a
handsome msjorlty. The election gained
at the cost of so much patience and labor
was as fruitless as though no contest had
been made. The simple machinery of a
Returning Board swept it all away in q
night. Sectional bayonets sustained the
Board sectional hatred riveted sgain the
chains in which disreputable camp follow
ers were gladly permitted to hold the cap
tives of a war which had been supposed
ended.
Now, again, an election is about to take
place. 1t is said, by those who ought tc
know, that beyond all doubt the carpet
bag candidates will be fairly beaten by {
heavy majority, yet, while saying that
many add that the government elected will
never take Office, that it will again be rules
out by Returning Board. This will en-
tail another four years of hardship which
at the rate of ruin in its past progress, will
leave this State but little better than
wilderness. The question ia already breach
ed: Shall we submit to the tyranny of tn
Returning Board, OF install the legal govern
ment by force and hang the scoundrel
. who play the game
Here it is that the Samson doctrine come
in. The Southern States-thati is the Carpe
: bag States--could so act as to require tt
presence of a standing army of loo, goo me
= in time of nominal peace. The ensuing lol
- to Northern trade, the anarchical spirit r.
: sulting throughout the country at large an
the steadily growing national debt resultir
from all this would soon spread pail
decay over the North, while the Sou
would not be much worse off than at Pr
:. sent. This is the argument, but we cam
\ agree with it's conclusions.
Samson had no reasonable hope of ev
getting relief he was irremediably bin
With as the case is different; no irreparah
. damage has been done, and our opportunit
-, if we should need one, may yet come. F
~ our part, we believe that the sober secoz
thought of the North will, before Ion
- see both the wrong and the folly of
: Southern policy. The violent animosi
% engendered by four years of bitter warfa
is about half gone now, and will in
few years more be inappreciable as poll
- cal factor. Apart from that, there is
- ground Of rivalry between the two section
- but on the contrary, there are many poll
of common interest and mutual dependen
A foreign war would soon weld the two 81
tions together.
"a. Let us have peace at homo, any how, a
abroad If possible.
cd Advice to those who accent drafts III