The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-08-16

DartN, and III you can only get clear OF Inc evil
by the overthrow OF the party, in heaven
n ame, let The party go and the country be re-
stored to health and vigor. Whatev.r T may be
the traditions and party glory OF the party.
lures and the labor of the country are in
nnitely above and beyond ali The parties the
country ever has had or ever will have. With
it, present leaders We can have but IittIe hope
that the fu ure of the party will be any
on the past or present With
the people OF that party, as distinguished from
their leaders l would be willing now, as here
tofore. to trust any proposition for reform ! 1 +
cess and contiu uation ia po yer of its present
leaders. we might be most hopeful OF b posi-
ton, but In the language OF the ancient
the TO err, and they who are led by them
will be destroyed"
THE PEOPLE WANT GOOD GOVERNMENT,
they are unwilling to oppress themselves and
to cripple their energies. The people want
honest and capable men in Office, they want a
sound circulating medium, they want money
that will not change its value between the
of a contract and a compliance with
the terms of that contract. Money that will
not be worth so much when a debt is con-
tTacied and so much more or less when ii is TO
in favor OF refoTm m and OF sound money? We
can easily judge of what we do not know, and
of what we would know by what We do know.
practicai re V ormer @ for presfdenS ana indorsed d
the administration of FIRE ident Grant with
all that that Endorsement implies.
We do know they refused or failed to do any,
thing 10 return TO the people good money, aud
through good money public confidence and
done ali these things. But they say the DEM
O rats party is not to be trusted, and fiaunt
the 'blo dy shirt" to con drm their assertion.
l am not so sure that this is fair, even in the
face of the devilish doctrine that "every thing
is fair in politics The d mocratic narty
will be fearfully inefficient IL H. does no better
last six or g years. But it is only justice
to the r cord that should say that the Demo.
cratic party will be wise, and efficie Mt and a
pa trioIic party If il does as well as the Repub-
lican party did in the six or eight years pre-
cedirg q last six or eight It Ger a1nly can
do no worse in an equal period OF time, and
rest-rest rom the evils and fatigue of bad
government. But il Is argued that the Demo-
cratic party should not be ntrusted with ad-
ministrative power, because many OF them
were engaged in the war; because many OF
them were opposed to it and sympathized
with the rebels whilst it was being
come come when final AID conclusive
answer may be given 10 this Oft and hnneceS-
sarily repeated argument: "The war has long
been over; pesc has long since been restored
the seeding states have long ago been re
turned to their posi- lon in the Unioo, and
Laws have been enacted grant ng amnesty.
pardon, to those who were engaged in war
against the government" These laws mean
st mething or they mean nothing. They mean
wnat they say, OF they are fraud and false
hood, y deceit and at-ar. Assuming, AS am
compelled TO do, that they were ever enacted
in good faith, they are a declaration by the
govern ment that those TO wnom they apply
are July restored TO the rights, the privileges
and the duties they possessed before the war
and, being so, those who are restored by them
are entitled TO all he privileges belonging TO
any citizen of the United states. 1his has
been done by the only authority this side OF
Omnipo, ence that could so restore offenders
against the m 4jes y of the nation. but the
hon mi fra m a.
to vote for aud enact those laws OF reStOrat1 N
are now engaged IN a bitter crusade against
those who have been so restore d, and decla {
that that hey a pubic enemies IN peace
as well in war; that they are not
the friends Of the government, and should
not b. permitted TO enjoy the privileges and
rights which the constitution and laws guar
antte TO and coDfer upon them. III these men
were sufficiently peni ent aud patriotic to b.
come the recipients OF gov rnment pardon
when the laws restoring them 10 citizens hiI
were ena ted, they are certainly none the l. 81
so now. II they were as vicious and unworthy
when the laws were enacieo, as The gentlemen
say they are now, on what principle did they
vote for and act laws reinstating them u
citizsns with powers and rights equal To thei
Own? IN the one case as the other, these gen
tlemen, in the excess OF
A SPIRIT OF vINDICT;vE BITTERNESS,
convict themselves of infidelity TO their higi
trusts. This, however, is the "bloody shirt
theory. We all know that the South mad
armies 10 accomplish their purpose, but tn
government against which the great wrong
was done has pardoned the offense, and or
would IL ink that politicians. whose idelit.
was not beyond the reach of suspi ZION, shoulC
at least sustain the enactments OF law 4
which they rec jrded their assent. But thes
are now matters OF former time
and we might permit the "uead past to bur,
| its dead" Il IL but charity to let that past b
| remem bered only as a warning for the fu ure
/ and treasured up as fuel Ior the nres OF tina
| eternal vigilance which is the price Of lIb
| erty." But war is not the only treason tha
| may be perpetrated against the lite OF the a
| ion. Pretended friends are oftentimes as iata
| as open enemies. There are those enjoy ri
the honors a emo uments of the govern
4 ment to-day, who are, either ignoTantly o
insidiousy, dung as much TO destroy tina
| government as thOse who OK up arm
| against IL. Reckless, vicious, corrupt leg sls
uion is an enemy to free govern ment more 4
be dreaded than an army with banners. In
| competent and corrupt officials, who seek ant
hold office in free government for individua
| and selfish ambition alon e. are ss much enc
mics in peace a. armed men ever were In wal
When the pub ic iunctiOnaies. whose duty
is to administer the laws, employ ali thei
/ powers to defea the ends of JUS ice, to scree
the guilty and opPress the innocent, a NOR
fatal blow is aimed at the life of the natio
than those same persons could infilct in an.
other way. And yet the politicians OF tn
sssemoied, solemnly endorse the admin
isirati ID of the pr sident, and thus i'm
piled and ublicly p edge themselves TO a cor
tinuation OF the policy OF tn t administratio
| IL returned TO power by tbs voice OF the peopl
which is now so loud in Its denupciation {
that very policy. When proper and neede
legislation is wantonly Withheld or refused
/ when improper and vicious legislation is wi
full y enacted; when the peUple are opDresseC
aud their great In erests OF agriculture,
comm cree, of nu'actures and labor ar
prostrated, industry without EN- ployment an
reward, and confidence in the ability and wi
lingness OF the government 10 remedy thes
evils are either wholly destroyed or materiali
i'm paired, an alarming progress Is made Il
wards the subversion OF the government an
the over, hrow of its powers. The men VIII
willfully do these things may have been pi
tTiots in war, but in peace they are mortal er
emies. The financial condition of the couI
try is the direct result Of ignoring the teach
ings OF history and the exp -rlence of the pasi
of defyir alike the wisdom of ages and th
precepts of prudence. We all justify the go,
eminent in the financ'a pol cy adopted dui
ing the war, but The unnecessary con unustio