Wilmington journal., 1876-09-01
BULLETS AND BAYONETS
The New York San SAYS:

The voices which have cried warning
at a coming usurpation, the press that
has indited its cautions against an ad-
vancing military despotism, may no "
be enrolled as seers and ennObied as
prophets. All that has been fore
cast is made natural, everything
prefgured of the future is now an
event and accomplishment. The mod
ern Csssar marches his conqueripg
legions upon PROSTATE States, and the
~~-ol1 -=sl,s r I, Is, 20 De cOu~
strained and coerced by the overrid-
ing squadron, with the flash of the
sabre and the glitter of the bayonet.
The scheme is only this ana nothing
more-to carry by the force of arms
the electoral votes of States for Pres
idential candidate. It has no other
lmpulsion or purpose. Alabama, a
State hitherto Republican in it's local
elections, has pronounced against the
present oligarchy, and sounded the
note of the like decision in November
Other States, too, are in like pur-
pose of voting resistance to the yoke.
And SO, to prevent this, the large ele
ment of strength. the colored vote, is
to be marched to the polls between
the files of our armed men.
There was nothing of turbulence or
riot in the Alabama election. The
negro, indeed, cheated as he has been
by the carpet-bag vermin, who have
deceived and robbed him, voted for
the democratic ticket. There was no
menace or intimidation. Men con.
graduated themselves that, after long
agitation. violence had ceased and
order supervened. They hailed the
dethronement of the pestilent nomads
with their portmanteaus, who had
sucked out the breath like the YAM
pire, and devoured the substance of
the land as the locusts.
Wicked as is this attempt to prevail
by aid of the army, it is no less fool
ish. It will not change any result in
the South. 1t might be the beginning
of solemn tragedy; it Will be the
playing of a poor farce. That it will
react in the north is already made
manifest. We are not yet educated to
gratuitous tyranny. The persuasions
of the cartridge and the cannon are
not now of our admiration. Men will
pause and ask themselves, what is to
be the future of an administration
thrust upon the country by the
train band and the trooper? What is
attempted in the South may be also an
experiment in the North. The spirit
of armed domination is not restricted
by lines of latitude nor by boundaries
of zones. IF we are to be govern
ment of men, and not of laws, let the
test be made in this approaching cleo
tion. For the effect in the Southern
States We dismiss all apprehension.
Without resistance their emancipation
will come with the revolution of the
ballot box, and they can still suffer and
await the fruition of their long night
of endurance.
The madness which, in the provi-
dence of GoD, is the forerunner of dis
aster and ruin, now absorbs our ruler.
The end is of near approach, and we
gladden. in the dawning light. The
people, in their majesty, will remand
this unworthy President to the obscu-
rity he so richly has earned, and spurn
the candidate he thus endeavors to i'm
pose upon them Justice and right
will finally prevail. p.
s:Ring out slowly dying cause, -.
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, puter lawse