The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-12-13
T,tprRlnroRLAX ouABb.
r.. ways Of Usurpation Under Cover
oil the Law.
journal OF Commerce.

"a thc READERS of Roman history it
otvAvs remained u matter OF amaze
h'a that A handful of soldiers should
lnv" ,ontrolled the destinies of an en-
'".-one of those mysteries of govern.
pn, whose solution has been lost in
ln,se of time. So at least it has
'Dsnad until now, to the simple, but
interviewing American citizen
I, las been customary to account for
fine TRANCE spectacle by pictures OF the
Jro,ueruIe morals OF the people, the
snHue indifference OF the educated
,G..,s the selhshness Of the rich-thelr
hiss love OF ease and their desperate
J..,re Tor such peace as would let every
man "go about his business or his plea
'"re And yet it seemed strange sto'
~ Aud while our people could not
understand, they remembered the tact,
and have been instinctlvely jealous Of
"oslanding army" and at the close oil
fine late war p omptly and eagerly dis
landed their legions. Is Roman history
Notwithstanding, torepeat itself in the
gre,t American republic?
Have not recent events served to
show us how the sword by assuming the
mise can usurp the power OF law and
sunpress the will Of the people? An
Emncror issues his edict in fair spoken
words and high sounding phase, that
the neace shall be preserved and do
nestle violence" shall be restrained,
And a subordinate officer, as ,oaS dsetred
,oJj,Faded executes the order in such
manner AS to deliver the government of
a civilized people and the policy of an
empire into the hands OF an alien and
barbarous race.
The game recently played in the city
cfColumba was simply paltry and
cowardly trick. Honest, straighttor-
ward and peace-loving members OF the
General Assembly, with the Judgment
Of their Supreme Court in their hands
as the charter of their right, were de-
famed at the door of their hall by Gen
eral Rugers armed soldiers just long
enough to enable an organized band OF
savage negroes to usurp the gov
eminent of the State by pretext of law,
and deliver its powers into the
hauds OF those who desired to
grasp them. The public ear is not
shocked, and yet the will Of the Presi-
dent is made the law Of the land.l
General Ruger now protests that his
soldiers had no orders to do what they
did Somebody then has lied or some
body has Numbered. And the sacrifice
has been the peace, security, liberty and
virtue of people Was it the officer
in command at the door of the House
of Represent atives OF this State who has
either lied or Numbered? If not, let
him show where the responsibility rests.
If it was his honesc mistake, iethim de
mand of General Ruger that the evil,
unwittinsly wrought by his error be
Immediately repaired. Has General
Ruger lied or blundered? We cannot,
will not, believe that reputable officer
of the United States army could stoop
to falsehood He says that what was
done was done without his order. But
the responsibility of the result rests
upon him, and the country Will mold
him sternly to account.
The best, the highest we had almost
said, the only proof Of his sincerity IS
to undo what he has done His soldiers
have used their bayonets to guard a
usurpation of power; let the same sol
diers by their presence, guard restor-
alton of law 1t will not do now to
talk of not interfering. He has inter
fered to do wrong he must interfere
once more to do right.
The man who strikes down another
by mistake is not guilty of assault and
battery, if he lifts his victim to his feet
again. The man who holds aHother by
mistake, while thief rifles his peck
cts is not guilty of felony if he holds
the thief by intention while an honest
man gets back his own