The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-04-18
TINE ARMY IN POLITICS,

Twenty-Five years since II any admin
istrailon had proposed TO use tho army
Of the United States, In determining an
election IN any Of tho states, that ads
minlstration would have been i'm
peaehed aud turned out At once, and IN
danger of justice nj the hands OF an in
dlgnant people, would have been always
before the eyes Of him who suggeated
the monstrous thought, To-day we IN
common with republican administers
ton, contemplate the picture, and OK
eept here and there among the more
thoughtful of the people one hardly
hears u murmur or complaint that oil
the southern states have since tho war
experienced military interference in
their local governments aud elections
But recently one Of the two remaining
has been emanoip0tod, and one yet
groans under the yoke and regulates
her own domestic affairs, not in her
own way, but M she Is permitted to do
by the soldiers Of the nation, Men
are not discussing the great outrage In
the abstract, They are not complain
ing that the whole spirit and genius OF
the constitution IL being violated daily
while this military occupation of Louis
lana IL continued, for they Nsk "Will
Hayes call OH tho toopsw Twenty
five years since, If such an outrage had
occurred tho people would have rison
in their might and in three days there
would have heon no United Statoi
army.
II il not the wish nor desire OF either
the rank or file Of the army TO be thur
employed, Hardly any officer Of rank
or character can be induced to heaC
nm expedition to the south against, no
enemies, but friends, Who do not pro
pose to fight anybody, but are only On
gagged in exercising the sacred right o
sclEgoycrnmont, in their own piope
spheres. All this use of the army il
the south lorpartsan purposes has beel
very distastolul to the educated ar(
intelligent officers, who hold rank il
the army, but even the private soldiers
often throw down their guns in disgust
| when called into action ut the bebes
of the characterless vagabonds, who's,
eilrontery has foisted them into posi-
ton over II heightened, proud and long
suffering people.
But aside from all this, this idea o
military interference in the domestic
affairs of the states, is dangerous prin
ciple in and of itself, and opens up pos
sibiliti,s, before which tho patriot,
may well stand aghast, Military GOV
ernments are, and have always been
the quintessence of tyranny. The prin
ciple is foreign to every hope and pur
pose of the founders Of the government
and heretofore every step in the direc
ton of employing it, has been met by tn,
hostility of u united and indignan
1 people. That it is not so met to day, il
II sinister circumstance, and indicates {
retrogression from the old principle
and policies of republicanism, most dan
gerous and unsatisfactory.
We trust that when the troops hay,
been Withdrawn from Louisiana, ~
they viii surely DO in few days, thu
we have seen the last of them az mer,
parti2an political forces. Mr., Hayes
found this condition when he came into
power, and is perhaps excusable tina
up to this time he has continued it
but If he would escape the odium of NJ
endorsement of the principle he mus
get rid of them in Louisiana, and tina
right speedily. The chances for win
ming distinction in life come so seldom
ly as rule, that we think Mr. llaye
will not neglect the present opportuni
ty of accomplishing it by doing u CRATE
full deed of consideration on the plainl,
marked path Of simple duty. Let u
hear the last of the army as securing
and defending republican political ad
vantage in the south.