The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-17
rAE pAssAan OF AWE NuulcoN.

public. Hsgutsseds in pncei
For one hundred years the American
people, pulled up With the oonceit d
youth. have deluded themselves Will
The pleasing fancy thai Providence
endowed them with the birthright d
undying freedom, and entrusted then
with the high mission to strike the
shaekles Of slavery from the limbs d
millions OF their suffering fsttuv men
The crowned despots Of effete Europe
must be made 10 tfeinble on theiI
thrones. For one hundred years these
Americans have strutted upon the stage
et life, casting chances oil mingled scofn
aud pity upon the past and looks 81
conscious superiority on the eontempe
rary nations Oh Europe. In the war ol
independence, and that Of 1919, the
American eagle had plunged bis beaA
into the British lien and struck
terror to bis soul. THAT was enough
Americans were invlneible. Fancyins
that they we're illustrating the capacity
OF man for selkgevernment, that they
we're the divlnely appointed agents Of q
new political dispensatlon, under which
all men were to be free and equal. they
trod with daring recklessness Upon the
traditions OF the past, deilantiy con.
temned the wise teachings Of the
worlds experience, sneefed at the
solemn warnings Of philosophers and
historians deeply versed In the science
OF government and the knowledge Of
human nature, and ran their wild ca.
reer OF license, taking no thought Of
the morrow. II was q grand debauch.
which could have but one ending ruin
and death.
standing now over the prostrate body
OF our once glorious Republic. let us
take d mournful retrospect and seek
the cause OF Its untimely death.
One hundred years ago q small but
select body Oh men, drawn from all
classes OF society and representing all
that was high. minded, patriotic and In.
telligent, gathered together aud framed,
for three millions OF people, charter
OF government, lately known az the
OF the United States.
Every provision was made which btu.
man ingenuity could devise for the
harmonious working OF scheme
destined to secure the blessings oil
freedom for all time to GENE. Under
this machinery Of government the chip
OF State moved smoothly on, bfeasting
many q storm, but riding safely through
them all.
About twenty years ago there arose
In the North party which, restless
under the domination OF the South.
resolved TO crush 1t by appealing
to popular sentiment against the
peculiar institution which gave that
section political strength. To effect
this object IL adopted as It's shibbo.
leth the higher law" and denounced
tho constitution az covenant
with hell and league with the devil. J"
This was the signal for the outburst
Of violence aud tho substitution
of sectional passion for argu.
lnent In political controversy.
The irrepressible conflict, which all
wise men felt 10 be impending. burst
upon tho country. The constitution
was ignored how could war be con.
Quoted within the limits Of an instru-
ment designed TO secure eternal liberty,
equality and fraternity9 Tho higher
law theory led to tho assertion aud
exercise of what was called the war
powers Oh the aovernment--in plain
English, asurpation. A convenient
supreme Tribunal was at hand to
1--WE tho sanction OF judicial sup.
BORT to every violation of law
md the Observation-Disclosures the
packing OF that court for the pur.
,osc OF overriding an movement do.
'iaion In regard to the legal tender
aw, From that moment the constitu-
ion became dead letter. and earnest |
PATRIOTS all over the land despaired of |
he Republic. But supreme effort was
esolved upon to save the institutions
lnder which the country had grown 20
,reat and prosperous. The effort was
uccessful, In contemplation OF law, but
here remained one resource to the
desperate architects OF their ooun.
ry's ruin--fraud; and 1t has sue-
eeded. The letter and spirit
i the constitution have been violated,
IL pretense Of deeenoy and honesty has
'een abandoned, the will OF the people
that supreme law OF the land-has
'een overridden by handhlll of reok-
ess conspirators. and fraud stands en-
hroned over the ruins Of the Republic.
Such Ia the brief history OF the TWEEN
Y years. rule of the Radical party. It
'egan It's career by waglng war upon
he constitution. and the destruction OF
hat instrument was the legitimate re.
ult OF the ascendanoy OK that party.
,ut the saddest feature OF the calamity
shich has overtakcn this once happy
and Is the fact that the Democratic