Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-07-28
WHOLE No. 446.
Brandon lMi~s) Republican.
60 WHAT Is all THIS FOR =

Such wa> The dyin. exclamation of Urion
soldier upon Tie batic field oi the first
Manassas He had volunteered 70 defend the
,.7ui-al from what he thought Southern
INVASION and was hurried 20 the fatal field
where he net his deail, without knowing the
cause. Til, exclamation Is significant aud
doubtless was upon the hpS oi many IA both
the cou,cuding armies What i all Ihis for
j. answered by the Ncrhman that il va, for
10 defend the integrity of the Federal Inion
and maintain the san"tlty Of the CONSTITUENCY
and the answer from the SOurhron i To vIndI
calt. local self government. the sovereignty Of
the States and the civil AMI political rights OF
the c!rzens The Nunarchi>ls would answer,
the republic i a failure. that the time has
come when compicarng interest has pro
ducet contest. and no common authority 10
adjust i. and appeal 10 arms IN civi strlic
must decide what the republic cannot by
peaceful means. The fiiure historian with
his pen Of iron, upon tables Of marble, VIII
answer. While We at the icsen, day cannot
answer il 10 satisfy all par;.e, we can feel and
see around "a what 1t was all for
The sudden emancipation Of a race who
had been trained IN ihe hard iron school oi
slavery. elevated 10 all the rights of citzen-.
gwen the ballot and pat IN the Jnry bon.
HERE was time when TO b. an American
citizen was a proud boast and the position
VA, a. much honored a. the decoration, upon
1 the nobility of other lands. IL was solld gold,
| containing beauty and strength, ami II has been
! expanded 20 far n 10 exchange sohd strength
| for feeble splendor, 80 attenuatcd and too
| " eab 10 resist the slightest pressure and warp
and bend Ia any hands We can see ruin.
dcSolaIion. des'incIlon of The value OF properly
| of untold millions, corruption IA high places,
! in national and Safe governments. general
Reorganization, depraved morals and even
! those nIinislering in the sanctuary have not
escaped the poisonous breath that has swept
over the land.
Where vet the benefi, Of what all tins =
for future generations and Il future age may
see and feel II.
We read in Roman history that when the
army under Reguus, IN northern Africa,
went TO make war ON Carriage, hi- march
was harfassed aud the health Of hIs men
IMPAIRED by the poisonous breath Of large
horned serpent dwelling in morass. The
Roman general arrested hs march aLd turned
his army to wage an exterminannr war upon
this pestiferous serpent, whose deadly breatl :
ng was wasting the strength and des'roy:rc
tie discipline of the army. If the serpent as
] III
I must perish by letachments. and it was safer
10 lose some IN the deadly struggle man tha'
, the whole should perish.
2 The great American army IN marching
, under the broad banner of reform, honest
y government aud national prosperity Is i'm
q petled in its march by more deadly, poison
e ous serpent than the army Of old. This hor
e rid serpen, is the bondhoiders. The one that
4 inpedeI the march ia Africa WAS confined
L in it, destruction 10 a single army and one
i place. while the present one with lis poison'
y ou, breath ,an,s the atmosphere Of an empire
e and whole people. We read OF the Iordly
j mobiles of ENGLAND who own nearly all the
: land of England and Scotland, and SQUIRE
/ miles Of soil il populous cities, where incomes
g are thousands and even millions annually, ye
d many Of those are publicspiri,ed, enterpri>ins
e and spend freely and juhciously their larst
e incomes. 10 better and ameliorate labor anc
= the laborers They pay their proportion q
e taxes and bear their respective shares of the
Ol nublic bucdens We have here IN ,.ils country
r a lordly body Of assumed arstocracy, who>t
ID wealth is in bonds, who receives half yearly
e his interest pays no taxes upor his wealth
Ia has no public burden and in no way adds Il
~ the progress or improvement of the country
Is This serpent not only poisons tho pubh
IS health. bn, its breath has been breathed IN th
10 halls of Congress and all that is noble, a.
TO that is pure, all that is strong have bee
d. witbered and sickened unto death. Ne
Ill satisfied with the poison infused in he living
be il has spreao,s tolls TO entangle those unborn
1t levies contributions upon the labor OF III
n; present, but has morgaged TO lis use the toll
sc future generations Ii not only claims III
ed soil bu, its fruits now and for many years
" come.
We This is what il was all for. An immens
OF amour, of value of property annihilaied. ha
Oh million of human beings either destroyed {
.amed. A huge public aud private DEL
entaied upon the labor and industry OF ii
country for fifty years. Public dePraviiy, d'
bauched morals, fraud instead OF homes
he controlling elections Public, p ivate an
he individual poverty, and the future dark Wi
nh clouds, with but few rays oi hope to che
the heart or nerve the arm OF honest 10
'' Demorallzed and uncontrolled labor, and Inf
w instead of being surrounded with the pl'asa
, comforts end gen'les pleasures OF home Is
.",e constant and ceaseless struggle for exisien'
Gus Well might the dying Northern soldier al
T well may the present generation exclaiI
~, ~ What Is and was all this and that for p
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