The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-11-07
me Tyranny Of Lincoln ana e.an.


Reading The speeches, ornate aud
grandi.oquent, Of the Southern gen
tlemen who have welcomed the Pres
ident, one would gain the impression
that vindietive and cruel despo,s bad
ruled the country for the last fifteen
years. That LinceIa, sympathetic
aud large-heafled, was a Cesar.
That Grant, magnanimous and gen
erous-the man who spared the pride
Of Lee and bis officers, aud soitened
the chagrin of their defeat by the no
bility and delicacy with which he
received their surrender-was
bloodthirsty tyrant, who ground
down a poor. unhappy people to the
last verge of possible endurance.
Such vas been the tenor Of the re-
ception speeches. and in one instance,
at least, the tenor of speech in re-
ply-that was made BY Wade Hamp-
ton, who accompanied the Presiden-
tial party.
Gould there be anything more RI
dieulous than thls2 Wherein have
the Southern people-:he ex.Confed-
crates, the x-Rebels-been lily treat
ed. When their great crime was de
feated Of lis object, after our Golfers
had been emptied, and almost every
household shrouded in mourning,
what revenge did the Northern peo-
pie wreak upon the authors OF the
war? Did they hang the leaders of
the rebellion for treason?
No.
Did they confsca,e their property!
No.
Did they forbid their restoration to
citizens?
No.
Did they deny them any right I'M
der heaven enjoycd by those who re-
NAMED loyal to the government
Not one.
The grass had hardly grown green
over the graves of The men who gave
up their lives to prevent The oestrue-
tion ofthe Government before those
who wrought their deaths were in
full possession Of every privilege en-
joyed by any American citizens.
What, then, has been the trouble!
Simply this: The Constitution and
the laws give to all citizens, with
out distinction OF color, the right 10
ect, speak, and vote as they will, anu
pledges them the equal protection of
the law.
This supreme enactment has been
defed, trampled uader foot, spit up
on, aud insulIed, wherever the a0-
senee ef Federal authority has made
it sale to do SO.
Accepting the amendments with
words, the Southern people have
Systematically violated them IN their
acts They have kept the word of
promise TO the ear and broken it TO
the hope. Free speech has been stiff
fed; tree suffrage denied, aud ii mas
only been by the firm attitude of the
Federal arm, and the known determ-
lnatIon Of the government To see TO il
that acts OF violence and intimidation
we're punished, mat anything like a
republican fo-m of government was
maintained IN half dozen Of the
Southern States.
There was no formidable outbreak.
A company of soldiers, backed by a
res1lute will and unhampered by Con-
gressionai meedlings, was enough TO
uphold the laws, and resistance was
only kept alive by the sympathetic
cries OF Northern Copperheads and
Republicans; but the va
cIllatlng course OF the latter lent the
conspirators courage, and so the
trouble continued, growing greater
as the stern policy of justice yielded
TO The milk kand-wster programme Of
knock kneed conciIistors.
Here 10 the North we obeyed the
Constitution and the laws, and re-
spected the rights of all men. But
the ex-rebels of the South claimed a
privilege we did not and would not
eDjoy-the privilege Of denying the
rights OF a portion Of their fellow cit
izens: and IL has been this claim
still theoretically opposed, but prac-
tiealiy coneeded-that has occasion
ed the trouble. lt is for insisting on
the observance of the amendments to
the Constitution that Grant aDd the
Republican party were tyrsnnieal.
IL is for yielding, or for doing what
the ex-rebels thus interpret, that the
present administration is lauded.
There is mistaken kindness that
is more cruel than the sword. There
is false generosity more bitter in its
assaults than the law ofthe bayonet.
We shall see ere long if these mis-
takes have not been ours, and if it il
not true now, as ia the days of King
John, that
Mercy but murders, pard'ning those
who kill