National Republican., 1877-11-01

recompense them for their loss, except the
iron-clad oath. The freedom that was
promised for the slave has degenerated into
II sort of vassalage that is scarcely an i'm
provement upon his condition when he was
u chattel. The rights promised to the
freedmen in the Constitution are no longer
respected by the late insurgen'P, but have
become a mockery of freedom and tan
talizer of hope. No freedman is
now allowed to think and act and
vote as citizen, unless he
thinks and acts and votes as the Demo
Gratis shall dictate Entire and full sub
mission to the will of those who attempted
is now the only safeguard that the colored
man has in the South so long if he shall con-
tinue to exist in their midst The law be-
fore which the colored citizen was promised
equal rights and privileges with his fellow
citizens is now regarded us compact with
sin, and is openly set at defiance and disie
garded by the Democrats of the Southern
States.
JEFFERSON DAVIS and ALEXANDER II.
STEPHENS insisted from the first that there
was no such oilense as treason against the
United States, and both openly defed and
challenged the Government to enter upon
the work of convicting and Furnishing them
for the highest and most atrocious of all
political crimes. This Government, instead
of standing by its integrity and bringing
condign punishment to this crime, virtually
confessed that it was not a crime to attempt
the overthrow Of the Government, and these
arch-insurgents were permitted to go at
liberty and in peace. One Of these is now
enjoying the honors of high position in the
Government, and has become q favoritc
and pet at the White House, while
the other is calmly contemplating the pros
poets of a seat in the United States Senate.
In this way honors are held in store for
and lavished upon the architects of the re-
Dellion, while men who have been undeyi-
ating and uncompromisng in their loyalty
| to the Government, and who have periled
their lives, spent their fortunes, shed their
blood, and parted with limbs to save the
national life, are treated with indifference,
if not with contempt, by those in author
ity. Thus one by one the fruits of the war
to crush rebellion have proved like the
apples Of SoDOM, US ashes upon the lips,
until they have vanished.
The peace that we have Is as insecure as
the standing ground over q slumbering
volcano. 1t may last while the South is
permitted to violate and trample down the
rights of citizenship with impunity, and
have its own way either with or without
open violence; but from this time forth the
moment that this Government shall insist
upon o strict observance of all the require
ments of the Constitution on the part of the
ate insurgent States; shall insist that the
freedman shall be secure in all his rights
mand a common and decent respect for the
law and right, the existing peace will prove
a mirage and dclusion and will soon van
ish.
This being the present condition of the
cOuntry-the valuable fruits of conquered
rebellion having been given away, until
nothing is left but the iron-clad oath rs a
landmark of the late npleasantness-why
should we cling to that? 1t is like saving
the half-consumed nails of an editice after a
conaagration had destroyed all the beauties
and utilities of the structure. Since there
is no such crime known to this Government
rs treason, since there is no oifense in re-
bellion, there is no sense or propriety in an
irOn-cad oath. Let it 20. 1t is no longer
of Ihe slightest consequence as an article Of
use or us a relic of antiquity.