The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-04-04

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province and duty, no thinking mar
can fail to see shat such a course ~
this could not have been pursued b,
the politicians in power at Washing
ton, if the officers of the Federal ar
my as body had understood theil
true relations to the government o.
United States, and been animated by
proper respect for the Constitution
and the laws of the country.
We are sorry to say that Genera
Sherman stands convicted out of hi;
own mouth of singular ignorance Of
singular Indifference on both Of these
points. II challenge any man," he ex
claimed on Saturday, "to say that any
officer or soldier of the army has no,
done his whole duty as citizen to pro.
tect the weak against the strong."-
The form OF this challenge embodies
the worst accusation that can be
brought against the army. The tasl
of protecting the weak against tn,
strong" belongs in this country, not tt
the officers and soldiers of the army
but 20 the civil magistrates. The ar
my, under the direction of politicians
at Washington, has interfnrre,l with
the authority of the law. 1t has bee,
made an arbiter in political contests
and q Judge of elections. It has beer
used to set up and pull down Govern.
ors and Legislatures. The people OF
the United States are getting tho.
roughly sick of this. The opinion is
fast becoming universal outside OF
small Government aud political cliqnes
that, If this il to remain a government
of laws. the army must be sent back to
attend to the business for which it il
raised and paid by the authority of the
representatives, of the people. 1t is
pleasant to have General Sberman's
word for it that every Federal Ameri.
can soldier may he trusted us infallibl,
in the performance of such delicate du
ties as managing elections and purg
ing Legislatures, but even his guaran.
tee is not quite good enough to over,
come the wholesome scepticism on thi.
matter which we have derived from
many generations of free ancestors
We prefer that citizens should attend tt
these duties themselves and effect thei,
purposes through the agency of the
courts; and that our soldiers should b.
left free to devote themselves to fight
ing the enemies of the nation and hold.
ing the Federal forts and frontiers
We prefer this for the sake of the army
as well rs of the country. The army
exists only by the will Of the people
and for tile service of the people,
What is most surprising III our recen
history is not the wisdom of the arm!
but the patience of the people. NJ
matter how impe:tinent or iudecen
the errandS on which the soldiers of TIT
United States have been employed, ou
citiEens everywhere have shown a res
t,ect for THE uhitrfm which tho wearer,
of the uniform have too rarely shown
for the power which commissions then
To wear it. This respect for the uni
form can scarcely be expected to sur
vive forever in the minds of those t,
whom tile uniform is constantly ap
pealing as the symbol of outrage; an,
the only way to save our army from
degradation is to take measures to pre-
vent it's employment hereafter in un
! lawful and unconstitutional services
Military law in time of profonn'
peace is as bad as mob law. Genera
Sherman will do well to reconsider hi
views on this subject, and to brin
| himself into harmony with the popnla
sentiment which has determined eithe
that the army shall retRrn to the per
formance of its proper duties or tina
there shall be no army. He will do wei
to understand that newspapers whic
insist that he and the men under hir
shall still be used in overriding tit
popular will in Soath Carolina an
Louisiana are not the allies of the az
my bnt its worst enemies. If it come
to be a question: between the existenc
OF the Federal army and the existenc
of State governments, the doom of til
army is sealed. 1t would be pity tha
so great a soldier as General SlIerma,
aud one who takes such delight in HI
profession, should be compelled, as
former years, to take to the practice {
law or banking or teaching school,
Plain words in such a case rs this al
best.-[N. Y. World.
l.. THE hopes Of Hayes are that h
will be able to get an Administrative
majority in the House, through a di
Greet nse Of his Southern patronage
and by promises of large expenditure
of public money in Southern intern
improvements. The bargain he is tr.
ing to make is utterly discreditabl
and it is gratifying to see that 80 Fl
: the Fraudulent President has not su