Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-06-04
Republican Ammunition.

Entirely impotent TO inaugarale new
measures for the relief aud prosperity
of the country, the Republican leaders
despair of success from any new issue
that may arise, The dead past had
to them It's beauties The tales OF blood
shed and violence, to which currency
was given, were taught with power
to obscure the the leprosy of cor
ruption The cry of "rebcl" was
on answer to every sin OF omission
ana commission, The now desperate
straits of the party render it necessary
for them to decide upon some treat
ment, and after careful consultation IL
is determined to apply the old slim
ulants to its passions, and by invoking
its hate solldify its ranks. 10 accomp
lish this, Senator Edmunds is to in
troduce resolution into the senate
declaring that the recent amendment
of the constitution are part thereof
and should be enforced. 1t Is like
resolving that two and two make four
Every one knows that the amendments
are a part of the constitution and rs
such will be entored aud respected.
But it rs hoped that debate will ensue,
and bad blood be spilled. Then the
Republican press will make a new at
tempt to fire the northern heart Al
ready the 'bloody shirt" has been flung
to the breeze in the house Of represen.
tatives by the Republicans, and the
most strenuous efforts made to revive
the old sectional debates. These efforts
have been frustrated thus far by. the
wisdom and moderation of the Dem
ocracy, but the same cry OF "rebels
will enter into the coming campaign.
TO make the "bloody.shlrt' cam
paign more palatable to people alread.
sickened with its gross inconsistent
cies, the New York Tribune has
prepared list Of so.called "rebel
claims for debts and improvements,
introduced by sothern members of the
house of representatives, and with this
as a text has preached against the
growing power of the Democracy.
The Radical guns Of lighter callbre
throughout the land, loaded with the
same material, have responded to the
signal gun Of the Tribune and the
ball having been set in motion, the
stump orators will this fall be supplied
with little supplementary addition to
their well-worn tale of outrage aud
terror with to enthuso the people.
Although not a new scarecrow, the
rebel.caims dodge will be presented
for the purpose of alarming the north
ern citizen conserving his pocket.
These claims are duplicated and
Implicated in some instances to swell
the amount Of the Tribune's list, until
grand total of $l50,000,OOO has
been reached. The fact is ignored
that claims no more just have been
allowed by previous Republican
congresses, and that appropriations
for improvements and for the paymen5
of northern claimants, exceeding in
amount the whole of the bonafide and
and bogus southern claims, have been
asked by northern representatives in
this congress. The statement has
been boldly made that the southern
members of congress mean to bank
rupt the government with their de-
mand on the treasury, and the average
Republican editor is repeating it TO
his readers with equal gustO as though
he really believed it. 1t is asserted
that the south means to obtain pay
for its freed slaves and destroyed
property; and absurd as these charges
seem, they will be followed by others
equally ridiculous and unreliable.
They will be the stock.in trade Of the
Republican stump orators, and will
be served in liberal doses to Republican
readers
), As far as the payment tor slaves
and debts Of the confederate states is
concerned, that is forever settled by
the latter part Of the fourth clause Of
the fourteenth amendment to the con-
st,tutiop, which holds this language