National Republican., 1878-12-04

""' shN hess'N y AspeshSN' She 'N"~ss~s
Of the Copperhead hosts ut the North from
1861 to 1855, and we find him now at the
head of the rebel column, the first to spring
to the front and make the halls Of Congress
vocal with the "rebel yell" and to push on
q charge against the President and his dig
nifed, mild, and patriotic utteranccs to
Congress. The offense of the President is
one that cannot be forgiven. As the Chief
Magistrate and constitutional ruler Of all
the United States he has treated oil Sec
tions alike for nearly two years In the con-
duct of his administration. lie has afforded
every State in the Union ample oppor-
tunity to prove its allegiance TO the
Union, the Constitution, and the laws
in its own conduct. He trusted to the
honor Of South Carolina as he did to that of
Massachusetts, and to Louisiana as to
Maine, for q faithful allegiance to the Gov
ernment and laws of the common country.
For nearly two years he has yielded his i'm
plicit confidence and most generous trust to
the Southern States, so recently in rebel
lion, hoping that they would appreciate his
for in a hearty subordination to the laws of
the country and in proper respect for the
rights Of citizenship guaranteed by the Con-
stitution of the United States. He waited
patiently and trustiully for the South to
manifest its true inwardness" in its own
way and time, and he had only to wait for
the first important election to transpire to
find the rebels of 1861 again in open rebellion
against the laws of Congress and the rights
of citizenship He admonished the South
that he should hold it in strict responsibility
| to the laws of the nation, and he received
in return therefor the jeers and taunts Of
rebel hearts, rebel tongues, and rebel pens,
His authority was despised and defcd. The
laws were ruthlessly trampled upon, and
the rights of citizenship shamelessly out
ragged. The elections passed, leaving behind
record that challenged the attention OF
the Chief Magistrate, and he courteously
but quite emphatically called the attention
Of Congress to the spirit of rebellion that
had broken out in acts of violence against
the laws and the rights OF citizenship.
This is his ofIcnse, and this the occasion
of an carly onslaught from the rebel Demo
Gratis in Congress. The record has been
made. The Democratic party, through its
leaders, WooD and Cox, have revealed the
true spirit aud attitude of the party at this
era in our national history. 1t is that of re-
sistunce to the Government and the laws
and immunity for outrage and crime. The
party has not changed position since 1s5 t.
when it declared its hostility to the Union
and Constitution by dcnouncing the war to
crush rebellion n miserable failure. Its eu-
nifty to this Government is in no degree
Slucatcd. Its hate for the Federal Consti-
tuition and laws is in no degree modified
and the difference is only this-thc spirit o
rebellion has not yet openly taken up arms
against the integrity aud power of the Gov
crnment of the United States. 1t has, how
ever, done, and is doing, all that is rebelliOus
and revolutionary but that, and it is now
but short step to open aul general insur-
rection if we can judge the future by the
past, and the existing symtoms of the old
disease are to be trusted