Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-09-24

numbered, more Inhn TWO 10 one
They had elected President sworn
to preserve, protect and defend thu
constitution, for compensation O
twenty-five thousand dollars per an
mum, but the enemies Of the constitu
tion secured him TO their side by Civ
ing him, in the form Of presents, more
than his legal salary would amount tc
in four years. When the private gilti
ceased, Congress presented him witt
an equal amount out Of the public
treasury, and so his administrator
became an anti.constitutional job from
beginning to end. The army and navy
and all the executive departments, the
whole organized physical force, all the
offices and all the money OF the Nation
were in hostile hands. Every atom O.
this mighty power was thrown against
liberty and justice. The Southern
States were wholly deprived of theii
autonomy, their governments crushed
out, their people placed under the ab
solute domination of notorious thieves
while in the commonweal.hs Of the
North, as well as in Congress, legisla
tion was controlled by great rings or
ganized to enrich themselves by rob
bing labor Of the bread 1t earned. Oul
usurping rulers, entrenched in power
which they thought irresistible, assert
ed that the constitution had been shot
to death in the war, that the State,
consequently had no rights, and the
people no liberties, which Federal au
tbority was bound to respect. They
claimed the power TO suppress news
papers for publishing the truth, tC
knock down judges on the bench fol
administering the law, to kidnap anC
imprison free citizens for expressing
their honest opinions. Pretending t
leave US the privilege of the ballot
they used successfully every form o
Srss end gbe fsaqd & ntRaeeSc 5 e yqtsTs
will, and to ialsify election returns
Superadded to these indignities ant
ou.rages was the pressure of public
debt so heavy and public expenses Sc
scandalously extravagant that taxei
absorbed all the profits Of industry
whereby the rich became richer ant
the poor poorer; wealth accumulated
and men decayed. Does history tel
us of any nation more deplorably sit
uated 2 The outlook of Prometheus
chained to the rock, with vulturei
gorging themselves upon all the lobei
of his liver, seemed scarcely 80 hope
less. Some of our best patriots
despaired of the Republic and greatly
feared that the institutions established
by the fathers of the county were ir
rccoverably lost by the degeneracy o
their sons.
In these most unfortunate circum
stances how did the great body of tn
people behave2 The mighty and puis
SAINT Demos-he of the "invincbl
locks"-wbat did he do2 He took N
the huge burden of his debt and walk
cd away like Samson with the gate
OF GAIA upon his shoulders. He soil
cd his conscience with no thought Q
reputation, but worked on with ever,
limb stretched and every muscle swell
cd, until he paid the hal fof all he wa
bound for and made his securities 70
the other half as good as gold. In th
meantime he looked after the oorrup
combinations that were squanderin
the proceeds of his labor, and deter
mined to have have government tha
would pay some attention to his wishes
his interests and his rights. In spit
of fraud, falsehood, and brute force
the numbers of the anti.constitutions
faction in the National Legislature d,
creased until they became n minorit
in both branches. At the last Pres
Dental election their candidate wa
defeated by an overwhelming majorit
and could only be counted in by q mos
impudent fraud. Was not this muc
to bc accomplished in 80 short a tim
and under so many disadvantages2 |
similar circumstances the Roman POI
uius would have been (as in fact it was
utterly debauchcd and the spirit of th
Athenian Demos would have been brC
ken or excited to rash and ruinous insul
rection, by half Of what we endured
1t is something to be proud of, that W
alone OF all Democratic people restore
our institutions after they were nc
only wrecked but rotten.
These peaceful victories, more re
nowncd than those OF war, have no
only promoted in a general way th
great cause in which they were wor
but their direct and immediate fruit
have been most beneficial. Innumera
bic swindles have been exposed an
punished unlawful combinations hav
been broken up and many million
saved Of the public money. The car
pet-thcves are ION the run" or els
overtaken by the laws, and sent to th
proper penitentiaries. This vcnal crev
which at one time rioted in the pos
session Of ten State governments, an,
occupied the seats Of sixty representa-
tives in Congress, with twelve in th,
Senate, have vanished from the politi
cal stage and many of their oflicia
abcttors in the North have been scourg
cd back to tho powerless obscurit,
from which they ought never to hav
emerged.
Our struggles for justice in tn
courts, the reclamation Of our right
through the press, upon the hustings
and in the legislative assemblies Of tn
States and the Nation, have produces
striking moral effect on tho mind
of our adversaries themselves. The,
have not given up their dcspotic theor!
of government, but their practice is in
finitely less cruel than 1t used TO be
They still assert that they took I'D
vantage Of the military force whicl
the war gave them TO kill the consti
tuition, and that they did actually pu
IL TO death; but they have left Of
the habit Of insulting its memory
They continue 10 deny tho rights O
the States but they have quit holding
them down to bo plundcred and trod
den upon. They declare with as mucl