The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-03-26
Across The Potomac.


10 Mississippi is almost frantic with
delight because a Washington jour
nal remarks that "the Copfederacy
has at last captured the Capitol I"
Eyes, thank God J" exclaims the pl-
GUS fire eater, I'VE have captured the
Capitol, and in 1880 our man will
"waIk up the White House steps and
take his seal in the Presidential
rohsir. Then will our glorious tri-
"umph be complete. Then viii we
proceed to tear your amendments
IRON the Constitution aud trample
them 10 the mire. Then viii We
'hreak the shackies you have forged
"for the free, sovereign and i~ndepeOd-
"eut commemorative Of the uuion
Then will we recognize the right of
''secession-a right that is not dead,
"but sleeping. Then will we deco
rate the Capitol with the pictures CT
Davis, aud Lee, ana Stuart, and all
"the glorious leaders of d cause that
sis not lost, bat living still Yes,
thank God, we have captured The
Capitol, aud from that coigne Of
"vsntsge we propose TO rule the Re-
'public 10 a way that will make your
Radical laws and your Radical
'1eaders forever odi0us ia America ="
This sounds rather wild; aud the
gentleman who is screaming is prob
ably a person Of no individual con
sequence, as his paper is certainly
not an organ of commanding import.
aDce. Yet the most extragagaBt
outcries of the Southern press are
not without their significance. Pbe
literary swashbuckler who fills him
sell with gunpowder aud new whis-
XIV, and laws a raw-hide on the table
before him when be begins to de
molish the Radical party and defend
the sacred rights Of the South, is not
an awe inspiring figure but be does
very often express the sentiments Of
bis neighborhood, and forecast the
policy Of his party.
There is not much doubt al any
rate that the ruling passion of the
suutL OF Prorvnv is ~ usuupie the
Constitutional Amendments in the
mire-wbieh, indeed, has already
been done 10 most Of the reconstruct
ed States-snd 10 sweep away all the
Radical IL WIS" by which the Repub-
lican party attempted to secure the
results of the war when the rebel
States were allowed TO return to
their old places 10 the Union. Equal
rights, free suffrage, q fair vote, an
honest count, protection for the weak
and ignorant, were the only demands
which we made of the defeated party
at the end of the contest, ADD il was
to guarantee these things that the
Amendments and the Radical laws"
were enacted. While the Repubii-
can party held an u~ndisputed MAORI
ty in the country, We were assured
that the South accepted everything
on good faith. The Lost Cause was
lost forever. The doctrine Of equal
lty wss DO more to be denied either
10 practice or 10 theory. The Amend
ments were recognized without de-
mur. The laws passed in accord
ance with them were not to be dis
turbed. Nothing could have been
more satisfactory than the behavior
of the Co0federates so long as tines
were out of power, with no immedi
ate prospect of getting III. They
were so profqse 10 promises aud pro-
testatioDs that they almost seemed
to be more deeply attached TO the
Union than the soldiers who fought
for il.
With the first sign of a possible re-
turn Of the Democratic party to pow
er all these pleasant pretences are
suddenly abandoned. The spirit Of
secession, notification and rebellion
flames up ss hot as 1t was 10 1860
The Lost Cause is again a cause to
be fought for. The Northern Radi-
cal is an enemy 10 be cursed with
great sounding osths. The South
ern white Radical is an 'inceadiar,'
to be driven u of the country. The
niger is TO be taught bis place. And
Radical laws and Radical etaend-
ments to the Constitution, with all
other devices of oppression are to
be promptly tTodden in the mire.
There is nothing like sudden pros
perity to test q mans character. 81
CLEAN of good fortune works an in
Simultaneous change in our reconciied
brother. Last year be was the most
aa& geDteel of human beings:
be is as ~rueaispt as if be sill
owned niggers.
But this is not the hrst time the
Confederates have boasted of the
conquest of the Capitol before taking
il. They may remember previous
OF which they crossed the
Potomac we have no soabt that
hey slso remember the circumstsn-.
ces under which they went back
igsio. Before their glorious tri-
'umph is complete" they will have
% reckon with the ssn.s esstY which
net them at Antieiam and 0s,.ys-
burg N J Tribune. I,