The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-04
THE REVOLUTIONIsTs.

~
come, and that issue depends entirely upon
the courage, determination and ability OF the
friends Of the constitution, who are in small
majority In both the Senate and the House Of
Representatives
Until the close Of the Forty fifth Congress,
on the fourth of March, the Republican party,
for more than seventeen years. had had abso-
Lutte control of the Federal government.
During that long period of almost irrespon-
sible power the Republican leaders pur-
sued persistently, un5crupulously and with
great power and ability, revolutionary
policy the object Of which was to destroy the
character OF the government as established
in the constitution, and convert 1t into
a strong centralized government. The re-
construction laws, the financial scheme, the
multiplication Of Federal officials, the stock
ing Of the Supreme Court, and the appoint
ment Of subservlent justices to the bench,
the use OF tho troops at the elections, the
election laws-in short all those multitudn-
GUS measures OF violence, usurpation and
political oppression, spoliation and persecu-
ton, best characterized as Grantism, were
set on foot and carried out for the purpose Of
destroying the independence of the States
and establishing military and moneyed
| oligarchy under the control Of the Republi-
| can party.
| The Democratic party has persstently re-
sisted these encroachments upon the rights
of the States and these innovations on the
constitution, and on that issue 1t has at
length obtained control Of the two houses
Of Congress after a period Of eighteen
years. In the last presidential election the
Democrats also captured the Presidency aid,
but for the most shameless and Ubiquitous
system Of fraud on record, backed by a con-
spiracy equally as shameless, and far more
audacious, they would now be able, by the
ordinary processes of legislation, to remedy
4 the wicked work of Capitalization. But as it
is the fraudulent President, with the veto
power In his hand, and sustained and insti-
gated by the boldest, most powerful and IN
scrupulous Of the conspirators, stands in the
way to preserve the abuses his party has en-
grated, not upon the constitution, but upon
our legislative and political methods.
This has forced the Democrats, for the pur-
pose Of re-establshing the supremacy Of the
constitution and restoring the real character
of the Federal government, to resort to strong
and determined measures which will force
| the fraudulent President to accept the repeal
Of the most obnoxious and tyrannical Of the
Federal election laws, or assume the respon-
slblity OF defeating the consttutionalsts and
| paralyzing his own administration and all
! departments of the government. This is a
bold and, many seem to think, q perilous
movement; but 1t is wise, aud it means that
able craftsmanship and fearless leadership
have at length obtained the ascendancy In
/ Democratic councils.
The Republicans, Of course, have marshaled
all their eloquence and ability to oppose and
defeat the plans Of the Democrats. They
Justify declare that the Rebel South has
captured Congress; that the repeal of the
election laws will give loose rein to murder
and bllldozing in the South; that the action
of the Democrats is illegal, lawless and revo-
| lutlonary. But so far their fierce decla ma
ton and furious charges have not caused the
| Democratic line to waver either In the Senate
or the House. Every Bourbon Is at his post,
and stands determined to signalize the advent
OF his party into power by . great measure
which will do more than all the speeches, and
protests, and subsidies that can be made or
granted III dozen years to sestore tranquil
lily to the country, quiet at our elections and
fraternity Of feeling between the sections.
| The Democrats need not fear the Republic
can howl about revolution. The Republicans
themselves are the revolutionists. The Dem
ocrats need not be deferred from the perform
anee OF their great duty by the pleadings Of
the Republicans and the money power for
4 "a nrf ha ia MT ace ~ IN
would lull the country into security, that the
wrong and abuses which eighteen years OF
Republican revolutionary Legislation have
engrafted in our political system may be cor
rected by ordinary legislation.
/ No better or more vigorous answer could be
made to these pretended friends Of the Repub-
| lie and these mistaken reformers, who would
have great wrongs and abuses In govern
ment corrected without disturbing the tran
quill current Of affairs, than was made to those
Of another period and country by the great
British philosopher and statesman, Sir James
Macintosh. But" said he, lit Is objected
these institutions might have been gradually
reformed; the spirit Of freedom would have
silently entered; the progressive wisdom O
an enlightened nation would have remedied
| III pEOCeSS VI tlIue, I1elI ueleCLS, WlLupuU COLI
WILSON'S. To this l confidently answer
that these institutions would have
destroyed liberty, before liberty had corrected
their spirit. Power reigns with more rigol
after these gentle prunings. A slender reform
amuses and lulls the people; the popular en-.
thusiasm subsidies; and the moment Of effec-
tual reform is irretrievab. y lost. No imnor
tant political improvement was ever obtained
in a period of tranquility The corrupt In.
| terest Of the governors Is so strong and the
cry Of the people Is SO feeble that it were
vain to expect it. Whatever Is
good ought to be pursued at the moment it Ii
attainable."
We commend these true and noble utter
ances to our Democratic fellow-citizens te
the people, indeed, at large, who hope and dc.
sire to see the abuses In both the Federal
and State governments reformed. They are
words which every Democratic representa-.
tive should be familiar with. They are not
the formulation Of a mere philosophical