Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-17

| ana violence had free course Who does
not Know that in four States in which Dem
| ocratlc victories were claimed but for shame
less intimidation and fraud the results would
have been overwhelmingly the other way,
But the sight and presence of the National
uniforms was irritating to Southern sensi
bllitlcs. When the present administration
came in, the National garrisOns were order
ed away from the South. Many other mark
ed acts of Cancellation were done. Two
STATE governments were OvcrlhrOwn. or nj
least suffered to fall Democrats selected
by Democrats were put in places of high
public trust Was not all this enough? Was
it not enough to placate even an unreasona-
bio spirit How was this extraordinary
confidence and concession received, how has
it been repaid: Murder has gone unpunish.
ed and undated oppression has cclipsed
the barharity and ferocity of slave-holding
days. The elections have been sorry
farce, suilocated in violence and wrong.
Life and property have been the spoil of
night riders and unpublished despcradoes.
Tissue ballots and force have decided when
Democratic majority could not otherwise
be obtained. The blacks by thousands have
fled in terror from the graves Of their muir
dered dead. This wicked, horrid policy has
not been pursued from mere cruelty or love
of wrong. There has been method in it
all BY such means the South has been
made solid. By these iniquities a political
party has gained possession of both houses
of Congress, first of the House Of Representa-
tives and at last of the Senate also.
Mr. Conkling then went at length into the
history of the past and thus summed up the
aggresslons upon the Nation of the dogma of
State rights: The denial Of rightful Ma
tional authority is sure 10 bring harm and
disaster. Two generations since Jackson's
time have seen the land strewn with wrecks
by the destroying dogmas of State SOW
ereignty. State rights brought on the
war with Mexico, to get more territory to
plant with slavery. State rights flung down
the Missouri compromise to spread slavery,
and wrung from the supreme court the
bred Scott decision. State rights sent the
army into Kansas, and by war, murder and
outrage attempted 10 force slavery upon her
and upon other coming States. State rights
hunted slaves in peaceful communities with
artillery and dragons. State rights dis
persed Legislatures with the army of the ma
ton. State rights plundercd the treasury
and Frustrated the credit of the country
State rights scattered our ships in distant
seas, stripped Northern arsenals of arms and
sent them to the South and put our armies
under traitors who surrendered them, and
all this was TO so arrange that the Govern
ment might be easily murdered in its bed
State rights waged the rebellion with its
mighty, murderous sacrifice of life and
treasure. State rights murdered Lincoln
and tried to murder his chief officers of
state. State rights now MAIN and murder
national officials in the discharge of their
duty. State rights since the war have per-
petrated nameless and numberless horrors,
making free government by maiorities I'M
possible in several States, and suhiecting to
worse than slavery race (which the nation
and all its citizens are bound before God and
man to protect. State rights Just of late
have grasped at still higher usrrpations.
When, before the war, or since, till recently,
dared any party to say that the Government
should be strangled and starved unless as
the price of itsexistence the President would
give up his duty and his oath ? Who before
ever dared TO say that the revenues paid by
the people should still be collected, but ar
rested and enlarged, while the Government
and laws should perish?
Everything of heresy and assumption,
which the war was fought to make an end
of forever, is again on the march to primacy
and dominion. Let us not by Indifference
suffer the foundation stones of the rebellion
to be laid deeper than before, Let us see
to it that the very stone which our armies
broke does not again become the head of
the corner Let New York call halt this
year, and her voice will resound and reach
far beyond her limits, and long after the
strife of this canvass has died away.