The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-09-29

rency, the taxation of government bonds, the
currency in which these bonds are payable,
civil rights acts, election laws, claims gro wing
out OF the war, claims for relunding the war
tax on cotton, the late amendments and
many other grave matters, no man can pre-
dict.
The army, too, is envied-its offense is
rank" Less than four lines of the revised
statutes are all that denies commissions in the
army to men who, educated at the country
cost, and presented with their country
sword, drew that sword against their coun-
try's lite. A bill to repeal these four lines is
now pending in the Senate, already passed TO
third reading by the solid Democratic vote
On the tventy-fith OF February last, Mr..
Heiskell, OF Maryland was relieved from the
operation OF this exclusion, and a Senator from
Arkansas moved as an amendment its total re-
peal. The yeas and nays were demanded, and
thirty-six Senators, every Democrat who was
present, voted yea. Ohio, New Jersey Penn
sylvania and New York contributed their
Democratic votes TO this Southern proposition
OF "reioTm." Subsequently the mover and
all concluded to reconsider and drop the
amendment "a sagacious conclusion in a
presidential year."
Mr.. Tucker, of Virginia. moved in the
House the repeal OF this safeguard to the army
as rider to an appropriation bill, but it was
| vi SlRnI On pOlnL Ol OTueT-h
| judicious point in "presidential year." The
Democratic majority put in the army bill a
provision that officers now in the army might
receive advanced rank and pay if they would
retire--a benevolent, thoughtful provision
certainly. But If body OF army officers
could thus be coaxed out OF the service, there
| would be 80 many vacancies TO be filled, and
filed by the President, by and with the ad-
vice and consent of a Democrats Senate.
When this free-will Offering was presented, a
cry arose about " "giit-bearing Greeks" and
other ingracious symptoms were manifested
on the Republican side, and so brevet rank
and brevet pay stand over at least till the
season OF Santa Claus.
Meanwhile the army has been reduced to
skeleton, and whenever a scare, a pretense a
| speck oil war on the Mexican border or else
| where can be discovered or invented, the
army must be increased and filled mp. Filled
| up by whoml That depends on the approach
| ing election. If Garfield and Arthur are
chosen, by Union men-men always tor the
Union 10 the core. II Hancock and English
and the Democratic party get in, by men who
event with their States" Confederate SOL
| diers would flock to the standard OF military
as well as OF civil service reform, and flock in
q iervor OF magnanimity and devotion ready
to let bygones be bygones, and to forgive the
| "usurpations OF LiVcoln" and the unconsti-
tutiOnal coercion OF sovereign States" Why
shouldn't they?
| Who would be warranted to assert that
| Confederate soldier was lalse Or imnlodest in
| protesting patriotic intentions wAile seeking
rank in the Army OF the Republic? No man
ought to assert it, and yet all lair men would
agree that, other things being equal, prefer
ments il the army should be given to those
| who fought in that army rather than to those
"a al.
nations lite.
The present tariff and revenue laws ar.
deemed very bad by the dominant element or
| the Democracy. They want to change them
| They will change them radically whenevee
| the way is clear. There is q whisky rebelf
lion now in several States, and the officers of
the law are powerless to suppress it. In Ala
bana the law is resisted, and the process cl
| the courts destl Dyed and defied. Recently a
war; ant was is utd d Tor the arrest OF one PEN
ton charged with such an oifense. A deputy
marshal went with posse to execute tine
warrant. In his report TO the marshal he says
Penton assembled from twenty. five 10 fifty
armed men and set him and the law at de
fance. When cautioned to desist, Penton
replied: q" When Hancock is elected this damn
foolishness will stop"
The thing to stop, thus piously predicted is
mild leverage so sacred to the Democratic
| heart, so gIateirtl to the Democratic stomach,
and so nourishing to Democratic principles.
Tho law is defied in Arkansas, and the officers
apply to the governor for t. g use OF the arms
OF the United States loaned 10 Arkansas, and
the governor replies that he dare not permit
the arms to be used, because if he should, and
il a moonshiner should be killed, he would
have to leave the State.
Washington raised an army when he was
President, and marched at its head to put
down such lawlessness; and lie kept the army
in Pennsylvania three months ait or it was put
down to sec that it did not get up again. Now,
there are thirty two soldiers OF the United
States in Alabama aud fity-seven in Arkan-
sas, and il a hundred more should be ordered
to either State, the country would not be big
enough to hold tho noise. Hancock's Order
No 40 would leap from the Democratic scab-
bard, and we should hear how "the military
must be always subordinate to the civil
power" and how "the courts are open.
These obnoxious laws are marked ior Ore
form and ga change" whenever the Demo-
cratic hand can reach them.
The recent amendments to the Constitution
and the laws made in pursuance OF them are
objects OF unabated Democratic wrath-a
wrath going to such excess as to compel the
belief that free fraud in elections is deem al
the only adequate means to party success.
These amendments Of freedom, especially Ib G
thirteenth and fourteenth, were established in
the Constitution against the most desperate
opposition the Democracy could make. AS
they gained power in States which had already
ratified them, in impotent pas ion the farce
was enacted of formally resembling and with
drawing the irrevocabe assent which haC
been finally given. This was done in indiana
| nd Mr. II in au
York.
Fromshrst to last, the organs OF Democratic
doctrine have declared these amendments il
legally carried-illegal, because Democratic
States that were out fighting were not in tC
vote. They never yet have said or admitted
that the amendments were legally adopted
They did say in national convention, in 1872
that they opposed reopening the questions
settled by the amendments, and they did say
in 1876, that they would accept them; bu
that they were legally valid they have neve
said.
These amendments are constantly and fla
grantly defed in more than half the Demo
cratic States, and have been for years. Tn
I laws enacted under them have been de
nounced in every form, and denounced a
, null and void, even since the supreme cour
l has solemnly decided otherwise. 1t was t.
, get rid OF these laws that the revolutionar
plot was lald last year 10 stop the wheels Q
government, to close the courts and postohl
7 ces, and put out the beacon lights on Sc
, and on lakes unless a repeal was yielded. Wit
thoroughbred Democratic President, what
ever may happen in form to the amendments
they will become more dead letter than
8 quickening spirit, and the laws made to en-
force them will be swept like leaves before
Q gale. Should these laws be swept away, an
Q should the spirit which assails them in tn
a South, and which called them into being cor
7 tinue to rage mildew will follow in the wake.
When Lincoln issued his proclamation c
l emancipation, men and women in this cit
, were maddened by being made to believe this
b. the slaves sci free would swarm to the Nortf
n crowd out white labor, and cut down il
v wages. The draft riots were largely incite
/ by this wicked insane pretense. Throughor
t tho North this was the appeal to the laborin
n man, and many members OF Congress wh