The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-10
The Press and Banner.
Wednesday,, March 10, 1880.
"Grant ~" imperialism -"Scafe'
crOMS,N

We see now a great many learned arti-
Giles on the subjects OF "Grant' and I'm
pcrialisrn.' In the first place it seems to
us that a large number of the Democrat
ic writer's arc more exercised about who
shall not DO the Republican nominee for
President, than who shall be the Demo-
cratic nominee, forgetting at the same
time that we have little to do with the nc
ccpting or the rejecting of acandidate be-
fore the National Republican Nominating
Convention. Should Grant or anybody
else seek to assume the Dictatorship OF
this country, what would he seize II he
and a cotcric should take charge of the
CAPITAL he would do so at the hazard OF
his own life. Would not the State Gov
ernmcnts Immediately call the citizen
soldiery to arms and crush out any small
following he might have. As long as the
State Governments exist and the Govern
ors command the militia we cannot be
made the willing subjects OF a Dictator.
The strength of this government is in the
militia, and not in the regular army, and
as long as this is true the States would
very soon settle the question of Dictator
ship with any man seeking to grasp the
power.
In reference to the hideous ghost OF
"Imperialism," which these frightened
souls would hold up as a scare-crow to
their readers, and the learned illusions
which they make to Cromwell, to say the
least off ARE ridiculous as emanuting from
men who claim ommon sense, and pre-
tend to keep informed as to the pubic
sentiment of the country. We know OF
nothing worthy of comparison to it, ex-
cept the absurd declaration of the Radi-
Gals. that if the Democrats came into
power, the negroes would be put back IN
to slavery. In our opinion these Is aoso-
lutsly as much grounds for the belief OF
one story as the other. There are no I'M
pcrialists in his country. There is not a
single newspaper in the United States
that advocates the change of u form OF
Government, and our readers may per-
haps recolllect how oon q paper, started
in New York a year or two years ago adj
vocating Imperialism went down. That
fact was significant Of that other fact, that
there are no Imperialists in this country.
This country may at some future imeas-
sumo the I'm .yerial form of Government,
but it will do so when there is a large
element in the country desiring mat
change, and not before. If Grant or any
body else had been disposed to be Dicta-
tor of this country, his time was fifteen
wears ago when there were a million OF
men under arms-not now in a time OF
profound peace and unprecedented pros
perity, when the army consists of only
twenty-five thousand men. TO proclaim
a fear of Imperialism at this time is i'll
our opinion to proclaim ones W lack
of a knowledge of the public sentiment
of the country.
The great danger which threatens tins
country is in the growing spirit of CON-
munism which would uproot the settled
policy Of the country, and lower its STAN
dards of excellence. Under the many
guises which it is presented, it has many
advocates and supporters in every Sec
ton of the Union. Many reasonably in
telligent and liberty loving people have
unwittingly given their support to such
a party, under the belief that they were
resisting imaginary wrongs.