American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-01

The New York Tribune is inclined to
what the late Artemus Ward called


SiTkstSUl.
cit was the era OF good feeling.and though
the price Of its continuance WAS openly an
nounced to be the wfping ost OF all the legis-
lation of the past eighteen years, we have
only do not revive the animosities OF the war,
but we consent TO sit by with hardly protest
service OF the Government they fought for TO
make room for those who fought against IL. 1t
kicked by mule. for he did shake he INST mt
father was a iacaassr We make no illusions
TO the past now.
This g era of good feeling" which
the Tribune contemplates with such
profound disgust, may be said to have
been originated by the originator OF
that journal. When Horace Greeley
went upon the bail bond of Jefferson
Davis, and at a later day proposed to
"shake hands across the bloody
chasm," he displayed magnanimity
which won the admiration Of all and
speedily provoked extensive imitation.
The s. stalwarts'' of his party never for
gave him for pulling down the bloody
shirt and hosting the olive-branch, and
when in 1872 he came before the coun-:
try as a Presidential candidate, they
vented their wrath by hunting him into
lunatic's grave. The paper which he
established, and which owes all its
prestige and power to him, is now in
close alliance with his assassins.
Mr.. Greeley's idea was that, the war
being over. the fighting might as well
cease; that the Union being restored,
the States composing it had equa. rights
under the Constitution and should be
allowed to enjoy them; that Federals
and Confederates being on the same le-
gal footing, the latter should have the
same chance as the former in the scram-
BILE for office; in short, that being one
country and one people, with no slavery
to quarrel over, the continuance of sec
tional agitation was both unwise and
unpatriotic. The only talk about
"wiping out legislation" came from
those radical Republicans who wanted
no reconciliation at any price, and who,
led by Chandler and Blaine, have been
stirring up strife ever since No DEM
ocrat has ever proposed to disturb any
legislation intended to preserve the
legitimate fruits of the war, but no
Democrat had or has the slightest hesi-
tation in sweeping away any and all
legislation designed to perpetuate. Re-
publican rule. rs.5.7 - IS - SO !.
The Tribune, having buried its cons.
sistency with Greeley. favors an "era
of good feeling in which Republicans
will always feel good and Democrats al
ways feel bad. That is, the Repubii-
cans must always have possession Of the
Government and all the offices. and the
Democrats always remain in the minor
ity. Any attempt to change the minor
ity into a majority. and thereby obtain
a share of the Administration. is, from
the Tribunian ssiand-point. incipient
treason, and must be regarded and
treated accordingly. Democrats may
vote providing they do not outvote the
Republicans; but the moment they
threaten to do this " the National
PERIL looms up, and ssthe new re-
bellion" must be put down at all haz-
ards. 1t is not strange that after fifteen
years experience of this game the peo-
Pile should have come To understand it
thoroughly and treat it with the con-
tempt It deserves. The fact the Demo
Gratis now have control of both branches
of Congress. with cheerful prospect Of
gaining the Presidency, proves that the
popular mind is no longer shaken up by
Republican predictions of Democratic
deviltry, and that the era of good
feeling will hereafter not be altogether
as one-sided as it was.- Louis hepab-
lean