The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-20
The Assassin Stab at the Liberties Of
the Country.


The reconstruction measures ccpsti-
tuted bold attempt TO destroy our po-
litical system. and murder the liberties
of the people The essential guaran-
tees of freedom, extorted from the
crown after many centuries OF struggle
and bloodshed on the part OF the people
in England, secured in Magma Charta,
| and copied into our Constitutions,
were here, at single blow clover
down, and military despotism estab-
lished ON their ruins. Alas! for the
recklesspess of unhallowed ambition
and partisan cupidity. The partisans
who did it, knOtciHgfy set aside the
Constitution they had sworn to sup
port, and s,illtuily and ioantonts
trampled down its most sacred and es
sential provisions This was solemn
warning to the people against the dan
| gers attending even the most positive
guarantees of their liberties IN writ.
! ten Constitution. when the Dantons,
Robespierres and Marats have the lead
in public affairs. If the impeachment
of President johnson had been success
full, and Ben Wade had been put into
his place, the myrmidons of power,
under the lead of Thad Stevens, would
have taken the control of affairs, and
this country would have had to pass
through the horrid scenes of the French
revolution. By narrow escape the
country was saved such barbarous and
inexpressible calamities.
The attempt to run Grant for third
term was futile and remote expedient
to accomplish the same result. When
HAYES became President through the
extraordinary device of the Electoral
Commission, che was weak enough
(as the Radicals termed it) Ito think
that there was some vitality left in the
old Constitution" and therefore with
drew the army from the Southern
States And for this he was prescribed
and accommodated from his party,
and has never since had even respect
full recognition from the Radical major
ity. That the Radical majority intend
ed to continue the military Government
over the Southern States as subjugated
provinces for twenty years, as Thad
Stevens said, or until the relations OF
the Southern States as members of the
Federal Union were utterly destroyed,
is manifest and undeniable. They
made a mistake in Hayes, and public
opinion has been running against them.
That the radical Republican majority
intended reUOluti0g in our political
system; that they designed to use the
results of the war to destroy and blot
out the States. centralize all power IL
the Federal Government, is clear and
certain For this purpose the solemn
pledge of the public faith and honor
under the Crittenden Resolution was
shamelesslv repudiated. The destruc.
ton of what Clay denominated 1.-The
fairest fabric of human government thai
ever rose to animate the hopes of civil
lied man. was not only attempted ano
intended, but so far accomplished as
actually to destroy for time ten States
as members of the Federal Union.
Had this political party at the close
of the war carried out the pledge of the
Crittenden Resolution and restored the
Union, with all the dignity, equality
and rights of the several States unim-
paired" and aimed to cultivate peace,
amity and fraternity with the people OF
the Southern States, which true states
manship required, it would have Sc.
cured for itself the respect of the world
anu Tile luc IueJ
alasi the Radical leaders never rose to
comprehension of any such magnanim-
ity or elevation of thought. Lust OF
partisan power and public plumber filled
their minds. Revolution, the centrali.
cation of all power in the Federal Gov
eminent, and the destruction of the
Southern States as States of the Ameri-
can Union they viewed as essential tc
their partisan ascendency. For this
: they were willing to sacrifice not only
the Constitution and the Union, but the
last great experiment of man for free
government. Liberty! how many
crimes are committed in thy name!"
Truly has it been said:
Mans inhumanity TO man
Makes countless thousands mourn"
A man who murders, or attempts to
murder another man from base and
selfish purposes, is an object of abhOr-
renee to mankind in general. Bat
man, or set of men, who murder or at.
tempt to murder the liberties of a whole
. people, valued far beyond the sanctity
of human life, commits a crime which,
in turpitude and atrocity, defes the
power of human language to define OF
. express. Victor Hugo, with all hisgreat
descriptive powers. has taken a whole
volume to portray in his " History of
Crime the magnitude and atrOcity OF
the crime of the usurper, Louis Napo-
leon, in robbing the people of France Of
their liberties and substituting mill
tary despotism for the Republic of that
country .-Anlericdn Register.