Year: 1877

DIsHONOR ENTAILS ITS OWN DOOM.


There Is no virtue in vaunting, nor is the
selfsssertion Of integrity proof Of personal
upriehtnesS This world does not receive
the claims Of individuals or parties to be
actuated by high motives at the full value
attached TO them by those who put them
forth, nor, indeed, in any sense, as basis
OF judgment upon the merits involved;
but, rather as a standard Of worth set up by
themselves, whose accord or contrast with
the final exhibit will be the redemption OF
the pledge, or the condemnation of its fail
ure. Nor, happily does an enlight.
ened public accert the estimate Of men,
severally or collectively. as announced
by their enemies; and this is fortunate for
all, since no man is so favored as to escape
being traduced by enemies. If he is good,
the bad will revile him; II he Is wise, the
fools will join against him; and If he is
great, the small will decry him. Hence
there is no security for any who have at
tributes and qualities which excite envy
they only going unassailed who have
nothing to distinguish them from the com.
mon herd, which disdairs a victim of so
mean sort.


So much of ethics may enable better
understanding Of the arts of politics
and public life; and we submit
that in the light of this expe.
rience, confessed of all, the criticism
OF profession loudly proclaimed, and
thus established as criterion upon their
future conduct, falls heavily upon the
deeds Of the Democracy. They arrogated
TO themselves, in the beginning. all the
virtue and patriotism Of the country, aud
invited the judgment Of mankind upon the
honesty Of their aims in seeking to gain
control OF the Government. Then, there
was nothing so sacred as the rights Of the
States, and nothing more monstrous than
the invasion OF State limits by Federal
troops for the preservation Of order at the
polls. Under the rule Of the Democracy
there would be no such violations
of the Constitution and of the policy
Of the Government set up by our
fathers. But no sooner was the election
over, and the result declared against them,
than these worshipers at the shrine Of State
rights insisted upon the power of the Fede.
raj Government to 60 behind the duly Ger.
tilted and recorded official returns of the
State elections, and to inquire into ques.
tons Of competency and fraud which have
never before, even by the ultraist Of Fede.
rslists, been supposed to be within the
Jurisdiction of any branch Of the Federal
Government And having.by their own ex.
ertions created tribunal to determine the
question for them, and the decision being
adverse TO the right Of the Federal power
to exercise such authority in rela.
ton to matters exclusively con.
fided to the States, they resolved
to go behind this unfavorable return also,
and to ignore the decision they had in.
voked. And caring nothing that the credit
OF the country is at stake, nothing for It's
peace and prosperity, nothing for Its future,
nothing that the principle upon which the
Government rests is brought into distavor
amor z the nations Of the earth, or that
millions may live under the scepter
Of the despot In after. times, whose lot
might have been liberty, but for them
caring nothing for all this, and only
for the spoils Of Office, they are
ready to plunge blindly into the gulf OF
sedition and revolution, to accomplish the
purpose Of flching the Government from
the hands Of the people, or bring 1t down
upon their heads.


What, then, will he the judgment of the
world which history will record of them ,
1t can be no other than that they belied
their profs ssions, violated their faith tram.
pied upon the law of their own making,
and sought to destroy the country because
they could not rule it. And further, that
betraying truth, they chose error,
impeaching wisdom they invoked folly,
and arraigning justice, they confessed
crime. For of all this they have been
guilty in their aspersions of the judges,
and attempted avoidance of their judg.
ment.