Year: 1866

From the New York Herald


No person can contemplate the action OF
Congress without forebodings for the future.
This is to US the darkest hour in the history Of
| the country. II is true that we have crushed
an extensivean powerful rebellion. The die
| puted question in regard to the Interpretation
of the constitution has been appealed to the
arbitrament of arms, and settled. 1t has been
disposedof finally and forever by the removal


of the cause Of disagreement, in the total
| abolition of slavery. In thisdecision the peo-
pie in the revolted sections have acquiesced,


and now come back, asking from the govern
.ment the privilege of enjoying all the bless
| ings of restored Union and the exercise Of
their legitimate rights under it. At this
point they are met by Congress, which de-
family refuses them admittance; thus, in ef-


feet, saying that those States which could not


secede by passing ordinances of secession,
which could not sever their connection with
the Union by the sword and bayonet. are


nevertheless outby the viii Of Congress. Thus
the nation, which has been convulsed by war,


and is now longing for peace and reunion, is
kept under agitation by fanatical and rev.
olutionary Congress. Nor is this all. The
daily records of the proceedings of that body
are filled with infammable torches, which,
being applied to the body polite, are
kindling the fires of another revolution more
extensive, fierce and relentless than that
from which we have just emerged. The
Jacobins in Congress are doing their ut
most to bring about war of races-the
worst of all wars. Instead of pursuing a
course of pacifcation they are trying to stir
up strife, and are sowing the seeds which
sooner or later, If they continue, will deluge
the streets of our Northern cities and the
plains of the South with rivers of blood.
There will be scenes Of bloodshed to which
the Instructions of St. Domingo and ia


maica, with all their chapters of horror,
will furnish no comparison.


The enemies of this country in Europe
were constantly predicting during our late
war that it made no difference whether the
North succeeded on the battle field or not
the Union was destroyed and the country
could never be united again. The South,
they declared, might be whipped, but they
would never renew their allegiance to the
Union. We have already seen how false
and erroneous has been this prediction.
Even those who were the loudest in pro-
claiming it have long since admitted their
error But instead Of this evil threatening
us we have one still more formidable, preg-
nant with the most dire results. Towards


this we are drifting with an alarming


velocity. The war for the preservation OF


the Union has ended. The Chief Magistrate


of the nation inaugurated a policy under
which the country was rapidly changing
from a warlike attitude to that Of peace.
Our gallant soldiers are rapidly returning to


their homes and resuming their places


around the family freside Just at this


stage Congress assemblies, and at once arrays


itself against this course OF events Not only


is the revolutionary faction which con-


trolls that body laboring to arrest this


march Of peace, but they are plunging us


into inextricable difficulties. Before the


blood of our soldiers who fell in battle is


cold, or the grass is green upon their graves,


the Jacobins are endeavoring to force war


of races upon the country, and carry DESC


lation to the very heart of cur populous


cities and thriving villages. Here We stand,


nation burdened by an enormous debt,


with the tax gatherer at each elbow; our


commerce, which was nearly driven from


the sea, again trying to resume its place I;


one section of the country paralyzed by the


stern events of war, yet struggling TO arise,


Phenix-like, from the ashes, and yet Con-


gress actually refusing to render assistance,


and insisting upon adding fuel TO the flame


and holding the country down with its fa-


natical grip-all for the purpose of retain


ing party supremacy. This is the picture


which is now presented to our view. This


is the feast which is now being prepared for


us BY those whom the people supposed were


their representatives in the National Legis-


lature. Sad as il is, painful as it may be


to look upon, it is, nevertheless, solemn


and living reality.


This revolutionary faction, under the lead


of their Dantons, Marats and Robespierres in


Washington, are instigating measures and


passing laws, upon the pretext of protecting


the blacks, that must eventually lead US to


direct conflict between the Anglo-Saxon and


African races in this country. Thus, while


pretending to be the friend fthe negro, they


are in reality his enemy, and Fastening the


day of reaction which will sweep him from


our land. The blacks, in their Joy over their


posed political rights, little dream Of the


volcano which is beneath them, or the fires


of destruction which their pretended friends


are kindling around them. A great noise is


made by the fanatics in Congress about dis


tinction of color; but the very steps which


they are taking is increasing that prejudice


and adding to that feeling which nature has


planted in the breast of every man. There
is point beyond which the people will not


be passive lookers-on. To that point we are
rapidly being pushed by the modern Jaco-
bins The people of the North realized but
little of the hsrdships of the recent war. We
saw the tax gatherer approaching our doors;
we saw the wives and daughters Of those
gallant soldiers who fell in battle put on the
weeds of mourning; we saw the manned
and crippled brought back from the
front; but beyond this it was but dream.
1t came and passed away like storm in
the winter, leaving here and there
mark indicating that something unusual had
transpired. The people in many sections of
the South, however, saw more of its solemn
realities. Familieswere broken up and homes
destroyed, all of which was but the legitimate
penalty Of rebellion and attempts to destroy
the government. But even this hardship
and suffering is small, in comparison TO that
which will follow the conflict that Congress
is forcing upon us. The fanatics Of that
body are leading us, step by step, into
bloody contest that will extend to every sec
ton of the country. It's evil results, its
hardships and devastation, will not be con-
fined to one section, but extend over all local.
tiles, east and west, north and south. A war
of races opens wide the door for rapine and
murder. II affects the highest and the
lowest We have but TO refer to the horri-
bic scenes that transpired in st Domingo
at the close of the last century and those
of Jamaica but a few months since 10
realize its horrors and dangers. During
our late war all could count upon the
enjoyment Of life. No person was in
danger of the bullet unless he was in front
when the contending armies stood face TO
face. But let war Of races be once fully
inaugurated-a at the present rate it will
come sooner than we expect-and the assas-
sin is at the door Of every citizen, at his side
when he walks the street, and he knows not
when he leaves his home in the morning
whether those whom he holds dear will be
alive when he returns at night. The contest
will be the most fierce in the South; for
there the races are more evenly balanced.
But il is idle 10 suppose that we shall escape
its dreadful results here. We write thus
earnestly, for we see the storm coming. We
see the fires Burning and Congress engaged
in tanning the flames and increasing the
danger. 1t is impossible to look dispassion-
ately upon their work without seeing the
dreadful calamity that win visit us unless
measures are taken TO arrest its progress.
We saw enough in the riots in this city, we
have heard enough of the deeds along the
valley of the Mississippi, to warn US Of the
danger ahead. Seeing the whole country
standing, as il seems to u.s. on the verge of a