Year: 1870

Fourth Of July.


Tammany Hall has Issued It's pronuncia-
mento for the Forth Of July. 1t comes to us
in the shape Of an invitation to attend this
years celebration by the Sachems OF the
national anniversary in the wigwam, at ten
o'clock in the morning. The document is
regular democratic stump speech, in good,
clear print, surmounted by pair OF star
spangled banners, neatly colored, one on each
side Of the temple Of the constitution, and is
very imposing affair to look at, though some


what disappointing to read as the latest expo
sition of the views of Tammany on the politi-
cal issues Of the day.


In the outset Of this manifesto we are
gravely warned that "although our noble
fabric of government is not yet hundred
years old, yet, within few years, thoughtful
men have been heard to express their fears
that the day of its ruin is close at hand" or
course, by the party out Of power these fears
are always expressed. It has been so from
the time of Washington to this day, and will
be so, perhaps, for thousand years to come.
Next we are told that during our late civil war
personal liberty" was subjected to arbitrary
force," and that personal rights "were
treated with scorn by unscrupulous men,"
Granted; but have not these proceedings as
among the necessities of the terrible struggle
for our national existence been endorsed over
and over again by the American people9 Yes.
Then why not drop this stupid complaint of
arbitrary violations Of personal rights during
the war as among the dead issues Of the past
How else are we to have universal amnesty2
Then we are told that even now the entire
South is without stable, civil government"
and that both fraud and force are employed to
control the Southern elections. There is some
truth in these complaints, but they are not
''the whole truth )" for, all things considered,
Southern Reconstruction, under General Grants
administration, may be set down as great
success.


Next comes this particular accusation
against "the powers that be" at Washington =
''Not content with destroying the freedom of
elections at the South, Congress has this ses-
sion enacted law the purpose of which is TO
control elections in the North, by like applica-
tions of terror and fraud" This is all mis-
take. The law in question is intended to ter
rify the repeater and ballot stuffer, and to pro-
tect the honest voter, and we dare say
that honest men will so find in it
its practical operation. The Tammany
Sachems tell us, however, that ''this is not the
old form of government, 80 dear to all true
Americans;" but here, again, they are mis-
taken, for the power given by the old consti-
tuition to Congress to regulate elections for
Congress is broad and full. Read it Cart l.,
sec A.: s'The times, places and manner Of
holding elections for Senators and Repre-
sentatives shall be prescribed in each State by
the Legislature thereof; but (mark the but y
but the Congress may at any time, by law,


make or alter such regulations, except (mark
the only exception y except as to the place of
choosing Senator'S"


The Sachems, however, are consoled with


''the hope of better things" They see in the
people TO protact themselves" We re-
member that the democracy were as hopeful
in 1868 from the local elections of 1867; but
it was shown that, like the elections of 1862,
those of 1867 signifed nothing. In the next
place, after assuring us that all the issues of
the war are settled, the Sachems tell us that


1--WE have now one great task to perform, to
tito re-establish promptly, in all its
completeness, the old government" God
forbid, say we. The old governments COM
promise with slavery-was government
under the control of a slaveholding oligarchy,
and we rejoice that it is among the
things Of the past. To form the Union
the trainers of the constitution were
compelled to recognize and protect
not only slavery, but the African slave trade.
1t was the best they could do to get the Union
established, and they hoped that slavery would
soon die out as then it appeared to be dying
out. But after that Whitney's invention of the
cotton gin made the negro in the cotton field
a cash article, and we know the rest of the
history of "the old government in its COM
pleteness" with the Dred Scott decision. This
task of its re-establishment is sheer nonsense.


The Sachems have reason, on the other
hand, to crow right Justify over the good work
done in behalf of municipal rights by our late
democratic Legislature; though they are
making the contrast too absurdly strong in
saying that the federal administration and
Congress during the last five years have
accomplished nothing. Are the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments nothing?
Is the reduction Of the public debt, under
General Grant. at the rate of hundred mil
lions year nothing? Is the restoration Of all
the late rebel States to Congress-, under this
administration, nothing? Are the tax reduc-
tions made nothing9 Is one hundred millions
surplus in the Treasury nothing? Is the reduc-
ton Of the gold premium to eleven per cent
nothing9 We must say that, as party pro-
nunciamento, this edict from Tammany Hall
signifies nothing, or that as nothing more than
rfb ~ TnI Init ofT Tor, Ara-