6
pie over those opposed to him and the
legions, his terrible instruments of wrong,
Sylla could yet feel safe in laying down the
ensigns of power so dreadfully abused, and
in mingling freely with the families and
friends of his myriad victims. The fear
which he had inspired continued after his
voluntary abdication, and even in retire
memFhis will was law to a people who had
permitted themselves to be enslaved.
What but a subtile knowledge and convic
tion that the Roman people had become
changed, discouraged, and utterly broken
in spirit could have induced this daring as
sumption ? What but public indifference
to consequences so terrible as to leave
Rome even to every calamity which subse
quently befell her could have justified the
conclusions of the dictator and tyrant in
his startling experiment ?
We find that in the time which has since
elapsed human nature and exigencies in
government have not greatly changed.
Who, a few years past, in contemplating
our future, could have supposed that in a
brief period of bitter experience every
thing demanded in the name of military
emergency, or dictated by caprice, would
come to be considered as mere matters of
course; that consumption, confiscation, loss
of personal liberty, the subjection ot States
to military rule, and disfranchisement, with
the extension of the right of suffrage mere
ly to accomplish party ends, would receive
the passive submission,if not acquiescence,
of the people of the republic?
It has been clearly demonstrated, by re
cent occurrences, that encroachments upon
the Constitution cannot be prevented by
the President alone, however devoted or
determined he may be, and that unless
the people interpose there is no power
under the Constitution to chock a dominant
majority of two tuirds in the Congress or
the United States. An appeal to the na
tion, however, is attended with too much
delay to meet an emergency. While, if
left free to act, the people would correct,
in time, such evils as might follow legisla
tive usurpation, there is danger that the
same power which disregards the Constitu
tion will deprive them of the right to
change their rulers, except by revolution.
We have already seen the jurisdiction of
the Judiciary circumscribed when it was
apprehended that the courts would decide
against laws having for their sole object
the supremacy of party, while the veto
power, lodged in the Executive by the
Constitution for the interest and protection
of the people, and exercised by Washing
ton and his successors, has been rendered
nugatory by a partisan majority of two
thirds in each branch of the National
Legislature. The Constitution evidently
contemplates that when a bill is returned
with the President’s objections it will be
calmly reconsidered by Congress. Such,
however, has not been the practice under
present party rule. It has become evident
that men who pass a bill under partisan
influences are not likely, through patriotic
motives, to admit their error, and thereby
weaken their own organizations by solemn
ly confessing it under an official oath.
Pride of opinion, if nothing else, has in
tervened, and prevented a calm and dis
passionate reconsideration of a bill disap
proved by the Executive.
This catalogue of crimes, lohg as it is, is
not yet complete, Ihe Constitution vests
the judicial power of the United States “in
one Supreme Court,” whose jurisdiction
“shall extend to all cases arising under
this Constitution” and “the laws of the
United States.” Encouraged by # this
promise of a refuge from tyranny, a citizen
of the United States who, by the order of
a military commander, given under the
sanction of a cruel and deliberate edict of
Congress, had been denied the constitu
tional rights of liberty of conscience, free
dom of the press and of speech, personal
freedom from military arrest, of being held
to answer for crime only upon presentment
and indictment, of trial by jury, of the writ
of habeas corpus , and the protection of civil
and constitutional government--a citizen,
thus deeply wronged, appeals to the
Supreme Court for the protection guaran
teed to him only by the organic law of the
land. At once a fierce and excited majori
ty by the ruthless hand of legislative power
stripped the ermine from the judges,
transferred the sword of justice to the Gen
erated remanded the oppressed citizen to a
degradation and bondage worse than death.
It will also be recorded as one of the
marvels of the times that a party claim
ing for itself a monopoly of consistency and
patriotism, and boasting, too, of its un
limited sway, endeavored, by a costly
and deliberate trial, to impeach one who
defended the Constitution and the Union
not only throughout the war of the rebel?
lion, but during his whole term of Office
as Chief Magistrate ; but at the same
time could find no warrant or means at
their command to brio? to trial even the
chief of the rebellion. Indeed, the remark
able failures in his case were so often re
peated, that for propriety’B sake, if for no
other reason, it became at last necessary to
extend to him an unconditional pardon.
What more plainly than this illustrates the
extremity of party management and in
consistency on the one hand, and of
faction, vindictiveness, aDd intolerance on
the other? Patriotism will hardly be en~
couraged when, in such a record, it sees
that its instant reward may be the most
virulent party abuse and obloquy, if not
attempted disgrace. Instead of seeking to
“make treason odious,” it would in truth
seem to have been their purpose rather to
make the defence of the Constitution and
the Union a crime, and to punish fidelity
to an oath of office, if counter to party
dictation, by all the means at their com
mand.
Happily for the peace of the country,
the war has determined against the as
sumed power of the States to withdraw at
pleasure from the Union. The institution
of slavery also found its destruction in a
rebellion commenced in its interest. It
should be borne in mind,however, that the
war neither impaired nor destroyed the
Constitution,but on the contrary preserved
its existence, and made apparent its real
power and enduring strength. All the
rights granted to the States, or reserved
to the people thereof, remain intact.
Among those rights is that of the people
of each State to declare the qualifications,
of their own State electors. It is now as
sumed that Congress can control this vital
right, which can never be taken away
from the States without impairing the
fundamental principles of the government
itself. It is necessary to the existence of
the States, as well as to the protection of
the liberties of the people, ior the right to
select the elector in whom the political
power of a State shall be lodged, involves
the right of the State to govern itself.
When deprived of this prerogative, the
States will have no power worth retaining.
All will be gone, and they will be subjected
to the arbitrary will of Congress. The
government will then be centralized, if
not by the passage of laws, then by the
adoption, through partisan influence, of
an amendment directly in conflict with the
original design of the Constitution. This
proves how necessary it is that the people
should require the administration of the
three great departments of the government
strictly within the limitations of the Con
stitution. Their boundaries have been ac
curately defined, and neither should be
allowed to trespass upon the other, nor,
above all, to encroach upon the reserved
rights of the people and the States. Tfye
troubles of the past four years will prove
to the nation blessings if they produce so
desirable a result-
Upon those who became young men
amid the sound of cannon and din of arms,
and quietly returned to the farm«, the
factories, and the schools of the laud, will
principally devolve the solemn duties of
perpetuating the Union of the States, in
defence of which hundreds of thousands of
their comrades expired, and hundreds of
millions of national obligations were in
curred. A manly people will not neglect
the training necessary to resist aggression,
but they should be jealous lest the civil be
made subordinate to the military element.
We need to encourage, in every legitimate
way, a study of the Constitution for which
the war was waged, a knowledge of and
reverence for whose wise checks by those
so soon to occupy the places filled by their
seniors will be the only hope of preserving
the republic. The young men of the na
tion, not yet under the control of party,
must resist the tendency to centralization
—an outgrowth of the great rebellion—and
be familiar with the fact that the country
consists of united States, and that when
the States surrendered certain great rights
for the sake of a mere perfect union, they
retained rights as valuable and impoitant
as those which they relinquished for the
common weal.
This sound old doctrine, far different
from the teachings that led to the attempt
to secede, and a kindred theory that States
were taken out of the Union by the rash
acts of conspirators that happened to
dwell in their borders, must be received
and advocated with the enthusiasm of
early manhood, or the people will be ruled
by|corrupt combinations of the commercial
centres, who, plethoric from wealth, an
nually migrate to the capital of the nation
to purchase special legislation. Until the
representatives of the people in Congress
more fully exhibit the diverse views and
interests of the whole nation, and laws
cease to be made without full discussion at
the behest of some party leader, there will
never be a proper respect shown by the
law-making power either to the judicial or
executive branch of the government. The
generation just beginning to use the ballot
box, it is believed, only knew that their
attention should be called to to these con
siderations to indicate, by their votes, that
they wish their representatives to observe
all the restraints which the people, in
adopting the Constitution, intended to im
pose upon party excess.
Calmly reviewing my administration of
the government, I feel that, with a sense
of accountability to God, having conscien
tiously endeavored to discharge my whole
duty, I have nothing to regret. Events
have proved the correctness of the policy
set forth in my first and subsequent mes
sages; the woes which have followed the
rejection of forbearance, magnanimity, and
constitutional rule are known and deplored
by the nation.
It is a matter of pride and gratification,
in retiring from the most exalted position
in the gift of a free people, to f el and t-»
know that in a long, arduous and eventful
public life, my action bus never been in
fluenced by desire for gain, and that I can
in all sincerity inquire, “Whom have I de
frauded? whom have I oppressed? or of
whose hand have I received any bribe to
blind my eyes therewith?” No responsi
bility for wars that have been waged or
blood that has been shed rests upon me.
My thoughts have been those of peace, and
my effort has ever been to allay contentions
among my countrymen-
Forgetting the past, let us return to the
first principles of the government- and, un
furling the banner of our country, inscribe
upon it, in ineffaceable characters, “The
Constitution and the Union, one and in
separable. ’ ’ Andrew J ohnson.
Washington, D. C., March 4, 1869.
Banner of the South can
be had of News Dealers in every city
in the country. Specimen copies sent
free to any address.
MIHII Os SSI 10Jfl„
NEW ORLEANS (LA) CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE BANNER OF THE SOUTH.
Ban ner of the South:
“What God hath united, let no man
put asunder.” In the face of this com
mandment, he must be a hold man who
dares sever the matrimonial tie, which is
considered, by all who call themselves
Christians, a sacred bond instituted by
God for the preservation of the human
family! Alas! that this land should be
peopled by so many bold men —bold to
defy even the Almighty.
The simple-minded people of the
South, have been shocked for years at the
continuous newspaper stories <ibout Chi
cago divorces, which were never believed
in this latitude, because we could not re
alize the existence of such widespread
immorality; but the following advertise
ment, clipped from the New York Daily
News, affords indisputable evidence of
the horrid reality:
“Absolute Divorces obtained in differ
ent States; desertion, non-support, etc.,
sufficient cause; no publicity; no charge
until divorce obtained; advice free.
M. Howes,
Attorney, 78 Nassau st.”
In close proximity to this “bold card,”
comes the following Pecksniffian notice,
from which it will be seen that the
Praise-God Bareboues family is not yet
extinct. Some Pharisees still live.
“We, the undersigned, unite in in
viting the friends of God and our Coun
try to meet in convention in the city of
Columbus, on Tuesday, the second day
of February next, at 2 o’clock, p. m., to
consider the Claims oj God and the
Christian Religion on our State and
Nation.
Rev. D. A. Randall, D. P.; Rev. W.
R. Marshall, I). P.; Rev. A. M, Robert
son; Rev. Geo. W. Phillips; Rev. Henry
M. M’Cracken; Rev. Isaac Cook; Rev.
A. G. Byers; Rev. Chester Briggs; Rev.
W. 11. Scott; Hon. W. H. West, Attor
ney-General of Ohio; Hon. S. Kramer,
Senate, 13th District; Hon. Abel M.
Corey, Senate, 33d District; Hon. James
B. damson, Senate, 20th District; Hon.
Homer Everett, Senate, 30th District;
Hon. James M. Kain, Hon. S. F. Kerr,
Hon. F. W. Moore, Hon. Perry Stewart,
Hon. J. Scott, Hon. R. F. Howard, Hon.
D. W. Canfield, Hon. John W Kennon,
Hon. Thomas Rough, Hon. B. L. Hill,
Hon. Samuel C. Kerr, Hon. Ross W.
Anderson, Hon. J.A. Walsh, lion. 11.
Bronson, Hon. James Sayler, Hon. A.
Simmons, House of Representatives.
All the friends of Christian influences
in civil government are requested to at
tend. Tracts, Petitions to Congress, and
any desired information in reference to
the work, can be obtained on application
to the Corresponding Secretary, T. P-
Stevenson, at the office of the Christian
Statesman, 1329 Vine street, Philadel
phia.,’
Now, when a whole nation or commu
nity are blessed with an uniform reli
gious belief, it is very well that they
should, on every available occasion, re
mind themselves* of their faith—as was
formerly the case in all Catholic coun
tries, when wills, charter-parties, bills of
lading, and all important documents be
gan and ended with an appeal for God’s
blessing on the parties interested; but
what an absurdity were such a practice in
our land and times! By what right
shall we few, who call ourselves Chris
tians, seek to force upon the mass of our
non-Christian fellow citizens our peculiar
religiosities ?
Is there any justice, for instance, in
so-called Christians forbidding their
Jewish fellow citizens from opening their
places of business on Sundays, after these
very Jews have paid their legal taxes
and licences for the entire year ? Were
they in a majority, they would have some
right which we could not consistenly op
pose—of forcing us to “keep holy the
Sabbath day,” (or Saturday) because the
Word of God, which we hold in common
with them, so orders it. But because
the authorities of the Catholic Church
have seen fit to change the Holy day
from Saturday to Sunday, does that give
any one the right to enforce their pecu
liar teachings upon non-believers ? Rea
son and common sense answer these
questions unhesitatingly; and yet, in our
day and country, where there is an ac
knowledged, very large minority of ir
religious, pagan, deistical, atheistical,
and other non-Christian people, we find
a crop of intolerant Puritans crying out
for the enactment of laws imposing the
Christian religion upon all citizens.
As the Jewish religion, the Mormon
religion, or, in view of Negro eqality
progression, even the African Youdou
religion, may one day be in the ascendent,
let us avoid religio-political intolerance
now, lest it should hereafter be retributed
upon us or our descendants.
Much gratification is evinced over
Grant’s reported determination to give
no civil appointments to army or navy
officers; but I am seriously inclined to
think that the education and training of
these officers adapt them peculiarly for
civil service, and that the affairs of the
country would be much better managed
by them than by the horde of venal poli
ticians now in place. Although a states
man is not necessarily a soldier, the
chances are ten to one that a good mili
tary commander will, by his habitual
exercise of a just authority, and by his
habits of discipline and order, make a
first-rate executive officer in any sphere
of life. So that it is to be hoped the in
coming President will not be hide-bonnd
by any narrow prejudices for or against
any classes ol his fellow citizens, but
will be guided solely by the considera
tion of the honesty 'and capacity of his
government associates.
Persevere.
F" M
L. T. BLOME & CO.
PUBLISHERS AND PROPRIETORS.
AUGUSTA, Ga., MARCH 13,1869.
IBufoltsfin’s Hcpartmcm.
TERMS:
One copy, one year, invariably in advance,....f 300
“ “ six months “ “ 150
Single Copies 10 cts
To Clubs. —To any person sending us a Club of 15
one copy, one year* will be given. To Clubs of 20, or
more The Banner will be furnished at the rate of
$2 50 per annum,
j®3r* In all cases the names must be furnished at the
same time, and the cash must accompany each order.
4®=- Dealers will be supplied on liberal terms.
tkir' In making remittances to the Banner of the
South use Checks on New York, or Post Office Money
Orders on Augusta. If these cannot be had, send by
Express, or in Registered Letters.
MONEY ORDERS.
The money order system is recommended for its
superiority as a safe and cheap method of transmitting
small sums through the mails. Orders are issued in
sums not less than sl, nor more than SSO. Larger
amounts can be transmitted to the same person, at the
same time, by additional orders.
RATES.
For an order not exceeding S2O 10 cents.
More than S2O and less than S3O 15 “
More than $3() and less than s4(i 20 “
More than S4O and less than SSO 25 “
Those who remit money to us should, in every case,
procure a post-office order, where it can be done, a
check on New York, or make remittances by Express.
If this cannot be done, money letters should be regis
tered; otherwise, if money is lost, we will not be
responsible. Address
L. T. BLOME & CO.,
Augusta, Ga.
Agents in South South Carolina.
Charleston—EDW. LEE and CAPT, JAMES ARM
STRONG.
Columbia—P. FAHAY and R. O’BRIEN.
Newberry—Dr, T. GOUIN.
Anderson—G. W 7, FANT, P. M. t and W. G. HOL
LAND.
Abbeville—H. T. TUSTEN and JNO. ENRIOHT.
Pendleton—Dr. P. H. E. SLOAN.
Walhalla—RlCHAßD LEWIS.
Greenville—HAßßlSON & MARSHALL.
Spartanburg—R. G. STONE.
Sumter—M. C. WILLIS.
Unionville—.JAS. GRANT. P. M,
Manning—AßTHUß HARVIN.
To Our Augusta Subscribers.— We
hope that all of our Augusta Subscribers
will continue with us for the next volume.
They will greatly oblige us by informing
us of their intentions in this regard, as
soon as possible.
To Agents of the Banner, of the
South. —We allow twenty per cent com
mission on new subsciptions, and ten
per cent on renewals. That is the old
established custom of the Press here
and we will adhe re to it.
The Mission.— The Redemptor ist Mis
sionaries—Fathers Gross, Freitag, Rath
ke and O'Donougkue, held their Mission
at the Catholic Church in this City during
the week ending Sunday last. The
Church was crowded with penitents at
almost every service, notwithstanding
the coldness of the weather, and the
early hour at which the first services
were held—s o'clock in the morning.
On Sunday night, there was present one
of the largest congregations ever assem
bled in the sacred edifice; and Father
Gross delivered a most learned, eloquent
and earnest discourse, which was listened
to with serious attention and with the
happiest effects. Numbers who had
strayed away from the fold were brought
back to their duty, while others wer&
strengthened in the Faith, and made
more zealous and faithful Soldiers of the
Cross.
These good and pious Missionaries
must have felt great joy and gratitude to
Heaven for the abundant blessing
which crowned their labors in this po
tion of the Lord’s vineyard; and they
carry with them the prayers and g O , o
wishes of the entire congregation, hrt
more particularly of those who from the
paths of vice and sin were brought back
once more into the way of righteous
ness and salvation.
THE CLOSE OF THE VOLUME.
With the present number closes the
first volume and the first year’s existent
of the Banner oe the South. \y e
made but few promises at the commence
ment of the publication, and these few
vse feel conscious of having fulfilled
We have endeavored to please our pa
trons, and we hope that we have suc
ceeded. Indeed, from the rapidity with
which old subscriptions are beirur re
newed and new ones are coming in, we
have reason to believe that we have been
successful.
To our brethren of the press wc owe
especial thanks. They have aided u>
greatly by their kind notices and allu
sions to our journal, and for this we shall
always feel deeply grateful. To the
many kind friends who have cheered u>
on in our work by their patronage and ap
proving words we also tender our sincere
thanks. To all of these we appeal for a
continuance of their favors and approval.
We shall, most certainly, in| the future,
as in the past, endeavor to deserve them.
With the new volume we shall renew
our exertions to make the Banner one
of the most acceptable of Southern,
religious, and literary journals; and in or
der to do this the more efficaciously and
acceptingly, ask the kind assistance of
our friends. If each subscriber would
get but one additional subscriber—and
some can do much more than this even
we should soon be able to add to the at
tractions of the paper and make it still
more acceptable to its patrons and friends.
Wo respectfully and confidently ask for
this assistance. As for ourselves, we
only promise now, as in the past, to spare
neither pains nor expense to make the
Banner a welcome visitor to the home
and fireside of the good and true people
of the South and North.
ST- PATRICK’S DAY
GRAND SACRED CONCERT.
The programme for the celebration of
St. Patrick’s Day has already been pub
lished; and this week we give it in full.
Our Irish readers need not be reminded
that Wednesday next, March 17th, is the
anniversary of Ireland's Patron Saint,
and they will celebrate it in an appro
priate and becoming manner. Besides
the procession and religious services a!
the Church, in the day, there will be, in
the evening, a Grand Sacred Concert
given in the Church for the benefit ot
the organ fund. A couple of statues
will also be blessed, and Father Ryan will
deliver a brief lecture appropriate to
the occasion, The programme for the
Concert is a very attractive one, and em
braces some of the choicest gemsoi sacred
music, to be rendered by some of the
best professional and amateur musical
talent of our City.
Those who attended the former Con
cert for this object, will need no persua
sion to go again; while those who did U'- h
go then should take the opportunity
doing so now and securing for themseoc.
a rare musical treat. The price "f
mission will be SI.OO.
ORDER OF PROCESSION.
The following is the order ot Fu
sion to be observed in the programme
the morning exercises:
The Hibernian Benevolent Society
meet at their Hall precisely at > o u
on the morning of the Pith March m
with tanner and badges, to be in r* a 4
ness to move with the societies i* lNlt
to participate in the exercises ol the d-.
The procession will be formed unßr
the direction of Mr. James toargato 0
the Hibernian Society, as Marshal 01 t
Day, aided by Assistant Marshall
