Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-12-13
The Clue to the Policy of the Radicals and
their Southern Supporters.

The Clue to the Policy of the Radicals and
their Southern Supporters.
Whilst the Southern States haveproduced,
since the beginning of the government,
the most profound jurists and statesmen,
it must be admitted that politics were stu
died by them as science and never de-
scended to as a trade, nor was place-hunting
ever characteristic of the Southern peO-
pie Party contests always were very
warm and exciting with us, but this was
caused only by desire to secure the tri-
umph of those principles which each par
ty believed to be true and better adapted
to the prosperity of the people and the
genius of our institutions The same can
not be said of our Northern fellow-citizens.
The history of the country proves, alas
too we'll, that politics with them, asa gener-
al rule, is resorted to as matter of gain and
not of principle. Nine-tenths of their pol.
iticians, from the bar-room bully and shout
der-hitter, to the aspirant for Congression-
al honors, are actuated by the hope of OBJ
tanning office for the sake of the salary at
tached to it, and for the opportunity which
it affords of public peculation. Party sue
pess with them becomes desirable, not only
as means of elevating men to public po-
sition, but also as means of providing for
an immense army of dependents, in the
shape of innumerable public offices,
printers in the departments, custom
house employees, attaches of foreign
missions, revenue officers, whose name
is legion, assessors, weighers, guagers, col
lectors, &C., &C., all constituting a vast
horde, eating up the substance of the peo-
pie and for whom and by whom, political
contests have become, in the Northern
States, mere struggles for place and profit.
When we add to this the hatred of the alb
olitionists for whom the Radical party is
only another name, have always entertained
toward the South, we can easily account for
the present phase of public affairs in the
United States.
If the Radical party were actuated by
infexible adherence tofixedpoliticalp rinci
piles, we might have something to hope for;
but inasmuch as they haveno fixed political
principles; as they have no standard of public
action, save party success and ascendancy,
We can hope for no action from that party,
save such as will secure that ascendancy
and success This is the cause of that dire
LECTION of public principle which has rem
dered that party the scorn of honest men
throughout the world which has caused
that party to regard the Southern States
as States for all purposes Of adopting con-
stitutional amendments, and for all pur-
poses of taxation, but has denied to
them the character of States for all
the purposes of representation, shamelessIy
violating the fundamental principle of the
American Government for the simple rea-
son that, to admit it would endanger their
party success. Now, whilst we hear many
coniectures as to what course the Radical
Congress will pursue towards the South,
every rejecting man must see that they
will pursue just whatever course may be
necessary to perpetuate, if possible, their
party success. No disgrace following a
breach of public faith-no sense of shame
no regard for the opinion of the world
will have any influence, whatever, on their
course in the present aspect of affairs-that
course will be shaped entirely to secure to
them political success, and to enable them
to enrich their dependents by public plum
der.
This is the whole secret of their refusal
to admit the Southern States upon the ba-
sis advocated by the President. Were they
to coincide with him their party ascendancy
would vanish at once; and party ascen-
dancy is, with them, above and beyond all
other considerations whatever To secure
this they will not only sacrifice the South
ern States, but destroy even the form of
the Government itself. Hence. the strug-
gle for the Howard amendment. Should
that amendment be adopted, all public
Offices within the gift of the Southern peo-
pile would be filed by their own wretched
creatures, men who now adopt their policy,
and would forever cling to it as their only
means of attaining for themselves both
place and profit.
The President of the United States, by
virture of the undoubted authority vested
in him by the Constitution, further strength
SuSQ, IL pOooAOAO, Ny oil VI COuS5IeSS,
proclaimed a general amnesty. Through
him the public faith of the United States is
pledged to full pardon of all the Southern
people, for past political offences, who have
complied with the requirements of the pro-
clamation. History has scarcely an instance
of civilized people so degraded, as to vio-
late their publicly plighted faith. But yet
the Radical party are contemplating meas
tires, by which the general amnesty, to
which we have referred, shall be set at
naught, and the people of the Southern
States, Notwithstanding the pardon thereby
extended to them, shall be punished by con-
tiscation of their lands, and disfranchise-
inent- A gentleman recently arrived from
Europe, has informed us that this contem-
plated course of the Radicals has inspired
there the utmost loathing and disgust, as
violation of their pledged public faith, au-
thorized by themselves in public and
solemn Legislative act. And yet, to our