Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-05-09
THE HI ss6GTH. VT

The movement of Republican Con-
gressmen for a political campaign in the
South is one of the most hopeful fea-
lures of the present situation. The
party aud the country will have occa-
sion to thank Senator Wilson for utter
ing the catholic and generous sentiments
bv which alone it can succeed. What
might have been if the r course had
been earlier taken, instead OF wasting
two years in worse than ~unsyailing eff
fort in the opposite direction, it is use
less now to regret. 1t will cost long
and patient labor to recover the advan-
tagss madly thrown away, but they can
be recovered, and the work seems likely
to be commenced in the right method
and spirit at last.
Just now attention is mainly turned
to the negro vote, and the first struggle
will be for the control Of this new ele-
ment Of political strength. This is per-
haps inevitable under the circumstances,
but it has its obvious dangers. 1t may
seem to be for the present emergency
good policy to array the colored men as
a hostile party against the whites, and
in the recent meetings Of freedmen at
Charleston, Savannah and Richmond,
very passionate appeals were made to
the p~rejudices of race and the old sense
Of wrong, and the black men were eI-
horted to vote against their old masters
and never more to trust them. On the
| other side Wade Hampton and his asso-
| ciates appeal to the confidence of the
| colored men, warn them against trusting
| strangers, tell them that they are south
| ern men and should vote with their sec
| ton, and that in fact the Yankees have
more prejudice against them and show
it more Extensively than southern men.
The negro should be persuaded to vote
the Republican ticket, not that he may
so punish and degrade his white neigh
Dor, but that he may guard his W in
terests and secure his own permanent
welfare. 1t is a very narrow and short
sighted view Of the case that leads some
Of the " southern Unionists to slim
ulate the enmity and jealousy Of the ne
groes against the whites. If they could
thus succeed in arraying the negroes
solidly on the Republican side at the
start, they might possibly control one
or two States. But this would not be
permanent. The influence Of the whites
is sure to predominant at last in every
State, because Of their superior intelli.
gencc and experience in public affairs,
and if the blacks are placed in an atti-
tude of party hostility to the whites, the
I.,Naz - nArtotn m ncn avnry mama nj
limiting their power, even il they do moi
take the ballot from them altogether,
after reconstruction.
The Republican party cannot gain and
hold the South by the negro vote solely
and the handful Of ''original loyalists'
who will vote with them is of no account
in point of numbers, and scarcely more
in position and influence. We mus
take a broader view Of the case. Tit
rhite men of the South must be convert
ed to Republicanism. The Republican
party must no longer be sectional in any
sense, lift would secure its future; and
its leaders and organs must forget thu
language and sbjure the spirit Of sec
tionalism. There are thousands Of thu
most intelligent and well disposed mel
Of the South, who were sincerely anc
earnestly in the rebellion, but who ART
now as honestly and truly anxious FOL
for the complete restoration Of the Unior
and determined to fulfill all their obi
cations as loyal citizens. They are jus
as likely to act with the Republican par
ty as with the opposition, other things
being equal. Indeed, they are now dis
gusted with the Democracy for having
encouraged them to rebel aud ther
failed to sustain them. But if we con
tinue to call them rebels, and repe
them, and treat them in every way a:
unworthy Of confidence, how a W.
hope to win them to our side? Yet thi'
is Just what the New York Tribune th'
Washington Chronicle and other infuen
tial Republican papers are doing daily
1t is the gist Of half the speeches in Con
gress.
This is as unjust as it is impolitic
The time has been when the party nigh
be strengthened among ,haitow people
men with more gall than brain, by sucl
appeals to prejudice, and yet it hal
always Disguised and alienated the more
intelligent class in the North. But it il
now obsolete. 1t is not needed for thu
North, and it closes the South ngains
US. The Republican party must be thor
oughly national, or ii must perish. 1t may
hold power a little longer by disfran
chisement, test oaths and other contriv'
ances, after the Tennessee fashion, 6u
all such means are wrong in principle dnt
ruino@ in effect. It needs no words t.
show that we cannot convert eI-rebeli
to the Republican party BY kicking ane
cutting them. We may convert then
by fair and generous treatment and BY
showing them that it is for their inter
est aud the welfare of their section tina
the party should continue in power; ant
this can be demonstrated. Such is tn,
work now upon US. 1t needs but a wis'
and generous spirit to accomplish it
If we neglect it, and follow false lead
ers, men Of petty prejudices, full of hat
and vengeance, the Republic indeed
may live, bu. the Republican party will
die. We look for better things. Th'
wind is veering to the right quarter
.Sprin1f,Ld (Ndss.) Republican.