The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-17


BY British pirates sailing under rebel colors.
We cannot bring ourselves to believe that the
English government is prepared to face such
prospect as this. The Luxembourg question,
which has caused it such mental anxiety,
would have been but small affair compared
with it
The Meblls Riot-What Must Come from
Political Campaigning in the South.
The Mobile riot is an indication of the future
It points the way events are tending. Many
such riots, many instances OF savage slaughter
in Southern cities must be the consequence of
the agitation made by radical orators attempts
to cram hateful political doctrine down the
throsts Of the Southern people; those attempts
exciting to violent acts, not the respectable
people Of the Southern States, but the secesh
frebrands, the penniless, reckless remnants Of
the Southern armies, with nothing to lose, and
natural taste to crafty in tumult, bloodshed
and plumber.
In the South the republican party already
finds another Kansas. Kansas was for several
years the theatre on which the factions put
their political gladiators to fight out the ire
concilable bitterness Of party hate. The excite
ment of that scene stimulated party life through
the whole country and kept up political fury
that drove us 10 the great extreme Of the war.
Now this agitation is to be transferred to the
Southern States. They are to become the
theatre Of the same sort of political drama that
must be more exciting as the scene is larger,
as the passions are more intense, as the results
expected must be greater, and as there are
more cities to be burned and throats to be cut,
before those results can become attainable to
either party. 1t is easy for the North, quietly
looking on, spectators OF the terrible struggle.
to see what must be the inevitable issue. We tie
a people down by military law-we tell them
that their States have no political existence
just now, that they are only free to pursue the
ordinary course Of business and social life,
and must leave the rest alone. They acqui-
esce and 60 ON as quietly az heart could
wish, eager only to be quiet-grateful
for rest from political turmoil and for the
chance to cultivate their fields. But, presto
before the ink Of our military laws is dry we
let loose on them political missionaries, prepa-
gandists, agitators, to start again that very
political life that we have said must for the
present be extinct. We show them that they
may 60 into politics e. much as they like, if
they will 60 in on the right side, and we hint
broadly that we are ready to- distribute South
ern lands freely to the class that will bid
highest for them In republican votes.
Il is useless to cover our eyes-we may shut
oat the view, but the game goes on. What
Wilson viii do plausibly and btsndly the Hay
woods and Hunnicaas will do extravagantly,
savagely, and oven wishsuta decent attempt
tocover . BID purpose. Even Judge Kelieypat
forth brasgart invitations for some one to tread
ON the tail of his coat, and he twists the United
States army into q most convenient shillalah
with which to damage oil heads that may come
in his way in this ane faction fight. No one ct
the North is deceived by such fame-no ONE
here listens with respect to any mans declara-
ton that he will come with the whole United
States army behind him, II he cannot otherwise
pump republican doctrine into the open ears
Of the whole South. But these things are heard
differently ct the places where they are spoken.
People who live In the track of Sherman's
army know what such threat means-though
perhaps Judge Kelley does not and the
threat that is mere rhetoric to him is
to them remembrance of a horrible reality
and reawakes savage thoughts already soothed
into half sleep by progressive reconstruction
Such phrases, also, are taken by the blacks for
positive promises, and through them irritate
the whites even more than when fresh from the
mouth of the orator. Thus they start bad pas
sions, irritate, annoy, excite even the best dis
posed people; and the worst disposed need only
such pretexts
Our military commanders at the South know
how infammsble the bad elements are-how
easily strife may be lighted up and in the
attempt to prevent, rather than have to sup
press revolt, they have sometimes touched upon
doubtful powers Doubtless they would have
moral courage enough to act in every case, and
prevent utterance where it would probably
lead to disturbance. But in many cases the
trouble does not SO palpably How from given
speeches that they can venture upon inter-
ference. Congress should come to the rescue
on this point II should certainly assemble in
July and take measures to provide against
political campaigning in districts not politically
free. but subject to military law II it does
not we shall see undone all that has hitherto
been done toward a restoration of the States
A Pcrverse Geseratioa.
There seems to be a fatality hanging over
the South. No matter how much events may
shape themselves in favor Of that unfortunate
section, something is certain to occur to