New-York tribune., 1867-05-20
CANVASSING THE SOUTH.

The National Executive Committee OF the
Republican party have resolved on making
thorough canvass of the Southern States, and to
this end have appealed to the great mass OF
their fellow Republicans for the ncedful means.
AS the purpose is one that they see no reason to
conceal. and as they will employ no other than
upright and honorable means, they choose to
be open and public in every step they take III
the prosecution of their work
There is complaint that prOfcsscd Republicans
are speaking at the South whose harangues
tend to mbue the Blacks with hatred OF the
Whites, TO excite them with hopes that they
are soon to be provided with homes and farms
10y the spoliation of their old masters, and thus
to render them idle, turbulent, and riotous. We
presume these charges are mt least cXagger-
ations of the truth. Yet il is pal
pable that every Republican speaker in the
South will be jcalously watched and listened
to, and that he cannot utter IN imprldent re-
mark, much less make IN incorporate harangue,
without seriously iniuring the cause which hc
means TO commend. Suppose, for example
the Mr.. J. X. Hayward recently arrested by
Gen. Schofcld in Richmond did exhort the
Blacks of that City to keep quiet while Judge
Underwood was holding court there, but that
when he should leave. they might "hold high
Carnival" who can doubt that said Hayward
can be more useful at some other business
that of helper to a blacksmith, for instance
than at speech -makingi We say nothing OF
his motives or hs meaning-we only insist
that, if his ideas are all right, he does
not know how to find the right words where
with to express them. The Southern Blacks
are mainly iguolant-they have been reared
under the domination of the law of Force
they have not been trained 10 reverence the
rights of Property-thcir experience does not
accord with the truth that the way TO comfort
and competence lies through persistent daily
industry and frugality. To tell such men
strong only in muscle and in numbers-that
they have only to wait till judge is out Of the
way, when they may "hold high carnival
and that the property around them is rightfully
theirs and will be made over to them after n
whilc-what is this but 10 arrest productive
labor and enthronc general anarchy
Never before was there such urgent need of
wise, considcrate, judicious canvassers as there
is to-day in the South. They should he
thoughtful. loving, noble, generous men, who
know what To leave unsaid as well as what TO
say--who will inculcatc charityyand kindness,
not wrath and vengeance. In short, We need
hundred such men as Henry Wilson to speak
throughout the South for the next six months
We know it is asserted in hostile journals
that Judge Kelley made an intemperatc speech
at Mobile, but we do not believe it. All that
is pretended is that he said he had the 18th
Infantry at his back, and, if that did not suffice
he would have the Iwhole army. But this, any
one can realize, did not provoke the riot, but
was provoked by il. lie had no occasion to
say anything of the kind, and 1--WE are confidently
said nothing, until after the r0wdies had COM
menced a disturbance with intent 10 break up
the meeting. And, if hundred able and good
men should thoroughly canvass the South
there would be more real harmony and good
feeling between Whites and Blacks thereafter
than ever before.
One of the writer's asserts that Mr.. Stevens's
coDiiscation speech has beens swidely circulated
at the South by the Republican National Com
niittce 1t is conclusive answer TO this charge
that the Committee has, as yet, circulated moth
ing, done nothing at all, having had no means
wheIewith 10 do anything. il is only now get
ting TO work.
We trust all who think it desirable that
there should be Republican party in the South,
founded not Oh Color but on Principle, not OH
Hate and Wrath, but on Liberty and Nation
ality, will help the National Committee To
the extent of their ability.