The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-06

Governor, which is laughable; and they are
ready 10 dance with joy at the unanimitv with
which the negroes voted the Republican
tcket-a foolish ecstasy, for neither thew nor
anybody else supposed it would be diGerent
We will review these topics of Repnblican cor
graduation, each in its order. '--O''-' 00ii-
1t is an inpudent afront TO the intelligenca
OF the American people to congratulate tbeno
on the exemption of Tennessee from scenes of
bloody turbulence on election day. There was
perfect order in France ON the day Louis Nano.
leon was elected emperor. There was pertsct |
order in Mexico on the day Maximilian was |
chosen to the imperial throne. There was |
order in Tennessee, last Thursday, for the |
same reason. In none of these cases did order |
prevail because the community was free from
volcanic and explosive passions, but because
the election took place under repressive mill
tary surveillance. There would be as much
sense in praising the quiet department of a
maniac in handouts and a straight-jacket.
Chains are no satisfactory substitute for sanity.
The most melancholy circumstance of all is the
fact that the condition of the patient is such as
to render CoeTcive repression necessary. 1t
was BrownlOw's militiaa and the United States
troops under General Thomas that kept the
peace in Tennessee. Acoursed be the policy
which renders military intimidation necessary
to prevent elections from convulsing and desc.
lating State The prevalence of such a sys-
tenn in the South will render republican insti-
tutons byword.
1t is edifyipg, indeed, to behold a party
which plumes itself on its "moral IDEAS
and boasts of the sympathy and adhesion of
great part of the New England clergy, chant
ing pious 1e DeumS over the election of such
ribald and blasphemous old reprobate as
Parson Brownlow. Judging the tree by its
fr uits, reconstruction policy which produces
such Governor as BrOwnlOw must be truly
glorious. 1t will be hard to match Brown
low in the other ten States; but the system
may be relied on to elevate to the highest
Office in each the most reckless and brutal
demagOgue within its borders: Hunnicutt
probably, in Virginia, and statesmen of like
wisdom and balance of character in all the
others.
We come now to the most solid ground of
Republican congratulations the uniformity
with which the Tennessee negroes voted the
Republican ticket. 1t is regarded as pretoken-
I ing similar result and the consequent sue
cess of the Republican party, in the other
States. We do not dispute this probability,
nor do we greatly regret it. 1t will render
! that party responsible for good local govern
ment in the South at a time when good local
| government, even in wise, experienced hands,
would be exceedingly difficult. With the
| negroes all voting, and most of the intelligent
whites disfranchlsed, we have no faith that
order and justice can prevail in the South
without external military support, no
matter what party might be in the ascend
| ancy. If the negro vote were divided, and
the Democratic party had the responsibility
of evoking order out of such elements, things
would be constantly occurring which would
be charged upon Democratic mismanage-
ment, but due, in fact, to the impossibility
of organizing such mass of barbarous ig-
norance into enlightened and law-abiding
stability. If there is to be an attempt to re-
construct the temple of civil order out of mud
and rubbish, the Democratic party has little
reason to covet the post of architect. 1t is
not much to be regretted that they who compel
the use of the crumbling, unsightly materials
should be held answerable for the solidity and
proportions of the edifce. The Republican
policy of reconstruction introduces a long
period of confusion, infinitely to be regretted,
indeed, but since it must come, it is perhaps
better that the whole undivided responsibility
for the execution, as well as the plan should
rest with its true authors. Fall it necessarily
must, and the Republicans will be unable to
shift any part of the blame of bad sys-
tenn upon Democrats entrusted with its
practical working. Its failure ought to ruin,
and will ruin, the party that introduced it,
and since it would fail in any hands, it had
better fail in the hands of its authors. The
reasons why it cannot succeed are obvious 1t
will, first, be a government of ignorance, and
the success of republican institutions rests
upon education and intelligence. 1t will,
secondly, be the government OF a minority,
and the preponderance of physical strength
being ON the side of the beaten party, the new
State Governments will never be able to stand
alone 1t will be- thirdly, government
! founded on the domination of race over race,
! the weaker and less capable race over the
stronger, and will therefore deepen and inten-
| sify the prejudices OF race, and keep up con-
| stantly accumulating fund of mutual ami
mostly. The Democratic party has no reason
to covet responsibility for the well working of
so absurd a system. Whenever the Southern
| whites are enfranchised, the Government will
revert of itself to the white race; and until
| then stable civil order will be impossible
without the constant aid of Federal bayonets.
The joy of the Republicans at the prospect
of securing the whole negro vote shows how
! insecure they consider their ascendancy in
| the North. If they could hold what they have
| in the Northern States, il would be of no con-
| sequence to them whether the South elected
| Republicans or Democrats. The States they
control at present elect majority of both
| Houses of Congress, and can elect the Presi-
| North, changes much smaller than often occur
| from year to year, would shake their power to
its foundation. The change, for example, of
| about six thousand votes in each, would give
the Democrats the two great States of New
| York and Pennsylvania, with their ffty-nine
| electoral votes; and taking fifty-nine from one
side and adding them to the other would make
/ difference OF one hundred and eighteen in the
| result. Although the Northern Democrats
have but few members of Congress, they