Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1867-05-30
The Crusade in the South.

The leaders Of the radical party have set be-
fore themselves the task of repubcanizlng the
Southern States They have preached as real
a crusade as Peter the Hermit proclaimed.-
The artful scheme has been astutely planned,
and it will be relentlessly executed. The mill
tary occupation of the country was the neces-
sary foreruHner Of the army Of orators who are
now exciting the minds fthe people, white and
colored and disturbing the difficult relations a =
ready existing between these classes. There
can be no doubt that this whole system was m
volved in the reconstruction bill, and that Its
trainers arranged the details of that bill so aS
10 give the fullest opportunity for accomplish
ing the success of their party. The very men
who invented the legislative device OF forcing.
under military constraint, the white population
of ten States to admit the freedmen to imme-
date and unrestricted suffrage arenow controll-
ing much Of the military interference with civil
officers and courts of justice which prevails IN
most of these States, and are preparing t.
strike down from political position and .lniii-
ence every man opposed to their party.
A part of this system of tactics Is the aSlta-
ton of exciting topics by propagandists, select
ei from the most violent aud extreme men OF
the radical party. Some of these men are al
really in the field; others are expected to fol-
low, and from Virginia to Texas there is likely
10 be the unsparing invective and abuse and
taunt that characterize the free speech OF radi-
cal orators. The,effect of this is, principally
to stimulate the freedmen to oifensivesel-asser-
ton, bring them, if possible, into collision with
the whites, and thus more etiectuaily ahenate
! them from the heretofore ruling class OF the
South By this course the radicals expect TO
pain the largest accession TO their ranks from
the negro population. That there is danger
that il will be attended with strife and loss
of life is already indicated by the mob at Mo
bile. This, however, would subscrve the III
terests af partisans-whether they, IN the out
set designed il or not-wh0 are aiming at the
exclusive management Of national and State
affairs. Any mobs and bloodshed that should
unfortunately occur would enure to their ag-
prandizernent. For these will be published
throughout the country as evidences OF the un-
submissive and revengeful spirit OF the people
who were lately at war with us, and were over
powered, but not subdued. Excuse would
thus be found for further measures, alleged to
be necessary, to reduce TO unity sEd equality
the pcpulation of the South Conhscation al
ready proposed by Thaddeus Stevens, and
threatened by Senator Wilson, may then be
announced as the next step essential to recon
s,ruction. The appeal thus made to the ba-
sest passions Of the human heart may find It's
resp6nse in the widest schemes Of agrarianlsm,
and the storm Of covetousness and envy
awakened by this means will be pleaded as the
excuse and argument for seizing, under the
forms and sanctions of law, property which
will be used in bribery and corruption, upon
scale unknown in the darkest annals Of lniquI-
ty.
tisans can employ 10 carry their measures
They mean to holdon to power. They are pre-
pairing TO elect the next President from Their
party, and they will not scruple to act with
revolutionary violence if 1t be necessary to SUI
cess. Indeed, tie whole procedure under tie
reconstruction bill is virtually an overthrow oi
free government. 1t is, moreover, the utmost
stretch of republican liberalty 10 the blacks.
When its enforcement shall bestow universal
suffrage the limit Of gifts to the honored race
will be reached. Should confscation foil ",
and agrarianism prevail, so that the freedman
becomes a landowner, the reaction will begin.
Property and the possession CT Politicl! nights
engender conservatism. And when there are
NO more rebels to plumber, rapacity must mud
its victims among its own class, OF 1t must
ase. In either case division OF sentiment ana
interest must ensue The. enfranchised class
will supply some aspirants for office and power,
as il is not likely that they will be satisfied
with the Improbable privilege Of voting for
men Of another race and color. Moreover, the
selfsbness and inhumanity Of the radical pro-
paqandists will become apparent as a closer
insnecton Of their practice Is obtained and their
dupes gradually understand the purposes for
which politicians have used thep.-Bat. Sun.