Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-10-25
Enc Great Reaction ri the North--Its Causes
ami: Resulis-Tisc Duty OF the Sout:a-Ad-
vice to Honest Conventtontsts-A Repuk-
LEANS Views on the Situation.
WAsHISGToS, D. c., Oct. Il, 1856


WAsHINGToS, D. c., Oct Il, 1867.
To lie Editors Qftbe Chronicle Dc Sentinel:
] suppose all men must now admit that
the great reaction has certainly common
ced. The suggestions of reason always
taught me this must be SO sooner Or later.
Earnest and anxious observation of men
and things in the North for ten days before
the elections confirmed me in my opinions.
This reaction will go on and rapidly in
crease. All ordinary principles of human
action must fail or New York will render
a more decided verdict than has yet been
rendered. Even Massachusetts, gives pro-
mise of showing at least great decrease of
the Radical vote.
The fact is also worthy the consideration
Of statesmen and true patriots, that the de-
cision Of the people is more decidedly
against the Radical policy than the Radi-
cal party. This fact must teach the party
! that if it shall adhere to q policy after it
has been so emphaticalIy condemned, the
party itself must be cursed and utterly cast
out, Tor it will add contumacy to heresy.
| No man ever understood anything well
without understanding the reasons of the
! thing.
! Now, then, what are the reasons for this
popular reaction against Radicalism ? [
think no honest, intelligent mind can mis-
take them.
1. In the first place the passions engen-
dered by the war and the assassination of
Mr.. Lincoln are subsiding. As passions
lessen the vision gets clearer and the judg-
ment stronger. All the measures of the
Radical party since tue surrender, have
been founded in vengeance, enforced by
passion, and supported by wicked selfish
no nd 70
this and naturally they begin to condemn.
AS they see more they will condemn more,
and 50 the process of seeing and condemn
ing Will go on until everything of the ma
ture of Radicalism will be hated and de-
spised.
?. This cooling Of the passions Is ena-
bling the people already to begin to see
that the real purpose of the Racial party is
to change the Constitution and the whole
character of the Government by force and
fraud The men who were persuaded to
make war to preserve the Union are begin
ming to see they placed themselves under
the lead Of men who hated the Union of the
Constitution, and who were determined the
war should not end in it's preservation
Thus, the people find they have not only
been deceived, but actually used to accom-
plish what they desired to prevent. They
are discovering that those who have been
continually exciting them with cries of
''robel5 and rebel atrocities" are, in truth,
the only real Intentional traitors, and thai
these cries have been used to keep the peo-
pie blinded by passion until these inten-
tional traitors could destroy the COnstitu-
ton under the protection OF oaths TO sup
port it How startled to shuddering will
the American people be when freed from
all passion, they shall look back and see
i
tolerance to men who taught them that a
large portion OF the people were under the
jurisdiction Of the Government without the
protection of the Constitution, and that
Congress had no authority to legislate out
side OF that Constitution and more still,
outside OF the Constitution Congress alone
had 0athO2'ity, and the other departments
OF the GOvernment-the Executive and Ju-
dicial-Only had existence as tools to be
used by Congress in carrying out it's I'M
checked work of hate in its limitles field of
vengeance. How the people will then curse
the wretched men who kept them blinded
by passion, only to secure their approval of
such wicked treason to the Constitution,
and Of such cruel expressions upon a por-
ton of their fellOw-citiZens who were help
less, because they had surrendered their
arms under promise of protection as equals
IN the Union Oh, the honors of that fear
ful craftsmanship which has taught peo-
pie to be treacherous to themselves
j. In the next place the people find they
are more heavily taxed than any people on
the globe. AS these passions cool they
naturally inquire how these taxes are ap-
piled And to their dismay they find they
are not applied to the payment of the debt
created to preserve the Union. After pay
ing the expenses of the Government prop
er, they find the balance which ought to go
to the reduction of the debt, is used to adj
minister this Government which Congress
has created outside Of tie Constitution! Now,
just think of it five military relationships
created in the South in time of peace which
are this day costing the people far more
| than the legitimate administration Of the
whole legitimate government, and either
one Of which relationships is costing more
than the whole administration Of the Gov
eminent in the honest times of the earlier
Presidents And the only effects of these
military relationships are to depress the
hearts of the people and paralyze their in
! dustrial energies SO as to make them a
| hating burden to the nation; whereas, with
these relationships withdrawn, these op-
pressed people would be cheerful and pros
porous and pay millions of net revenue to
the treasury to be applied to the lessen
ing OF the taxes and the reduction of the
debts.
Hundreds of millions of taxes levied and
collected annually to maintain an armed
fOPcA against Our OWN r1norpood fol1oxp-