Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-11-29
The Uses of AdversitY
NY HORACE GkEELEY.
j. Nj. D.Aox

The Republicans have suffered heavy re
verses IN the elections Of 1867. Let us frank
y admit aud calmly consider the fact. ",
;arried all the former free States IN 1866 ",
lavc lost u considerable part of them in 1s6.
rue the majoritics in either case were incon.
,iderable in many if not most Of the States
,ut the changes, large o. small. have bee
Uniformly against us. We were last year
morally certain to eic>t the next President
We have now . hard contest, before us, and
he hopes of our adversari.s are high. They
talk openly Of carrying the mex, House Of Req
,esentatives as we'll as the President. organs
ling governments in The Southern STATE
'ased Oh I cir old, familiar principle thai
i'a,ks have no rights tina, Whites are bound
. respect; aud then by tho aid Of iwonty
lew L. :. senators clu>en from tho S.a &
shas eevolut:onized organize. with their sen
tors f,om the other States. a Senate wh.el
hall Ignore and exclude the senators elected
rom the Southern States under the Recon
'"et'o "StS u tohgltss anu mus Icsto.e
50 nearly as may be, the rule Of the late cot
on lords, mol only n 4 e South, but over the
entire Union Such are ,ie prospects opened
up by the late Democratic successes such are
the sanguine calcu atoms based thereon By
the Northern and So,hern enemies Of Repub-
licanism, now one in faith and hope. and one
in their pfTorfs IN .,hi;tcr.to tLo ,,a,,,,;o, ,,l
the consequences Of the last seven eventful
years Of our country 5 history.
Let lis comfort them by the admission ,ha,
what they call the Negro question lies at the
bottom vi our reyrrse;. Several influences
nave c 'nspircd with that but thousands have
turned against US because " purpose TO en-
franchise the Blacks. Just as. in 1869, Mr..
.:ncolns first proclamation Of freedom was
quickly followed by Democratic victories in
every State from the Connecticut to the Miss
issippi, SO now the Reconstruction policy Of
Congress, based on Manhood AMI Loyalty has
caused a popular revulsion in favor of Caste.
Rebellion, aud Slavery. Every step forward
causes some to lag bchinl, others TO urn back.
The pathway OF nman Progress is thickly
dotted with the skeletons Of those who have
faltered and falltn by the way. We could
not have stood still if we would; We had 10
choice but to advance; for the Southern States
must be somehow restored to se.f-governmen'.
and to restore them on a White basis is 10
consign them evermore TO the keeping Of our
implacable adyersarics. We Lave lost votes
in the Free States BY daring TO be just to the
Negro; Tut We have saved thereby eleven
States (inclnd:ng Tcnnesseel to the side Of
Liberty and Loyalty which We must else have
surrendered to rebellion, caste, and the inpu-
dent fraud which miscalls itself Democracy.
And now, il we recede u hair breadth from
our most advanced position, we surrender
these eleven States, with their Ell, ctoral votes
nearly or quite one hund. | and seats in
Congress, 10 our enenies-we betray the low
al B!acks-and We do not regain what We
have lost. Those who vent against US this
year will with few exceptions, 60 against US
next year, no matter whether we rccele or
stand firm. We can throw away Virginia the
Carolina, Georgia, etc, ~ abandoning the
Blacks to their toes We cannot thus reclaim,
Maryland, Kentucky, aud the negro haters of
the North. They are against us anyhow
but they only hate and fear us now they
will also despisc and scorn us if we throw
them tn. rights Of the Blacks, in the vain
base hope of thereby propitiating their favor.
We can thus ALLEVIATE and throw away ten
states BY recreancy 10 the principle Of I'm
partial Suffrage but can ne er a one We
may possibly be beaten next Fall upon the
platform dictated by our history, our princi.
pies, and our convictions; We certainly shall
be beaten il We lower our flag and seek shell.
ter behind the ramparts Of our adversaries.-
And our defeat will be embittered ny the con.
seriousness that we have deserved it.
press these considerations upon the trim .
ming. self seeking politician. who pride them
selves upon the distinction that they are pr.c.
teal men, looking contemptnously on abstrac.
tons and unaffected BY isms. Men who nr,
governed by principle will only need them as
weapons wherewith to confute and contound
he other sort. But timid, inconsiderate
weak Principlei men will often be moved t.
ask, Are We not doing to much for the Ne.
gro! Are we not sacrificing to his exigen.
cies our power to do any good at all ~ And
| wish even these made to see that we canno,
afford to surrender the rights Of the Blacks
hat the attempt would only furnish ano,he,
Instance Of the folly Of whosoever vainly Is
says TO gain the whole world, and thereb,
.ooses his own soul.
Edward d. Morgan was the first chosen go,
ernor Of our State in 1858, when he succeede,
over Judge Amasa J. Parker by l7,44O major
ity. lie urgei in his FIRST message the aboli
ton OF the constitutional disabilitie of Black
in oar State; and-two successive Wing leg
i~slatures having passed the requisite amend
ment-it came before the people for ~ratifca
ion At the election Of 1860, and was rejects
BY the heavy majority Of l4O,4s1. Yet at tha
same election Gov. Morgan, the avoweJ, vel
known author Of the amendment. was ~re-elec
ted-receiving llO,3l4 votes more than h
lid in 1883, and 43,5l9 more than the axgre
gate vote Of his two opponents.
This IL no solitary case. Ohio has iu.
.lected every man on the Republican Stat
icket-xN known 70 ~ openly for lmpurtin