The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-06
Current Of Political Sentiment nnd the
Presidential Election In the south.

Current Of Political Sentiment and the
Presidential Election In the South.
An extraordinary and quite unexpected
revolution is taking place in the political pros
poets of parties in the South. The radical
leaders spread themselves over the Southern
States, after recOnstructing those States on
the negro basis, to secure the votes Of the
newborn citizens of African descent. The first
orators in Congress, both Senator'S and Repre-
sentatives, left their seats and homes to stump
the South and to control the negro VOTE A vast
exodus of radical pet-baggers left the North,
and principally the Eastern States, spreading
themselves over the whole South like locusts,
to secure the suffrages Of the blacks, as well
as the offices and the property Of the whites.
In fact, the Northern radicals had it pretty
much all their own way. The South was their
political elysium. They had no doubt about
controlling the votes of the negroes, not only
for their own elevation, but in the Presidential
election also. All the trouble between Con-
gress and the President arose from the struggle
to gain the negro vote as a balance of political
power, and the Reconstruction acts of Congress
were framed expressly for this purpose. In
truth, nothing was left undone that could be
done by all the means that an all-powerful
party could use, and scarcely radical in or
out of Congress had any doubt of the result.
But what do we see now? Precisely what
the HERALD said long ago and all through
would be the case-that in the end the negroes
would go with their masters and the democrats.
From every quarter Of the Southern States the
fact comes to us that this il the case. A most
thorough reaction is taking place. The press and
almost all the correspondence from the South
show this. Our private and most reliable CORES
pondents inform us that every one OF the ex-
rebel States will be carried by the democrats;
that the negroes are leaving the radical party
by hundreds that they are organizing colored
conservative clubs and that they are attending
democratic barbecues by thousands" Never
was there more striking example Of the old
saying that the best laid plans may be defeated.
And why are the negroes abandoning the
radicals and going with their old masters and
the democrats? Because they believe their
interests lie that way. and because the South
ern whites know how to treat and control them
better than the Northerners In their brief
experience with Northern adventurers-pro-
perly called arpet-baggers, because the greater
part OF them were needy spectators
without any property but the car
| pet bags they carried in their hands
the negroes have seen that these men had
really no sympathy with them, and only wanted
to use them for their own selfish purposes.
They see that their best friends are their old
masters and the white people among whom
they were born and with whom their interests
are identified. The Northern carpet baggers
and orators have cheated and deceived them
under the pretence Of sympathizing with them
and being their friends, and as natural con-
sequence, they turn to the people who employ
them and with whom their destiny is cast.
What more natural All this only shows how
short-sighted the radicals in Congress and the
radicals generally have been. Independent OF
party considerations and the immediate effect
this reaction may have on the Presidential
election, II must be regarded as happy cir
cumstance; for If the negroes and whites Of
the South act together all fear Of war OF
races hereafter will be at an end. The
employer and the employed will work together
for their mutual llterests end The interests o.