The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-10-08
READiRE4Dn
How the Election or Seymour
and Blair Would Bring about
WaraasThe Southern Pro.
gramme.

gEGmmeo
Some Of the Southern Journals are
talking Of what they call "peaeefnl
measures" !" by means of which to rev.
olutioniEs the Southern States. For
instance, the Charleston Mercury pro-
poses that the Democrats shall meet
at the call Of their leading men, and
form new State constitutions. Here
are It's words,
"They (the Democrats) intend to
assatl no one pretending or not pre-
tending to authority within the South
ern States. They mean peaceably to
meet in convention, probably recon-
mended by the legislators Of their
former legitimate State governments,
and in such convention form a cOnsti-
tuition for the government Of these
States.
"But It may be said that the negro
governments in the Southern States
will not permit the white population
to assemble. They will assail them
with violence. Suppose that this is
done, does it afford any ground for
their support by the military authority
of the United States 2. Clearly not.
A Democratic President would most
probably answer, to any application
to him by the negro governments for
assistance, In my opinion, your gov
ernment in the first place Is unconsti-
tutional and revolutionary, and there
fore decline to recognize your apph-
cation, and in the second place you vi
olate the Constitution Of the Q. States in
endeavOring by force to prevent peace
able assemblies by the people,
"But let Us suppose that the negro
governments shall lawlessly endeavOr
to prevent the peaceable assemblies of
the white population to reorganize
their gOvernment-What then The
white population is amply sufficient
to protect themselves. .AU they aCant
IS that the government of the United
States shall stand GLOof. Ifthe negroes
ARE fools enough to attempt by their
power to establish their supremacy
over the white race, in the Southern
States, they can try it, but the trial
will not last very long"
These are the same kind Of 'tpeace-
full measures" with which demagogues
deluded the Southern people into Sc
cession in 1850. There would be no
war, Yancey, Stephens, TOOmbs, Rhett
and others, asserted oh no! nothing
was necessary, except for the people to
vote power into the hands Of a few
politicians who called themselves. a
convention, and carried the State In
their pockets.
1t would seem impossible that any
substantial citizen in the Southern
States should be once more gulled by
these proposers of peaceful measures"
to defy the laws; but passions run
high there; free discussion of political
questions has not long been allowed
there, and the people are, in too many
Ofthe States, still subject to the impe-
rious rule of the old politicians. It is
easy TO tell what might happen, under
the encouragement to demagOgues of
the election of Seymour and Blair.
Excited by the letters of Blair, the
Cobbs, Toombses, Hamptons and Hills,
would be mad enough to attempt such
revolutionary measures as the Mercury
urges, and thus plunge the country
anew into civil war.
Harper's Weekly, in a late number,
sets forth very clearly the successive
steps by which, under such peaceful
proceedings" as the Mercury urges,
we should fall in anarchy:
"How a Democratic success at the
election would occasion civil war is
easily seen.. General Blair does not
hesitate to avOw it. C0hgress must be
wholly disrcgarded. The Supreme
Court must not be invoked. The Pres
ident must usurp all powers Of the gov
and act alone He must be a
Caesar. Because says General Blair
in his letter if the President elected
by the Democracy enforces, or permits
others to enforce, these Reconstruction
acts, the radicals, by the accession of
twenty spurious Senators and fifty
will control both
branches Of Congress, and his admin
will be as poWerless as the
present one of Mr.. Johnson Force is,
the only alternative.
eff Mr.. Seymour be elected after
this loud aud reiterated declaration by
his party that his election will mean
foreible overthrow of the present State
in the Southern States,
the result is evident. He would then
be impeached and probably convicted;
but the Democratic party victorious at
the polls, with the whole rebel force
Iubilant and ready, would dispute the /
sentence and rise against its execution.
Meanwhile in the Southern States the
new Democratic State organizations
summoned by the President would be
formed. They would dispute the
authority with the present incumbents.
The President would recognized the
new claimants and order the army to
their support, and to 'trample in the
dust the others. They In turn would
appeal to Congress, already engaged
in conflict with the President. Mean
while the Representatives and Sena-
tors from the new State organizations
would arrive in Washington, and in
with the other Democratic
members would be recognize as Con-
gress by the President. But, indeed,
long before this event civil war would
be ravaging the country, and Wade
Ham pton, and Robert ToOmbs, and |
Howell Cobb, and the old rebel chiefs
who say with Albert Pike, eve do not |
love and will not pretend to love that
Union, though we have agreed to obey
the laws of the couquerOT, would glad
ly behold in a desoIating war and a |
ruined Republic the fullness Of their
revenge"