The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-30
A Rising Cloud In the South-What Shall
Be Our Futures

A RISING Siouo IN the SOufh-What snail
Be Our Futures
We published in yesterdays HERALD several
reports from tho Southern States indicating
trouble in the approaching election Gov
ernor Brownlow convenes the Legislature of
Tennessee in extra session, states in his mes
sage that rebel paroled soldiers are forming
themselves into secret bands to overthrow the
State government and carry the Presidential
election, recommends that they be declared
outlaws punishable with death wherever found,
and asks for money and authority to enable
him to call out the State militia and deal sum-
marily with such customers. In Missouri a
political meeting called by tho democrats ends
in riot in which three or four persons are
killed and several wounded-a fatality greater
than that attending the capture of the fortress
of Magdala by Napier. In Louisiana and
Georgia the State authorities are preparing to
call upon the President for aid against antici-
pated insurrection, and in Alabama an intense
excitement is occasioned by the proposition to
transfer from the people to the Legislature
already elected the power to cast the electoral
vote of the State.
All this turmoil is the natural result of the
policy avowed by the democratic party and
backed up by the President Of not recognizing
the legal authority of the State governments
organized under the Congressional reconstruc-
ton laws, but insisting upon the right of the
Southern States to cast their electoral votes
under the laws and regulations of the provi-
sional governments organized soon after the
close Of the rebellion by Andrew Johnson.
An attempt to carry out this principle would
be necessarily a revival of civil war, as it
would bring the recognized authorities in direct
personal collision with those who disregard
and violate the existing laws of State. If
submitted to by the people it would restore to
power the Rhetts and Forests and Wade
Hamptons and Forsythes, who were the leading
spirits of the confederacy, and would entirely
change the character of our government and
direct the future policy Of the nation into a
new channel.
We are, happily, not left in doubt upon this
point, and whatever course the people may de-
termine to pursue they have full knowledge of
the results to be reached The Southern lead
ers of the rebellion who were members of the
recent Democratic Convention take credit to
themselves for a full share of responsibility in
the manufacture of the platform upon which
their candidates stand, and express themselves
satisfied that its triumph in the election would
|, @Lo 1or kboir he,
but one Interpretation Of this language. 1t
means that the men who in 1861 raised the
standard of revolt against the government, be-
cause they could no longer control it, seek in
1869 to make use of the power and authority of
The government to recover all they lost by
heir unsuccessful rebellion. AS rebels they
,ignally failed. When they refused longer allie
glance to the constitution and withdrew from
the protecting shadow Of their country's flag
they committed fatal blunder. The first shot
fred by fratricidal hand at an American
fort brought back to the nations heart the pa
triotic blood of &c and sealed the doom of those
who had made themselves traitors and aliens
by their own act. At the close of their I'M
uOiJ wal tuSy WCtO PiOD"piy PhSp"iOu w Nv
cept the situation and acknowledge them
selves s,lbdued. But now, encouraged
by the action of the President and
the prospect of democratic revival, they take
a new departure and boldly avow their inten-
ton to carry the war into Africa and to
seize control of the Southern governments. If
the people of the United States are prepared
for this change from radicalism to the old
slave-owning secession aristocracy they will
submit to the Southern programme Of the ex-
rebel leaders and place the federal government
in the hands of Seymour and Blair. They
may then expect soon to see Wade Hampton
and Forrest leading armies against the New
England States, not as rebels, but backed by
the power and authority of the Executive, the
COMMANDMENTS Chief of the army and navy of
the United States They may look to civil
war not confined to sections, but spreading
over every State of the Union, making picket
lines Of every river and sharpshooter's
ambush of every tree. They may calculate
with certainty upon reputation of our heavy
national debt; for why should the Confederate
chiefs and their gallant followers, when they
again obtain control Of the government, con-
sent to be burdened with the cost Of war
waged for their own subjugation? The issue
is in the hands Of the people, and it is for
them to decide whether they will submit
longer to the rule of the radicals or consent
that the fires of rebellion shall be rekindled
over all the land