New-York tribune., 1868-04-10
WORDS WHICH ARE THINGS

above all other men, melted and inflamed the
! fell spirit lately evinced in the murder of Geo.
| w. Ashbun in Georgia:
eve do not differ very widely from THE TRIBUNE in
thinking that the action of President johnson, in quar-
50 10 10 the unhappy change
and temper which has come over the South SINCE the
alone to the fault pretty fairly divided between
him and Congress Congress fixed upon policy which
was far likely TO exasperate and intensity Southern
hatred of the Government and the Union, than to
courage aud strengthen their confidence in and attach
less resistance encouraged the South hopes a
peto restoration to all its former power And just in
bitter and relentless did the Southern temper become ar
but this is a matter Of but little practical Importance.
II has very little do with suppressing removing
Southern disaccton and restoring the Union 1t is not
with the of the evil 80 much as with the remedy
for it, that the country is concerned. H. as The TRIBUNE
ish spirit which pervades the south and finds vent in
political murders and assassnations his removal Will re
store peace, harmony, and contented loyalty to the
Southern States"
RemarkS.-We did not say that Johnson was
the sole cause" of the spirit evinced in the
murder of Ashburn, but that he had melted
and inflamed it. The original cause is Slavery,
with its incidents, caste and negro-hate. The
spirit existed before johnson was born its re-
cent sanguinary manifestations are melted by
the fact that an apostle of negro-hate has been
thrust into the Presidential chair. The spirit
will remain after johnson shall have been ex-
PEELED from the White House; but it will be
cowed into general postpOnement of its muir
derous manifestations until after another Dem
Ocrat shall have somehow been got into the
Presidential chair.
But The Times begs the main question in
dispute in its talk of Southern hatred"
Southern temper" and of "the South" as
hostile to the policy of Congress. The facts
are quite otherwise. A decided majority of the
Southern people-both of those " to the manor
born and those who have migrated thither
are hearty supporters of the policy of Con-
gress, as they would have been opposed to the
Rebellion had they been allowed freely to
speak and act. What The Times calls South
L" ern disaffectiOn" is the disaffection of the
Rebel Pro-Slavery minority, melted by denial
of their claim to do as they choose with the
loyal, freedOm-loving majority. 1t is the howl
ing of the wolves over the strength of the
sheep fold, the ferceness of its guardian dogs.
Congress was compelled to choose between
feeding the wolves and fighting them. Had it
proceeded on the Johnsonan basis which re-
CARDS the loyal Blacks as entitled to such
rights only as the (manly) Rebel Whites may
see fit to accord them it might have placated
the minority, but at the expense of wronging,
betraying, and alternating the majority. 1t
could not satisfy them both so it was virtually
forced to displease those whose loyalty dates
from some point this side of Lees surrender.
The Times proceeds rs follows:
"THE TRIBUNE argues prove that this feeling the
part Of the South is unjust and unreasonablerthat
neither the admission Of the to universal suffrage,
nor the Acknowledgement OF large numbers OF the Whites,
ought to create such hostility Of races and that the
troll of the Southern States We concede all this TnE
TRIBUNE is thoroughly right in what it says this sub
ject But certainly, THE TRIBUNE has not now to learn
that 1t might as well argue with whirlwnd with
powerful sweeping, universal, social prejudice This;
too all WrOng-such prejudice ought to be reasoned
WITH and ought to yield at once TO sound argument But
@ G ma for thinking that human nature has
States"
RemdrkS.-It cannot be unknown to The Times
that "the disfranchisement of large numbers
" of the Whites" is no part of our programme.
Were not those Whites seeking the disfran-
chsement of all, or nearly ALL the Blacks, we
should more pointedly protest against 1t.
Universal Amnesty-lmpartial Suffrage has
long been our well-understOOd platform We
once aroused formidable hostility by stating
that we favored Universal Amnesty, even
though Impartial Suffrage were, for the moment,
withheld OF unattainable. We intended by this
to repel the imputatOn that we sought to drive
bargain with the Rebels-to eOnstrain
them to COncede Impartial Suffrage
as the price of Universal Amnesty.
Had there never been slave OF negro on
this continent, and had the late Rebellion
nevertheless run it's course and been subdued,
we should have favored Universal Amnesty as
we now do. And yet we feel and admit that
the Southern Republicans have reason on their
side when they say, ave will not enfranchise
the leading Rebels, if the first use they make
" of the power thus conceded will be to disfran-
"chise us. You must not ask us to hand a
"knife to one who is certain TO use it there
"upon with desperate intent to cut our throats."
Who can say that this is unreasonable But
bring your Rebels to agree to live in peace and
be content under constitutions that give them
the same rights that we claim for ourselves
and our children, and we will do our best to
secure their prompt reGnfranchsement.
But let us hear The Times again:
The fact of widespread, bitter discomfort with the
government in any country, is always much more i'm
pOrtant than the for it, Reasons Tor sucn dscOn
tent may good bad but long az IT exists whether
with or without reason 1t ia element OF disturbance
and OF danger 1t nctes to crime II dlsturbs peaceful
Industry it destroys social harmony and personal So
curity it may break ont, it is doing at the South,
in secret murders, systematic assassnations, in
ranzed cOnspraces, and In ell the other Outragcs and
crimes usually prompted by awless passion and reckless
revenge While it lasts 1t strikes at the root OF social
community fatal TO ts peace and its life and that too,
whether it has any foundation IN Justice or not
1.-The foet is the important consideration IN all such
cases"
Comment-We think not The Times persists
in ignoring the discomfort that would inevita-
bly result from letting the Rebels have it all
their own way. If Cannibalism were the in
veterate custom of a portion of our people, and
the Nation should forbid and punish it, there