Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-20


circumstances that this was submitted &c
fault with the Southern Whites. inasmucf
as they shave left the Constitutional Con.
ventions almost unanimously Republican
without the checking and healthy influ-
ence of minority"
The existing constitutions are gooc
enough for the Southern whites. They Pc
titioned for no convention to amend them
They had In the past lived and prospered
under them, and would do so again If they
| were permitted. Having no desire for a
change, why should they seek place in
these " Constitutional Conventions" begot-
ten of Hate and Fanaticism, to play the
role of sshealthy" "minorityp 1t is grati-
flying that Radical journal has been able
to discover that Southern whites might be
put to seryiceable use-that they can fill
the place of "healthy !" minority" That il
something more than was lately accorded
them. All at once the Leader is in 9
hurry about having the South Reconstruct
ed, as it is called. 1t says: "Ihe great need
of the South and of the Nation at present 1.
immediate Reconstruction" That is true
and it was true two years and two months
ago. It was true when President
johnson laid his first inaugural message be-
fore Congress. Who has defeated Recon
struction The Radicals-not the South
ern Whites. Before Congress had assem-.
bled, for the purpose of satisfying the
White people North, President JOHNSON
asked the Southern White people to amend
their Constitutions, so as to declare the per-
petual abolition of slavery. renounce the
right of Secession and pledge themselves
that. the debt created by them i'll their eff
fort to fight their way out of the Union,
should never be paid. When President
JOHNSON made this request, the Radicals
said the Southern people. although defeated
in the field, were not broken in spirit,
would never of their own free will do
what the President required of them. But
they did do it-did it with cheerfulness,
and thus testified their purpose to abide
dutifully in the Union and go to
work to rebuild their fortunes and thereby
give powerful aid to the general prosperity
of the country. This was not sufficient.
They had not made it part of their or
ganic law, nor had the President asked
that they should do so, that hencefor.h the
Southern Whites would vote the Republi
can Ticket. Herein lay the whole diff
Guilty. The Republican politicians became
impressed, and rightfully, too. that the
Southern Whites would be likely to vote
the Democratic Ticket, and they feared
Furthermore that their outrageous corrup-
tion-their stealing from and plundering
Of the Governmet, by which the public
debt was increased out of all rightful
proportion, and which now SO terribly
afflicts our people-would cause the North
ern peopleIto vote the Democratic ticket.
So they affect to believe, after the most of
them had indorsed the policy of President
JOHNSON as patriotic and right, that that
policy was irregular and baneful-irregu-
lar aud baneful. because it does not recog-
nize the Negro as a political element and
set him off to be used to snbserve the ends
of Republican partisans. It is this that
stands in the way of Reconstruction; for
over two years it has stood in the way of
Reconstruction, and will continue to stand
in the way until the Republican party is
voted out of power. Until that is done,
there will be no solid prosperity in the
country.
A White Mans Government.
1t is surprising after all the fighting,
after all the preaching of Republican
preachers, and after all the writing of Re-
pu blican editors, that from one blood
God created all the nations of the earth" !"
White men will persist in claiming that
this is a White Mans Government, and
that it should so be continued. Although
in Africa, the African has made no pro-
religion, science or literature although h
in Jamaica and Hayti, two among the
fairest and most prolific islands in the
world, where the Negro had every ad-
vantage of education and full hand in the
administration of the Government. he has
relapsed into his normal barbaric and IL
centious condition, nothing will satisfy
Republican politicians unless the South
shall be given over to Negro rule, and the
Negro made an equal participant in the
administration of the Government North.
A few days ago Sergeant BATES started
afoot from Vicksburg to Washington, car
ryfng the regulation flag of the United
States on q wager. At Selma, Alabama, he
received spirited reception. Speeches
were made on the occasion. Hon. ex.
Governor MOORE and ex-Provisional Gov
ernor PARSONS did up the oratorical pal
They glorified the flag, the Constitution n
and the Union. So far, good. Tc
Democrats and Conservatives this would
seem supremely good. Not SO, however
to the Cincinnati Commercial the very ne.
plus OF moderate Republican paper. Says
this contemner of everything Radical:
"But somehow or another, neither speak.
er seemed to be able to rise above the prop.
osition that the flag was symbolical Of the
white mans government, and the white
man only. That was as lofty an altitude
as they were able to raise themselves to-
There's implacaDle treason for you
These speakers would have it that the flag
symbolized a White Mans Government
They could not get that idea out of theil
heads. A White Mans Government! Al
the Commercial ponders these words the
cold chills run over it, and, doubtless, il
wonders when the White people of the
South will cease these reasonable utter.
ances. This must be stopped. On Satur.
day the party that says this is not White
Mans Governments was beaten in Zanes.
Vile. A couple of days ago it was beaten
badly in Reading, Pa. This sort of treason
is growing stronger day by day. 1t will
be one Of the principal. and it will be the
successful rallying cry in the Presidential
contest. =
THE superintendent of the Mobile and
Girard railroad offered to give free tickets
from Mobile home to all of Killhoo,s
friends and supporters, provided they
would tell him for. whom they voted. He