The national Republican., 1868-12-30
VIII THEY ACaUIEsCEs

ThI,oucstio, Ia frequently prop oundcd here
In the North In regard TO the Southern peo-
-ple. the prcss and poi. &C. ns. It is oues-
tion which means a gO.u because In the
accepting OF the situation u. part Of the
entire Southern community de-. rndsiu = large
degree the measure of Southern prosperity.
soon after the close Of the war the Southern
politicians and tTc eaters OF the Wade Hamp-
ton school began their attempts to fire anew
the southern heart, believing as they did that
the Northern Democracy would join them in
oyerthrowing the Union party, and that
union between the Copperhcads Of the North
and the unrcconstructcd rebels Of the South
would constitute a party which would hold
the Government and wield all Of Its powers
and agencies in the interests of the whilom
slayeholders, and thus In effect restore the
"lost cause"
For atlme the leading politicians Of both
sections claiming to belong to the Democratic
party saw nothing but revived and reinstated
Democracy bearing sway over the whole land,
and themselves elevated again to power and
position. They obstinately rejected the light
which was given them, and failed to eompre-
hend this one great fact aud truth that the
people who put down the rebellion were unal'
terably determined to rid the land Of the last
yestige OF the slave power, as they had rid 1t
Of slavery itself; and, moreover, that these
s,me people would perscvere till the heresy OF
accession was annihilated; that no party In
this land could succeed that did not make
restored and a redeemed Union. In which the
rights and liberties OF all men were acknowl-
edged, vindicated and made permanent. All
this the Southern politicians, together with
their North ern nllies, failed to see. They
were blinded by passion and misled By preJu'
dice. Frank Blair's Broadhcad letter was the
inlammable material which set the whole
southern country in blaze, and during the
campaign they saw themselves Just In the I'm
mediate grasp OF power which they meant to
WELD in their own behalf and In the interest
Of their cherished Institutions. Their hopes
were blasted by tho election Of General Grant,
and they were sent staggering backwards to a
state Of apparent quiescence and repoIe.
To encourage their hopes anew their north
ern allies, the Copperheads, began again te
inspirc them with the belief that all was no
lost, because General Grant wasa Democrat
and that he would go back on the party wh!ei
elected him, and carry over the powerl OF IN
Government into Democratic hands. Sue'
was and is the preaching OF the northet
Democratic leaders and newspaper press. w
scarcely need say how absurd Is all this.
II is encouraging to know that there al
some southern men of influence and charAct,
who calmly view the whole field and unde
stand the situation. Among these we ma
name Mr. Boyce, OF South Carolina, and Gel
Longstreet. The latter gentleman, In a recen
letter, gives his brethren some good and whole
some advice, which they will do well L
accep. and follow. Among other things h
adHionishes the South to disabuse Its mind
the idea that General Grant will turn out
democrat He adds that Grsnts "anteee
dent. clearly mark him as a national man, ant
nf hia adhesion 10
the marty whose basis Is the Union, and that
the influence OF his naturalization will be
applIcd to Its complete and prosperous resto
ration"
Grneral Longstreet further observes that
President Grant needs no cooperation from
The south, and to this point he devoteS the
concluding portion Of his letter. The General
says:
"Tbe politieians Of the old school seen
AnxiOus to impress upon the minds OF oui
propositions coming from the hepupHean
party, or elsc they dishonor their own o'9ou,
and The blood of their fallen comrades. But
gentlemen should remember that they only
dishonor their comrades when they dshonof
themselves and that mere eSnno' Oa proner 0r care
for our own welfare. On the contrary, 10 DIS
card the law and expose ourselves 70 unneces-
sAFy difficulties is near akin to dlshonof. IL
is true that many worthy persons are disiran.
chised under the law, but the rehdiesl
and surest means OF relief are through the
law conclude, therefore, that interest, AND
duty and honor demand that we should place
ourselves In a condition to support the laws
of Congress. when we have done SO. we shall
receive sbundantly OF help from the Execu'
live And from the other me mbers of the Gov
ernment."
Thus speaks wise man, and the question
now is, will the southern people heed this ad
vice and acquiesce in the situation, or wiz
they continue to follow the silly teachings ol
Northern Copperheats and Southern hre
eatersl We shall see.