The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-16
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
BDIToRIAL oPIrIoEs OF TIE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT roPICs-coMPILKD EVERY
BAY FOR TIE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
How the Radicals have Abused Returning
Loyalty -tleneral Wade Hampton.

wade Hampton. we 40 nOt 1881 cah9u upon
to repel personal assaults upon the character
OF this distinguished Southerner; but his
case supplies a pertinent illustration of the
effect OF the radical policy upon the temper Of
the Southern people. When the war closed,
General Hampton was among the first to
accept its consequences, and to recognize the
great changes it had wrought in the politics
Of the country. He was a conspicuous
representative of the intelligence, the
honor, the candor, the liberality, the ohivalry,
in short, all the best elements OF the Southern
character. He, and men like him, were the
natural leaders of the Southern people; and 1t
was Of the utmost consequence that their in
fuence should have had free scope in the re-
storation of good feeling. General Hampton's
course was so upright and magnanimous, so
superior to sectional feeling and vulgar preju
dices, as to extort warm encomiums even from
the radical press. But according to the repre-
sentatiOns of the Times, he has now become so
embittered that he volunteers to second Gen.
Blair in procuring redress by military force.
That his feelings aud the feelings of the
whole Southern people have undergone
change within the last three years, cannot be
disputed. This change is the natural revolt
of the human mind against illiberality and
injustice. We arraign the Republican party
for having blighted the returning kindness of
the South in its spring time. 1t concerned
the public welfare that the wounds of the war
should be speedily healed. The admirable
temper of the South rendered this an easy task,
if that section had recei we'd just and consider
ate treatment. The change wrought in the
temper and sentiments of Wade Hamp-
ton is specimen of the whole
Southern people by the fagrant,
scandalous, and persistent violations of the
Constitution by the Republican party. To
prove the magnanimous loyalty of the South
in the summer and autumn which followed
the war, we can cite testimony which the Re-
publcans ought to regard as unexneptOn-
able, namely, that of General Grant. We will
pass ever his written report to the President
made after tour of inspection in the Southern
States, and quote single decisive sentence
from his testimony before the House Judiciary
Committee, about year ago. cat the close
of the war;" said General Grant, "there was a
very fine feeling manifested in the South, and
l thought We ought to take advantage OF it as
soon as possible
Had this submissive and magnanimous loyalty
been met in corresponding spirit, the coun-
try would have been Immediately tranqu lized,
and have entered at once upon an era of har-
mony. But partisan Congress flung in in
gradients which changed the wine into vine
gar. Fearing that the restored South would
act with the Demo ;ratic party, the Republi-
cans determined to keep the Union discovered.
We have had three years of rancor and tur-
moil because the Republicans were willing to
sacrifice the Union and the public tranquility
to the hope of party success.
The passage in General Wade Hampton's
speech at the Union square ratification meet
ing which the Times held up to reprobation, is
the following:-
1--WE can have no relief unless this great Dem.
ocratic party will come out and pledge Itself
that we shall have a fair elecJiOn-that thu
white people of the South shall vote; AMI want
you ali to register an oath tnat, wnen they 40
these shall
If there Is majority of white votes, that you
will place Seymour and Blair in the White
House, In spite OF all the bayonets that shall oe
brought against them. only want to see the
election fair, and If they do that. even with the
Incubus of black rule, we can carry the Southern
States"
We find nothing in this to disapprove. We
should deprecate the necessity of a resort to
force, but we pour scorn upon the craven, the
pusillanimous notion that freemen may not
vindicate their rights by arms. Courage to
resist oppression is the ultimate security for
good government. This, at least, was the
opinion of our brave forefathers when they
took care to provide in the Constitution that
arms shall not be ihfringed." The right to
bear arms implies the right, on a sufficient
provocation, to use them. The only debatable
question relates to the suffciency of the provo
cation.
If the Democratic party should fairly elect
the next President, and the Republican Con-
gress, by miscounting or throwing out votes,
should declare General Grant elected, nothing
could be plainer than the right of the
people to vindicate their actual choice.
Suppose, to illustrate the principle that the
result of the election should depend upon
the electoral votes of the newly admitted
State of Florida, that the three votes OF
Florida should be Democratic; and that
Congress should throw them out and de-
clare General Grant elected. Now, on
the supposition of a fair election in
Florida, ought the Democratic party to sub.
init The question answers itself; only a
negative answer is possible. That the Demo.
cratic party would resist, and make its resist
ance etfectual, we have no manner of doubt.
We should have on our side the two main
elements of success-right and numbers. The
superiority of oar numbers would be the
foundation of our right; for if the Republican
party fairly outvoted u.s. it would be our duty
to submit. But if the election shall show that
the Democratic party are ma jOrity, and Con
gress shall nevertheless declare the Republi
can candidates elected, our right to resist will
be ubquestionable, and our power TO resis
successfully will depend upon the same supe-
riority in numbers which made us ma ority
The chief advantage of republican institu
tions is, that they keep the preponderance o
physical force always on the side of the Gov
eminent. If the minority grows into majo
iity, they have only to await the next election
to come peaceably into power; and for this
reason, resort to force is always inexcusablC
under republican institutions, so long as elec
tions are fairly conducted. But if, by a change
In pubic sentiment, the minority have contrO
of the Government at the time Of an election
and keen themselves in nouar L., .ot,,,;,,.. A,