Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-18
How the southern situation fs
Viewed I'm the North.

The Northern Radical press is taking
alarm. They see q prodigious storm
coming from somewhere. The clouds
look dark, lowering and full OF hire.
They are all appalled,. And the New
York Herald true always to the strong
side comes out and tells the whole story
out and out, as follows. OF course the
Herald boasts of its sagacity, always
said it, and comes now only to say, l
told you So" "Let us have peace
An extraordinary and quite unexpected
revolution is taking place in the political
prospects Of parties in the South. The
Radical leaders spread themselves over
Southern States. after reconstructing
those States on the negro basis, to secure
the votes of the newborn citizens Of ARR
can descent. The first orators in Con-
gress, both Senators and Representatives,
left their seats and homes TO stump the
South and to control the negro vote. A
vast exodus of Radical carpet-baggers
left the North, and principally the East
ern States, spreading themselves over the
whole South like locusts, to secure the
SURFACES of the blacks, as well as the otfi-
ces and the propertyoftbe whites. In fact,
the Northern Radicals had 1t pretty much
all their own way. The South was their
political elysium. They had no doubt
about controlling the votes OF the ne
groes. not only for their own elevation.
but in the Presidential election also. All
the trouble between Congress and the
President arose from the struggle TO
gain the negro Vote as balance Of po-
litical power, and the Reconstruction
acts of Congress were framed expressly
for this purpose. in truth, nothing was
left undoue that could be done by all the
means that an all-powerful party could
use, and scarcely Radical in or out OF
Congress had any doubt Of the result
But what do we see now2 Precisely |
what the Herald said long ago and all
through would be the oase-that in the
end the negroes would 60 with their
masters and the Democrats From every |
quarter of the Southern States the fact
comes to US that this is the case. A
most thorough reaction is taking place.
The press and almost all the correspond
epce from the South shows this. Our
private and most reliable correspondents
inform us that "every one of the ex-
rebel States will be carried by the DEM
ocrats; that the negroes are leaving the
Radical party by hundreds; that tbey
are organizing colored Conservative
clubs, and that they are attending DEM
ocratic barbecues by thousands" Never
was there more striking example of the
old saying that the best laid plans may
be defeated.
And Why are the negroes abandoning
the Radicals, and going with their old
masters and the Democrats Because
they believe their interests lie that way,
and because the Southern whites know
how TO treat them better than the North
erners. In their brief experience with
Northern adventurers-properly called
because the greater part
of them were needy spectators, without
apy property but the earpet-bsgs they
carried in their hands-the negroes have
seen that these men had really no SYM
patty With them, and only wanted to use
hem for their own selfish purposes They
zee that their best friends are their old
masters aud the white people among
whom they were born and with whom
heir interests are identified. The North
,rn carpet.bsggers aud orators have
cheated and deceived them under the
,retense of sympathizing with them and
icing their friends, and, SIS q natural
they turn to the people
Who employ them and with whom their
|estiny is cast. Whst more natural ?
In this only shows bow short
lighted the Radicals in Congress and the
radicals generally have been. Inde-
,endent of party considerations and the
effect this reaction may have
N the Presidential election, it must be
egarded as happy circumstance; for,
the negroes aud whites of the South act I
Dgether, all fear ofr war ofrsces hereafter
Ill be at an end. The employer and
he employed will work together for their
,utusl interests aud the interests of d
heir COMMON section of country. Oae
hing is certain, snd that ia. that the 6
.adicals must change their tactics,
ease their efforts to array one portion
Z the Southern population against the
Their, aud consider the interests of the
hites and blacks Of the South as identi-
al, or they will have the whole of that
sctiou combined against them, both now
nd for sl time to come. They have
eceived themselves up to this time. We
hall see whether they can retrsce their
cps or comprehend this most interest Z
,g political problem of the day.