The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-10-14
The Radicals Retreat from their
TarbeH PlmfE@rm and set mp
anOther.-.Their last exPedient
40 avoid another defeat.


40 avoid another defeat.
Our prediction that the Radicals would
retreat from their TarbeH platform, con-
scious that it would not save them from
defeat, has been verified. Unable to ex-
plain away its contradictions, and non
committalism, they have made virtue Of
necessity and put. forth another DECLARE
ton of faith, which we have publish
ed. Their conduct is a confession
that the charge that it was a mere game
of double-dealing, deceptive, and wholly
insufficient to meet the requirements of
the people, was correct The work of
September 29th, is the expedient of the
trembling criminal seeking to escape the
punishment he deserves.
Who believes that but for the fear of
defeat the Bitter End Radical adventu-
rers and their apostate allies, would ever
have consented to lower their terms of
reconstruction
Who is fool enough to believe that they
are less rancorous in their hate of the
mass of Southern people, than they were
eighteen months ago, when they framed
Ia constitution that would have made
slaves of two-thirds of them; or six
months ago, when they deliberately swore
that the Radical voters, comprising Gas
they declared) majority of the register
ed suffragans, wanted actually to drive
the Southern people out of the State,
(witness the testimony of Castello) and
that loyalty needed and demanded con-
stitution with the test-oath permanently
incorporated in it," (TarbelPs state
ment.)
Who believes that the Committee of
Sixteen, who defeated the bills removing
political disabilities from large class of
our people, and at whose instigation Con-
gress applied to Mississippi the resolution
requiring the test-oath to be exacted of
every office-holder in the State Gas Tar
bell would would say) "from Governor
to Constable, is now sincerely in favor
of universal amnesty"
On the one hand, We have the works of
these Radical spoilsmen. On the other,
we have their confessions extorted at the
last moment to secure the permanent con-
troll of the State government with unIim-
tied power and tyranise over our down
trodden people as their clan is doing in
Arkansas, and South Carolina, and as
they did in Tennessee until the negro vo-
tiers themselves SO long deceived and be-
trayed, joined hands with the enfran-
chised whites and hurled them from pow
er
This last declaration of Radical policy
therefore, whether good, bad or indif-
ferent, must be accepted as the resource
of convicted and acknowledged crimi-
nal, who will keep faith or not, as his own
selfish aims may dictate. Its authors,
true to their tactics, have attempted to
deceive the unwary by declarations of
what nobody Except fanatics of their
SCHOOL, deny, and denials of what 40 one
affirms.
For instance, who denies freedom of
speech" except the party which Furnishes
freemen by compelling them to stand
gagged, with bayonets pointed at their
breasts for indulging in the right of
speech? Who has mterfered with the
freedom of the press" but the party to
which they belong, which imprisons men
for publishing what their judgments die
tate and their convictions of duty re-
quire? Beautiful talk this by the wretch
ed pensioners of power and slaves of des-
potism, whose partizan leaders practice
the reverse of what they preach.
And SO they pirate of ''free schools"
though their constitution imposes a spe-
cial tax on every voter, white or black,
rich or poor, to maintain the extravagant
system which they contemplate building
up, in order not to educate the children
of either, but to multiply Offices and
sources of plumber for their own enrich
ment.
Even in reference to the policy of dis
reimbursement, their attitude, judged by
this platform, is not free from ambiguity.
In the very breath in which they declare
''for universal suffrage and universal am
nesty," they pledge their adherence to the
policy of the 14th amendment which ex-
cludes large classes of citizens from the
just rights of freemen.
But all the examples of absurd malig-
nifty are .eclipsed when this platform is
compared with the ticket nominated by
its authors. One has pretence of iber-
atty; the other is the embodiment of IA
natical hate and vindictive prescription.
The one promises fair in the direful ex-
tremity of its projectors. The other rep
resents the demons of War, Pestilence
and Famine.
Co