The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-05-11
MA, Make Bob Have EkisSelf; Ev-
cry Time L Hit Him with The
Hammer He Meifers."

MA, Make Bob Have EkisSeif; Ev-
cry Time L Hit Him with the
Hammer He ueifers."
DoNN PIArT, Radical correspondent of
the Cincinnati Commercial, portrays the
bogus reconstruction policy of Radi-
calism in this manner: :
We complain that these Southern peo-
pie do not accept the situation aud look
the inevitable in the face Are we not
guilty of the same error? The differ
ences of nationality led to bloody war,
in which We laid waste wide fields, burned
the homesteads, and killed the best be-
loved, and yet propose, by few crude
statutes, to wipe out the deadly antago,
nism, and make the people, so punished,
a patriotic, peaceful, loving body of citi-
zens.
Had we attempted this in good faith, we
would yet be fighting the inevitable ;ssbut
feeling the impossibility of such result,
we have, in fact, used our powers to ben
eft ourselves Our so called reconstruc-
ton acts serve New England, and not
the South, The net purport and upshot
of the business is,to have body of men
in Congress from the Southern States
who represent the moneyed interests of
Yankeedom. We call them carpet-bag-
gers. met one at the opening of the
holidays, last winter, carpet-bag in hand,
making for the depot.
"Whither bound p l cried.
"Home, for few days"
"What, going South ?"
"Devit bit, l am making for Con-
necticut, to see my family"
He did not cali the. land OF his con-
stitueuts home. OF course. not; nor
does he consider the interest of his po.
litlcal locality, but votes steadily with the
manufacturing capital of his old home.
"Ma, make Bob have hisself; every
time hit him with the hammer he hol
lers."
had, sitting near me,a full-stomached,
heavy, ,jawed specimen of old Virginia.
lie was reading q Richmond paper,
and broke into hearty laugh. He
thought the matter that contained the
laughter too good to keep to himself, so
looking over his gold trimmed spectacles
at me, his nearest neighbor, he said !:
sDid you read that? Now say that's
id good"
AS he pointed to an extract from one
of my letters, of course heartily con-
Cured in his appreciation. But to save
my conscience, / said that it was from
one of those paid correspondents that
hang about Washington and write sen
sational stuff.
"a NANCY set of ours, | expect" was
his complimentary response, 'but that
feller puts it in about right this time
These id Yankees are running the
Government to he'll, on Il down grade,
without brakes"
"Don't you think you are to blame
for a good deal of this p
sWhat the devil can We do, sab ?"
"Accept the situation. Recognize the
negro as a citizen. Go on quietly under
the law, and try to create a material
prosperity, instead of fighting over po-
litical differences
My friend removed his spectacles in
evident wrath; his brows corrugated,
and he crumpled the journal he had been
reading into ball, as if to cast it at me,
and then roared: .a
''Look here, stranger, what you say is
like kicking man when he's down. We
fought far fight, and when we were
whipped we owned up like men, and all
that we've got is to be DISTINGUISHED our.
selves and then have these id niggers
made citizens, to send cursed, carpet
baggers to vote away our broad and but.
ter That you call accepting the situa
ton. All very well for you, who may
be pet-bagger for any thing ]
know"
'.If | were, 1t would be more in accor
dance with old Virginia politencss to re-
strain your personal remarks. But am
not. On the contrary, / am the author
of the extract you so much admired just
now. For five or six years | have been
striving to Withdraw from these heated
political contests, so as to look calmly
on both sides. | consider the so-called
acts of reconstruction unwise; not on
your account, for you are wrong headed,
obstinate and violent, and deserve all
that has come to you in the way of pun
ishment,-but on account of the entire
country, for l can see that they will not
bring about the peace aud harmony that
are necessary to success.
My friend regarded me with an ex-
preston of doubt for few moments :
But suppose my honest face removed
the suspicion, for he softened a pace, and
said:
"Well, what the devil would you have
us do:"
"Refrain from all violence. Every
man, white, and especially black, that is
killed for political diticrence,--every
rash, violent speech, justifies the enemy,
and will enable them to end where any
other nation would have begun, after
such causeless, brutal war, hanging
the leaders. and confscating the prop
erty."s
"Damn me-" sncrted my friend, "ef !
wouldn't have liked better the hanging
and contiscation, than this aggrayating
persecution and insult But GENE, Gen