Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-23
The Reaction against Radi-
cslism in the South.
The Presidents Supineness
Denounced . The Ad-
minjstration with
out Wisdom: -
Grants. Dents Worse than
Lincoln's Todds.

treachery of the administration. Presi-
; dent Grant desires to get rid o, the
: negro issue in national politics mark
the word-but either he don't care or
can't see that there is more than this to
|, be easily won by and through his adj
ministration. A right use of power in
herring in its great Office would uphold
, local Republicanism, and thus in part re-
pair the mischievous obtuseness and
cowardice which has left the freedmen
1 f1andfess. Like the Tribune, which was
always particular to ignore anything but
the personal difference found in candi,
dacy, during the Virginia contest, the
President has known only the Walk
er and Wells parties, ignoring the
fundamental fact that one could obtain
only loyal votes, and the other would
and did have all the disloyal ones. 1t is
reported that, when the rebel Daniels
dispatch of cOngratulation was received
at the White House, Grant said: "Who
the devil is Daniels. don't know him
nor don't want to-" This is reported
as an evidence that the President was
not in collision with the Rebels, mas.
querading in the disguise of Republicans.
To my mind it is worse. Ignorance of
such a state Of affairs is worse than
crime-it is blunder. The president
ought to know the antecedents of such
as Daniels, and if he does and don't care,
SO much the worse for him and US. What
was needed in Virginia more than an
election was protection, a sufticiency of
such good government as Gen. Candy
could have given, as would have cheered
the Radical and earnest supporters of the
nation. 1t was the duty of the admin
iStration to have encouraged them.
There are not wanting cOnsiderate men
who fear that the President rather de-
sires than otherwise repetition of the
Virginia affair. Arguing from past evil
denceS Of desire to run the executive
patronage and influence into personal
mould, 1t is not wide or unfair stretch of
probability to believe that General Grant
cares most for such reconstruction as will
bring position to such adherers and re-
tainerS of his own as-like the Dent fans
ily-may have aspirations. These ad-
iuncts to the presidency are worse than
the ToddS were during Mr.. LincolA's
| term. Most Of them remained where
they belonged, within the Rebel lines.
Unfortunately, we cannot get rid Of the
| others "thusly" at this time Senator
Wilson is credited with saying, with res
| ference to that member of the family
whose business it is to carry cards at the
White House: "Oh, it's no use to notice
him, he's only Dent" Many Dents,
however, weaken the material, and if res |
construction is to be so manipulated that |
Sharpe can creep into the Senate from |
Virginia, and a Dent can thrust himself |
into the gOvernorship Of Mississippi, |
why, it is just as well for the country 10 |
understand it.
Another thing is that it is renewal |
cropping out Of tho desire to make the |
national party a conservative one. In |
other words, the TribunGS hope, in its
protectionists insanity, is to revive the
old Wing party. To do this it is consci-
ously or unconsciously betraying the
South, by working under guise Of
demand for universal amnesty, into Rebel |
hands. That is the lesson of Virginia
as sustained by the Tribune. To some
extent it seems to have become frigh.s
ened at the result therein great part in
consequence Of its own aid and comfort.
But, after all, what desire to call the
attention of the Republican party to, is
that they are in imminent danger OfloSing |
the negro vote Of the South. Had there
been craftsmanship in the land sufficient
to have broken up the land-helding |
oigarchy by dividing their estates, the |
Radical party would at this time have /
commanded oneshalf or at least third |
Of the Southern white votes, as well as
the whole of the negro vote.
We never got many white votes
what we had we shall lose for time. |
The negroes have stood faithfully, though |
neither land or protection have been |
granted them, and they have almost lit~ |
orally been at the mercy Of their and |
our enemies for the bread they have /
eaten. When the fifteenth amendment |
is ratified, the Republican party as such |
will lose its hold on the cOlOred man. |
Since the party in Congress, and now in |
the White House, seems to have exerted
itself far more to place in local suprema-
cy the Rebel politicians who have been |
shrewd enough ito accept the situation
or, in other words, submit until they |
could strike once mOre-than to build up |
the struggling and suffering lOyalstS, it
| follows that they will ultimat ly tall
away. Southern defenders of slavery
have always declared that capital must
and will control labor. We have left
them in a position to try it effectually.
We shall see how long school system
will exist when the old Rebel element
have possession, as will soon be the case,
in Virginia. Equality Of taxation, which
is one of the best instrumentalitieS for
Northernizing the South, will be resisted
to the utmost by a class who have al
ways kept the burdens from their own
| shoulders. "You cannot put new wine
into old bottles" neither can you safely
allow the devotees Of slave and class
rule to manage the affairs of new and
struggling free commonwealths. Yet this
is what is being done; we shall see the
result in the reversion at the next gen.
eral election of nearly all the reconstruct>
ed and former slave States to the De-
mOcracJ, or to some party hybrid Of the
se-Tribune stock.
There is another reason why thee R.
publican party should fear the loss Of the
southern states. 1t is the advent into
their citizenship Of the Southern boys
at least those who were so during the
war. 1t is not overstating the fact to
declare that these young voters-numer-
GUS enough to be dangerous-are worse
rebels than those who were defeated by
our armies The women of the South,
most malicious, malignant, and traitorOus
IN ieelings-beyond even that of the
bitterest men--have had control of these
young men. We shall feel them yet.
We have done nothing to off,e them,
but on the contrary have all through
the reconstruction struggles, left their
fathers, brothers, and relatives in power,
and seem even now most delighted
when they succeed in retaining it.
We may as well expect breaking up
OF parties. Virginia sounds the alarm.
There IS this to congratulate ourselves
on, . Standard If Judge Chase's in
trigues, the Tribune's treachery, and the
Presidents supineness, or worse, do
bring about the state of affairs herein
suggeste !, We shall necessarily see or
gained Radical party as well as Cons
servative one. 1t will have broader
issues, and, being free from office, will
be bold in carrying them out.
The Republican party, however, Esau