The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-01

largest, and throughout the greater
part of the South this population had
q majority Of votes. AS long as the
States were unreconstructed and un-
der military authority the radicals
and their negro allies had their own
way, to a great extent; but as soon as
civil authority was restored the white
Southerners began to take the control.
This is the secret of the disturbances
in Richmond, of the clamor for recon-
struction over again in Georgia, and
for the demand of the radicals for
military government over Tennessee :.
The prolonged military rule over
the South has had the effect Of max
ing General Candy and other COM
manders mistake their duty. Though
these gentleman may be governed by
the best motives, they are Influenced
by their military training and ideas.
They cannot understand that when a
State has been restored the civil law
should be supreme. In the srouble
at Richmond, for example, General
Candy should have taken no action or
have assumed no authority but to sup
press instruction when called upon
by the civil power. In any dispute
about the formality of an election or
the right of parties to hold Office he
should not have interfered, but have
left that to the courts. An election
to Office is to be taken as a bona tide
fact, though carried by fraud, till ex-
amined and acted upon by the proper
civil authority. This is the way such
things are managed in the Northern
States, and there is no other safe way
compatible with the laws and civil
liberty.
The same principle applies to Geor-
gia and Tennessee, though Georgia,
not being yet fully reconstructed, is
| in rather an exceptional position.
With regard to Tennessee, q State in
as perfect relations with the Union as
New York or Pennsylvania, it is pre-
| posterous and dangerous to talk of
reconstructing that State or ofplacing
| 1t under military authority unless in
the case of positive insurrection. II
| Tennessee can be reconstructed or
placed under military rule, why not
New York, Massachusetts,, or any
other Northern State. All the States
are on the same footing. If this in
famous practice were to be admitted
no State would be safe. Any politi.
cal party in power could destroy its
political equality and rights, and there
| would be an end to civil liberty.
This government would be the most
perfect centralized despotism. No,
better let the factions in the South
fight it out among themselves; bet
ter let the two races try their strength,
even by some bloodshed, than estab-
lish despotism either under the mil
itary or a political oligarchy. The
negroes of the South have acquired
all the political rights and privileges
of the whites. They ought to be con-
tented. 1t is absurd to suppose that
eight or ten millions Of the superior
white race are to be the political
slaves of or to be controlled by three
or four millions Of semi-barbarians,
who hardly know their right hands
from their left. In any contest the
negroes must go to the wall. This is
seen in the troubles at Richmond and
elsewhere. tits positively cruel in
the heartless carpet-bag politicians to
lead these poor people to destruction.
We hope General Grant will exercise
his good common sense in these
Southern troubles, and, above all, will
maintain the supremacy of civil laws.