New-York tribune., 1870-04-18
TIE GEORGLA QUESTION.

We are conquered! Our determination not
to say one word about Georgia till Congress
has done with her yields at last to the inter-
minable garrulity of the Senate. Here is
our view of the Georgia Question:
l. The Rebel element in that State is prima-
rily responsible for her present condition. 1t
was fully represented in her Legislature; no
Test Oath had been imposed to its prejudice; in
short, all was moving on toward her
speedy restoration to her proper place
in the Union, when the UnrecOnstructed saw
fit to expel the COlOred members from both
Houses. 1t was an ungenerous, unworthy, dis
loyal, foolish, suicidal act-much like firing on
a flag of truce. 1t was a first step i'll that
revolution backward which Frank Blair pro-
claimed, and in furtherance of which he was
nominated for Nce-Presdent. 1t was the
signal gun for a new rebellion in response to
the nomination Of Seymour for President
Nobody can think worse of that outrage than
we do.
III. But We who stand for Government Of
" the People by the People" cannot afford TO
renounce or defy our own principles because
they are set at naught by the practices of our
adversaries. In opposition to the champions
of Government by Caste, we are advocates Of
but one race or one party has a voice is at
war with our fundamental idea, although that
party should be our party, that race generally
favorable to our views.
III. Georgia has thousands of voters who
intensely hate the cause which finally triumphed
at AppomattOx: so has New-YOrk. Georgia
was made to vote for Seymour and Blair
against the Judgment and wishes of a majority
of her legal voters so was New-YOrk. Georgia
might next Fall through fraud and force,
choose a Governor and Legislature opposed to
the real wishes of her people and in sympathy
with the dislOyal Eelement: New-YOrk has
already a Governor and Legislature thus chosen.
In short there is not a single valid reason for
not letting Georgia choose her own rulers and
Representatives in Congress which is not an
equally good reason for doing the same by
New York.
" Republics are not founded on the as
sumption that all men are angels of light If
they were, they would be embodied falsehOods,
which could not live year. We know right
well that many men are vicious and igno-
rant, and corrupt; and yet we regard the re-
public as the best possible form of govern
ment-and best for Georgia as well as for
New York.
V. The legal voters of Georgia, as registered
in 1868, were thus returned;
Whites. 06,262 COlored. .S5,053
OF the Whites not less than 10000 are Repub-
hcans while all the Blacks but handful are
obliged to be Republicans, since they know
that the Democrats would disfranchise them if
they could On fair, full, uncOnstrained
vote, there is probably not less than 10000
Republican majority in the State. AT the
election for Governor in 1868, Rufus B. Bull
lock Republican, was chosen over Gen. Cor
don Dem) by 7,O47 majority Bullock, 1916 !;
Gordon, 7G,099). Barlow and Telfair Counties,
which made 10 returns, might possibly have
reduced the majority to 5000. In the succeeding
election for President, the Blacks were largely
deferred from voting made to vote against
their choice by intimidation; so that the totals
returned were--GTant, 57l34; Seymour, l02,822
In two or three Counties, no vote was cast for
Grant; % Counties gave him less than 50 votes
each.
VI. The Republicans are seriously weakened
by faction Their leaders charge each other
with all manner Of tTcacheres and misde-
meanOrs. We do not decide which OF them
arc night and which wrong; We only insist that