The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-02
THE CONTEST OF 1872.
OUR VIEW FoRK lie TIER.
The Ku-KIux Stories and their Effect
Morton Strikes. the key-Note OF the
Radical Campaign-Cluseret the DC
tator OF Paris-Rufianism on the
Street Cars, &c., &C.
IFRoa OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE

[FRoA OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
NEW YORK, April 90.
The New York Radical papers continue TO
publish accounts of dreadful Ru-Klux outra-
ges in South Carolina, whole families fee
ing in terror" murders by the wholesale, >
&c. False, or at least grossly exaggerated, as
these stories are, you can hardly conceive
how much they are hurting the cause Of Con-
servatIsm here. There are thousands OF fair
minded men who have been acting with the
Republican organization, but who have been
gradually cooling in their faith in it, who find
themselves getting indignant and working
back into the old rut. It is hard to persuade
these people that these reports are "les."
TheyxSil reply that where there is so mach
smoke there must be some fire. One single
instance OF lawlessness proven, as in the case
of the Union County hang;ngs, gives color IN
the Northern mind to the thousand pretended
cases reported by the Radical press.
make these observations only because our
people ought TO be impressed with the neces-
sity of being extremely cautious to give no
handle 10 Radical accusations, II they wish 10
get their enemies out Of power in the general
government My own opinion is that the next
Presidential fight is going 10 be hard one,
and that the result is extremely doubtful. II
there are eleven men Of one belief and len OF
another, it is obvious that the minority must
convert one OF the eleven if it would become
q majority. This, take it, is the relative posi-
tion of parties at the North now. The Demo-
Gratis are in the minority, and if they desire TO
win the next Presidential election they must
convert that extra Republican. There are
thousands and tens of thousands OF Republ!,
cans, in all OF the States, who are intensely
disgusted with their own party; but they have
been so long in the habit Of distrusting the
Democracy that they have not yet been able 10
make up their minds 10 come over. While we
abate none Of our principles, we must inspire
these people with confidence in us.
1t is unouestionabe that Senator Morton,
the leading man in the Radical ranks, has
struck the keynote Of the campaign for the
Radical side in his Washington and Indian
apolis speeches. The Radicals know the dis
advantages of defensive warfare, and are
going to assume the aggressive boldly. They
will force upon the country the old question
of Southern '.loyalty" to the United States.
Morton, who is as shrewd as he is black-heart-
ed, took the position in his recent speeches
that "a conspiracy exists among the Southern
people to re-establish the Confederacy, and
restore the institution of socalled slavery"
and that, if the Democracy of the North sue
ceed in carrying the Presidential election,
,ho in tho demands Of
the Southern States, and let them depart In
peace. Controlling the government, and,
therefore, the army and navy. there will be no
attempt at coercion, and the rebellion" will
become al last an accomplished fact. In other
words, says Mr.. Morton, appealing to old pre-
iudices, this contest, like those which have
preceded it, is for the ''the preservation 1.-The
Union"
Now when we consider that Congress has
lodged absolute power In Grants hands as re-
cards the South, so that the elections there
may be held under duress il necessary, and
that the scheme is to revive the tears Of the
Northern people about the perpetuity of the
Union, we may perhaps comprehend the char
acter of the Radical plan Of battle, and how
desperate will be the chances Of beating it. Ii
we do not want four years more of Radical
ism, land that probably will finish up the Re-
public, North as well as Soutb,) we must bring
to our aid, in preparing for the coming con-
test4moderation, wisdom aud foresight in the
highest degree.
The Tribune announces that 1t has sent seTe-
raj correspondents into the South 10 talk free
" with the people Of all classes. and 10 inVes-
ligate the charges Of outrage upon, or pre-
scription OF, Northern men. The result Of
their inquiries is to be published in its col
umns. This is undoubtedly plan to gather
material for campaign use. The World has
also an accomplished correspondent travelling
the South to get at the truth.
One of our New York celebrities is making a
conspicuous figure in France. Seven years
ago, tall, gaunt man, with glittering eyes
and ierocous moustache, sat in garret, on
Broadway, scr!bbling, in bad French, slashing
editorials against Lincoln and Grant. The
former he derided as blunderer, the latter he
sneered at as a fool. This bad French was,
with excruciating labor, transformed into
readable English by others. and inserted IN
the columns of the New Nation, paper then
advocating the election Of Fremont for the
Presidency. This editor in the garret was
Cuseret, now Dictator of Paris. He is an edI-
Gated French army officer, and served in the
American civil war under Fremont. Lincoln
made him a brigadier-general. But he is an
utterly irresponsible adventurer, and lives on
his wiIs. After the failure of his newspaper.
he ran down so here that he became almost q
common loafer, and lived on bis acquaintan-
ces. He was in France last year before the
wasbegan, and was so noisy that The lmperi-
al authorities put him in prison, whereupon
he claimed his release OIL Tie ground that he
was an American citizen. After he was per-
miued to GO, he returned 10 New York, and
abused the Emperor and Empress daily
through the columns of ihe Sun. The Com
mune must be badly of Eor brains 70 trustto
such leadership. Mcmahon will probably put
tall stop to his career, unless Grant should
be magnanimous enough TO forgive him and
plead fol- his pardon.
The community has been greatly excited
o-ar tho assassination Of Mr. Avery ID. Put