Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-30

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Tn marshalling our forces for the ma
tional campaign next year, We of the
South have three plain duties: TO our
selves; to our Northern co-laborers; and
to the country at large. And these duties
are 50 identified, that to fulfill one per-
fectly, win accomplish all.
Our duty to our own people is to en-
courage them amid the present depress-
ing surroundings and keep alive their in
terest in the future of our common coun-
try. Owing to the Southern independ-
ence of thought, there exist many shades
of opinion in our ranks; but all agree
in recognizing and opposing the PERM
cious influence of Radicalism; all agree
with Thomas Jefferson that the most
CALLING of despotisms is the despotism of
numerous body like Congress, where
the responsibility is so diluted by num-
bers that no single member feels ashamed
of tie grossest outrages.
3 Tnus agreeing among ourselves on the
great practical issues of the hour, upon
which the future of free institutions de-
ponds, duty 70 the Northern Democracy,
which has stood up for principle through
all the storms of dozen troublous years,
dictates that we should, ignore our minor
differences in order TO give them solid
phalanx of auxiiaries in the coming con-
test. And we conceive it little short of
criminal, for us, in futile wrangles, 10
furnish weapons ready made for Northern
Radicals TO turn on our struggling breth-
rem.
We have little doubt but our Southern
Democrats, irrespective of theories hob
bies, or old affiliations, will cordially sup
port the Democratic platform next year,
and endorse its nominees by an over
whelming poll, when it comes to the
vote-taking it for granted that we shall
have free elections, and no! be over-rid-
den with bayonets under the election and
Ku.Klux laws of Congress. And this
brings us to consider the duty we owe
the whole country, TO leave no excuse
for Federal interference, and to prove our
loyalty to existing institutions aud our
trustworthiness, by every honorable
means. Besides the bsyonet election bills,
ready made by Congress for Grants use
at discretion, we already hear of militia
being organized by the Radicals in Ar
kansas for next years campaign. Our
appeal is to the good sense and justice of
the Northern people, without respect to
party. The only possibility of defeat
that werecognize, lies in continued mis-
and mistrust of us by the
masses of the North. Herein lies the only
danger, and it imposes the most imperative
duty, 30 far as we of the South can con-
tribute to success. The Radicals recog-
nize this, and are straining their every
nerve TO perpetuste the unfortunate Sec
tionsl mistrust engendered by the war.
Such is the alpha and omega of their
policy for the campaign. The plain die
tate of self-preservation is for us TO do
all in our power, by every legitimate
means, to prove the groundlessness of the
fears on which Radicslism would
work, and regain the confidence of our
countrymen. 1t is not the interest of the
North to countenance bayonet elections;
for in few years these mock plebiscites
might invade the North itself under a
semi-imperisl regime. We do not be-
lieve the Northern majority, or any re-
spectacle minority even, will countenance
military interference in the South next
year, unless they are humbugged by
Radical stories into believing it necessa-
ry.
The highest duty then, to which the
Southern press and people should devote
themselves in preparation for the i'm
portant contest of 1872, is to expose these
Radical misrepresentation, and prove
their malice and fslsehood by our general
demesnor. And there are many means of
effecting this, besides the public prints. Our
mercantile community, for instance, can
contribute much toward dissbusing the
Northern mind, in virtue of the conf
dence reposed in them by their CONNER
cial correspondents. In the same way
the visits of prominent Northern leaders
deserve encouragement, as means of
restoring mutual confidence by seeing
with their own eyes the South as it is.
Many other means will suggest themselves
TO the earnest lover of our people. Only
let the importance of this matter be kept
in view by our Southern contemporaries.
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