Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-03-29
Local Disorder at the South.

The condition of affairs in some locations
IN the southern states is but little better
than in Paris Murder and anarchy prevail
and there is no security for persons or prop
crty. The arm Of the law is impotent or
unwilling to restore order and the general
government is called upon to render aid.
This Is virtually another rebellion and an
other appeal to arms. The proclamation of
President Grant to the illegal organizations
10 South CorOlinia, AMI his message to Con-
-ress tells the whole story 1t is no use to
attempt an escape from the reality on the plea
of cxaggeration, for after a most liberal de-
duction for sensational reports, there still
remains enough to require the interposition
of Congress and the Executive and a war-like
movement Of troops.
\ determination on the part of many who
were conspicuous in the recent rebellion to
defeat the operations Of the Fifteenth Article
IF Amendment to the Constitution seems to
be the minus that impels these yet unsub-
dued ana unrc.encratcd citizens How to
.-raupie this element of disorder and what
course Of treatment 10 subject it to, is ques-
ton about which the wisest differ. But all
must he agreed upon one point, that all the
rights guaranteed to the citizens of each and
every state, by the Constitution as amended
must be practically secured, whatever may be
the cost, or we must stop saying . Congress
shall have power to enforce this article (the
Fifteenth BY appropriate legislation" The
struggle is to prevent its enforcement, for
this Is ut the bottom of all the Kuklux or
auizations and outragcs that prevail.
The y. Y. Nation which Is paper of usu-
ally GOOD sense and correct conclusions treats
the matter in this way:
Is there, then, no remedy for local disorder
mt the South? If the State government does
not protect a man, can be look nowhere else
Cor redress We answer, that if there be
anv value whatever in the theory on which
American policy is based, the remedy for
Southern disorders must come from the South
crn people, through their experience of the
folly and suffering of disorder If this be
not true, the whole American system is
mistake, and is destined ere long to perish.
Our business is now TO leave every Southern
State 70 Its own people, first because this is
the only practicable course, and, secondly,
because it Is the only wise one. If they are
- dcmoralizel that they 20 on numbering,
and =. kukluxing " each other, we cannot in
tefere effectively, and had better not intefere
at all The American punishment for
State which permits these things are two
impOvcrishment and emigration. If a man
cannot have freedom, security, and light tax
alton in New York, let him 20 to New Jer
sey If re cannot have them in South Caro-
lima let him 20 to Virginia if he cannot
have them in either, let him 90 TO Missouri.
Those who stay behind on seeing capital and
population steadily leaving their State, and
their property declining in value, will grad
uallv mend their ways This may be a slow
remedy, but it is a sure one. 1t goes to the
root of the disorder, while under coercion
from the outside no state of things can grow
up, or ever has grown up, in which coercion
ceases to be necessary. OF course there Is
nothing in this theory to prevent the United
states enforcing the Federal Constitution and
laws This ought to be done, at ,ohdteCer
cosf-that Is, by officers, and not by bill and
resolution. II 1t be true that black men are
kept from the polls by intimidation, we
ought to see that going to the polls Is made
as safe as going to church but to pass bills
providing for this, without voting the men or
the money to execute them, is a wretched
mockery, of which the country and the blacks
have had enough.
This may all be correct in theory but would
not the inevitable result be precisely what
the South desires an exodus of all north
ern men from southern states and the cessa-
ton of all efforts to fit the colored- men for
citizenship. The government has promised
to protect all it's citizens alike, black as well
as white, and can it abandon any portion of
them to a theory Of state sovereignty that
cannot OF Will not afford them protection 1t
would soon be . too hot : to stay and it
might not be convenient to move, and the
cOIorcd man who has never known any other
home could hardly in justice be asked to pack
up and be off on account of a local prejudice
existing against him because the Government
Of the United States has seen fit to make him
citizen This promotion might not be
desirable under such conditions Recon
struction viii not be completed until order
il restored nor the mission Of the Republican
rarty ended until perfect security to every
citizen throughout the South is secured