The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-30
The Path OF Revolution.

When the game of reconstruction began,
the Northern people were warned that they,
in their turn, would feel the heavy hand OF
the unscrupulous Radical majority. 1t was
not possible to trample on the liberties OF
Georgia and the Carolinas, without aiming
a blow at New York and Missouri. Con-
gress went outside of the constitution when
it overturned the Southern State govern
ments; when it placed the Southern people
under military rule; when it arbitrarily de-
termined who should possess the privilege
of the suffrage; when, in fine, by bullets,
bayonets and proscriptive legislation it
placed the whole South under the control of
the tools of the Radical party. And Con-
gress only goes outside OF the constitution
when it talks Of reconstructing the whole
political fabric of the North and teeming
West. : 1t was not q Southern quarrel alone;
the cause OF constitutional liberty was at
stake. Every State in the Union was inter-
ested in checking the encroachments OF the
Radical party. The North and West, how
ever, would not be convinced. They huSged
the delusion that the marCinets and politi-
Clans who had ruled the Southern States by
the sword and by revolutionary legislation,
would still pay the tenderest respect to the
rights and privileges OF the loyal States.
The sequel shows that the South was right.
No that State after State has thrown of
the Radical yoke, a new plan is contrived
for re-radicalizing the country; and upon
the top of this comes the proposition to give
the General Government the same means OF
controlling the Democrats CT the North and
West that it has had Of controlling the Con-
seryatives OF the South. The false plea that
negroes and white Radicals cannot vote
safely aud freely in the late 'rebellious"
States Is to be made the excuse for passing
bill which gives the United States super
vision over every election that is held in the
Union.
The Enforcement bills now before Con-
gress provide for the appointment OF super
visors who shall attend the sittiugs OF every
board OF registration, whether that resistra-
ton be made for the purposes Of Congress
sional, State, county or g. municipal
election. These supervisors are required to
attend at all elections, aud when the election
is over must scrutinize and count personally
every ballot cast, aud forward the reports
to the chief supervisor, with their statement
whether the election was fairly conducted.
Special deputies shall be appointed for the
protection OF the supervisors, who shall also
be supported by the military and naval
forces Of tue United States. The object OF
these bills is plain. They are intended for
the intimidation of the people. They give the
management of all elections into the hands OF
Federal officials, who will manipulate the
elections as the State officials manipulated
the South Carolina elections in October last.
The government can under these laws,
take. charge of every polling precinct be-
tween the Narrows and the Golden Gate,
from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf; and, un-
less the people show by their protest that
this last usurpation of authority will not be
tolerated, the Radical party will consolidate
it's despotic sway, and the opportune mo-
ment for ''the man on horseback will soon
be al hand 1t is possible that the people
are callous. They may have borne SO much
that they dare not raise voice for the pre-
servation OF the government Of their fathers.
The Northern and Western men who poured
out their blood for the Old Flag and the
Old Constitution, allow an obstinate medi.
ocrity and a.small body of malignant poll
ticians to bring the flag into contempt, and
to sneer at the "lmsey bulwarks of paper
constitution" But this time, the North is
in the same boat with the South, and knows
it. The peril is near, not remote. To save
themselves, the people OF the North must
struggle in season and out Of season,
against the desperate strategy OF the Rad-
cal politicians. For it is certain that, with
the new Enforcement laws on the statute
books, elections in the United States would
be as great mockery, as stupendous
farce, as those with which Napoleon amused
the unfortunate people Of France. The
name OF Liberty might remain, but the fair
Goddess herself would have winged her
fightto lands where men know that the
precious privileges won by blood and toll
ore only by watching and labor retained.