Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-03
From the Washington ID. o. Patriot.
Bills of DIIcord

II critical review of the fifty or more
bills which have been introduced into the
present Congress having direct or indirect
beaIing upon the South be figured as
journey, it would be one of the saddest to
which a traveller could betake himself
The track would lie amid forest of leaf
less ard fre-blackened trunks, through
the ashes and past the ruins of homes and
fanes, winding tortuousIy, sometimes
broadening into highway directly toward
vista of green meadows and glinting
waters. and then turning abruptly into
gloomy defles, leading into quagmires,
and ending at last in hole in the ground.
When the country inquiries for a result
of past legislation since the war ended,
the only answer is an implied bat con-
elusive, and, one might have opposed,
overwhelming, confession of the after i'm
policy, insincerity, and folly OF che whole
of it. This simple truth alone would fur,
nish every rostrum in the land with
Infinite resources Of remonstrance
against the still subsisting indul ,ence
by the people Of such disgusting imposture
as has now for more than five years in
suited the public conscience and dishon-
ortd the republican name. If there be such
thing in existence as e political Ku-
klux organization in the South, outside
the Radical Leagues, after six years of
dlllgent and plenary paclticatlon and re-
form, what manner of pacihcation and re-
form must they have been ? If the poIiti--
cal disaffection of Southern people be treat
ed as the cause of failure, then what else
but that very disaffection was the object o.
remedy ?-and such remedy In order
SO they pretend-to prevent such things
as Ku Kux ontrages-fabricated by their
own partisans-measures were adopted
harsher and moro arbitrary than our race
have believed tolerable for any purpose for
a thousand years back, the Constitution
was suspended, and the restoration of the
Union itself indefinitely postponed; and
now it is themselves who proclaim that
even their resort to barbarity was a use
less sacrifice, and has wrought no conse-
quences but an increase of the evil. But
they are entitled to the admission that
they have not thus decivilized the South.
Undoubtedly, such was the direct tenden-
cy Of the stupendous legislative abuses
which they called measures of reconstruc-
ton. But the real truth is, they did not
intend to utterly derange the social COM
pact, though willing to hazard that
result, and simply affected to be-
lieve such arrangement existed.
as they now affect to believe it
exists, for the sake of the false pretext it
afforded for perverting the law-making
sonal designs. 1t is IN order to maintain
this usurped and certainly ruinous ascen-
dency over constitutional restraints that
such bills az those of Bntler, Cobb. and
Sawyer, avowing in preambles of blush
less hardibood, in the face of unanimous
and notorious public testimony to the con-
trary, that all Southern society is dissolved
under the bloody tyranny of universal
brigandsge. That the courts and promi-
in khu xuik fho
hypothetical oath-bound marauders in the
South is shamefully charged in the Pros
ser bill, in which provision is made for in
Producing again the drum-head court mar
tial, with power of capital sentence, when
ever the President may be pleased to be
convinced that justice is imperfectly ad-
ministered and the community .misgov-
erned-and where does General Grant
believe civil government is as good as mill
tary?
It is meaner spirit which, through the
hands of AIR. Bethune, inspires bill for
general amnesty as to the fourteenth
amendment, with proviso of forfeiture
practically, whenever man opposes the
Radical party. This is in favorable con-
trast, however, to the Butler bill for COM
pounding felonies, under the name of am
nesty. forfeitable, at that, by the recipient.
Senator Sawyer's ''colored and plain"
lurleS OS WLSAtUtS, Oh EcRrOtS ana WD1tGSs
and Mr. Summers for DWpelIing admis-
sion of colored men to hotel tables, or
chestla seats, opera boxt g. etc and several
| Others sho " how reluctantly the party of
| blood aud p!under part with the African
before they have fairly substituted the
MoDguL As 10 the bill of the purchasers
Of taxed lauds on the eI islardJ of Caro-
lima and else y ht H.. Ihrough the hands OF
the mot despicIb Lire!Ir4 Of the party,
| nothing aid he. me. t Ing tin lhan to
cut off the legal reds mpti Il Of deluque nj
| property, white t:t,. 81 H. rs are II. III uDwu
| by co OPERATING opp, ssIoDs. Mr.. Paine,
also, like Nr. May nHrd bring forWsrd
such bIlI lat grams bt,id-s. t. ne
groes a precnpt,ou right, at 81 25 per
acre, Of ali not heretofore gcrhl,~I by AIR.
Paine's friends the bidd,r. o. tex sales.
| Butler, If cuGr G, i.A> ii hare IN this Iesa
| imposing, bu' pr, itab lc.iS!,tioH. He
| INTRODUCES Is sevrIai bi!is - kc,l. d curb Oh
| Southern RAILROADS, b.. H5iuR le2al ub
| stacles 10 r@cUVeries aud tLe like. int
several bills to admit The State oi u. .. .slA
need no remark; uor does the ,-ca lei ma
tional education fraud require more.
| But the colossal subterfGge which, with
an audacity and fertility of resource never
surpassed by any combination against
good order that history records. has been
upheld for years against the popular de-
lection, is wearing out, and the system OF