Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-11
RADICAL HATRED OF THE
SOUTH


Don Piatt, writing from Washington
to the Cincinnati Commercial of The
recent discussion in The House of Repre-
sentatives on the bill to repeal the test
oath, says:
ing sentiment at the North adverse to
further political restrictions in the re-
VOTED States. The fact is the people are
weary of this eternal row about Rebel
aggressions, and loyal sufferings. Unless
we could put an army of five hundred
thousand men to again invade the Sou
We may as well give up the attempt to
harmonic the master and slave. 1t does
not help the business to disfranchise
greater part of the white element and
give political privileges TO the negro. In
this way we have aggravated the most
reliable and encouraging clement at the
South. The bit;erest enemy to cur ad-
ministratiOn there is generally the man
who has the impulse and the courage to
take up arms and fight to the bitter end
for his section and people. Having
reached that undesirable point he was
disposed to acknowledge himself whip
ped, and appeal 10 the generosity of the
Government. Instead of having these
manly qualitiesrecognized, it was sought
to make disgrace his punishment, and
shut him out from the privileges of citi-
zenship, and with much ostentatiOn the
negro was called to the polls. II is liz
tie late now to remedy this, but there is
no good in its continuance"
Very few of the Radicals in or out of
Congress app. ar TO appreciate the fact
that generous, manly course towards
the white people of the South was the
way to win their esteem if not their con-
fidence. The Radical leaders ought to
have made the discovery long ago that
they made grave mistake when they at
tempted to conquer high spirited peo-
pie into even passive submission TO Radi-
cal rule by degrading them. The New
York Express ssys: The boiled down
Union and Southern haters are pressing
the President 10 put his veto even upon
the halfway bill to change the 'iron-clad
oath for one constitutional in its terms
and purpose. In case of the veto it will
not be possible 10 pass the bill, and the
iron clad oath will remain the law of the
land. OF all the New England members
only one, Gen. Banks, voted TO remove
the war oath, while all the members rep
resenting the Pacific States voted for re-
peal. Gen. Butler leads the enemies
of the bill, but he is backed by troops of
followers, who will press the Executive
for veto, to which, it is said, heis much
inclined, as neither in his message nor
elsewhere has he favored libersli-
ty or kindness towards the South.
Ingrained hatred of the Southern
people, excepting the negro population,
seems to be instilled into the very blood
of the Radicals. Because the white men
of the South will not follow the Radicals
of the North ard West-enlist with the
carpet-baggers and scallawags who have
found homes, and, through negro votes,
offices at the SOuth-they are to be bound
hand and foot. We doubt if public
opinion will longer tolerate this proscrip-
ton of States and people. Even once
Radical States-like Missouri and West
Virginia. loyal among the loyal-have
thrown off this prescription, and now,
almost without distinction of party, in
sist that citizens shall no longer be de-
prived Of the ballot, nor of the right TO
hold Office. What is given freely to the
negro, it is held, ought TO be given as
freely to white men. And this is one of
the issues which men in power have got
to meet. If they meet it now, gracefully
or otherwise, so much the better for
them. If they resolve 10 postpone the
trial flr right and justice, tolerance and
mercy, equality ard fair dealing, to The
CONTEST of 1872, 50 much the better for
the Democratic party