The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-13
THE MAN FOR THE PEOPLE.
JUDGE BLACKS SPIRITED ENDORSE
MENT OF HORACE GREELEY.
Grant and Greeley Contrasted-What
we May Expect from MIR. Greeley-he-
construction Acts-Radical Rapacity
at the South-The Negroes Corralled
and Driven to the Polls-The Duty OF
the Democracy.

Hon. Judge J. 8. Black, of Pennsylvania,
ex-United States attorney-general, In letter
to ". 81. Welsh, Esq, one of the editors Of
the Baltimore Gazette, presents an able re-
view of the political situation. He draws a
striking contrast between General Grant aud
Horace Greeley, summarizes the effect of Re-
publican legislation, and concludes that 1t ls
the duty of the Democracy to support Mr.. Gree
ley. He says:
have looked into his past history only to
ascertain what he ls now and what he Is likely
nothing for his 'antecedents," except as they
furnish the means of estimating his character.
I think have found out with reasonable GER
tainty how far we may confde in him. de-
voutly believe that, II chosen President, he
will keep his oath, preserve the constitution
the States to their rightful autonomy, protect
individual liberty by jury trial and ha6eas
corpus, put the military In proper snoordina-
tion to the civil authority, use neither force
nor fraud to carry elections, keep MS hands
clean from corruptiDg gifts, set his lace IKE
flint against oil manner OF financial dishonesty,
purify the administration OF justice as much as
In him lies, maintain the public credit by q
prompt discharge of all just obligations, econo-
: mIze the revenue and tighten taxation, give to
capital the rights which belong to 1t, and at
the same time see that labor Is not robbed OF
It's earnings. He will certainly hold bis power
OF appointment as public trust, aud not as q
part OF his personal possession, 10 be used for
the support Of his family or to encourage the
private lberality of his friends. He will, 80
far as he can without transgressing the limits
of his legal authority. relieve the Southern
States from the gangs that are now preylng
upon their vitals IN open partnership with the
present administration.
think he will do oil this; and my faith Is
founded on the testimony OF his friends and
enemies, on the known facts OF his history,
and on the moral Influence which the Democ-
rscy will necessarily exert upon his conduct.
The errors of his past life were caused BY GER
tain evil communications from which he has
clean escaped. He heads grea! revolt against
wlckedness In high places, and do not be-
lieve he will 60 back upon us and be guilty of
the same wlckedness himself.
The contrast between the two candidates be-
= ing 80 very strong, no fair-mlnded Democrat
can doubt what he ought to do. Yet the re-
luctance which many Of us feel TO vote for
and do, most heartily sympathizar with that
class which received Mr. Greeley's domination
in much sorrow. I am sure this feeling pro-
ceeded from no unworthy passion or prejudice,
but was the natural result Of sober thought on
the condition of the country and the fitness OF
things pertaining thereto.
In our view the controversy between the par
ties was not all about men, and not wholly on
questions of mere administration. The Liberal
Republicans and some Democrats think that
we owe all our sufferlDgs 10 the corruption or
incapscity of General Grant and the rings that
surround him. But the prime cause lies
further back and deeper down In wrongs for
which the triumph OF Mr.. Greeley, With all his
reforms, offers no immediate atonement, and
only partial renedy
In England, after every civil eommotion. the
victorious party vented Its rage and gratlhed
its rapacity Dy passing bills of attalnder and
bills Of palms and penalties against their fallen
est men of their respective ages we're the vic
Tins of these legislative DEGREES. ll all the
most notable cases subsequent Parliaments
acknowledged the wrong, reversed the at
flanders, and made what reparauon tney
could. Our fathers determined that no such
thing should ever be done here, and 30 they
put their solemn interdict into plain words.
and made 1t part of The fundamental law
that neither Congress nor any State Leglsla-
ture should ever pass bill OF altainder.
The reconstruction act of 1867 was bill OF
attainder more deliberately cruel. and With
pains and penalties more compendnously un-
lust than any British bill that ever was passed.
But Its authors were conscious that it could!
not gtand, and they must replace 1t with
something else; for sooner or later the courts
would be sure to pronounce 1t void. Besides,
the object being to put the Southern people
under the domination OF greedy adventurers
from the North, with Unlimited license to op-
press and plunder them, the officers or the.
army were not very good agents In such q ne
farlous business. The negroes would be In
struments of Tyranny much more easily man.
aged. But an act OF Congress disfranchislng
the white people for offences real or imputed,
and handing over their State governments to
negroes, to be run by them in the interest of
carpet baggers, would be merely another bill
of .attainder, or rather modification OF the
frat one, making 1t much worse, but equally
within the reach Of judicial correction In
this strait they resorted to the expedlent OF
converting the constitution itsell Into bill OF
attalnder.
Mr.. Black then comments upon the manner
in which the constitutional amendments were
effected, and the advantage taken of them to
rob the peoble of the South and saddle them
with irresponsible governments. While Mr..
Gre -ley's election, he adds, might not do all
we would wish 10 Tree us from these evils, 1t
will, he believes, begin the process of their
gradual extinction.
rSRRY TIE NEWS TO HIRdM,