American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-04-06


which the policy OF the party ccrld Re op
posed or changed, except by restoring tn
Democratic party to power; and our peopl
have but reproduced that history which
free countries always develop, and that ami
mus from which Americans never yet depart
ed when they swallow anything, eHdur,
! anything, and permit anything, rather than
restore to power that party believed to b,
the opponents and cause of the war.
| The British people, after the NapOleonit
| wars refused to invest with power the OPP
posing party for the whole lite of the gen
| Grafton passing through the struggle. Oul
people also have always carried this practice
to the death. The Federalists of 1872, and
the Wing party, which opposed the Mexican
| War, each died lingering but certain
| death. These were the result of sentiment
stronger reasons for this determination: The
| Northern people believe the Democracy have
always been moulded and controlled by the
/ South, and, if they had themselves resisted
the aggressions of slavery, We would have
/ had no war.
/ Our people, therefore, have entertained a
| sincere fear that, if the Democracy should be
restored as a party, it would reproduce the
whole Southern alliance, and visit unknown
mischief upon the whole country. Therefore,
| they have been compelled to select between
| allowing misrule in the South on the one
! hand, and, on the other, restoring to power
/ party odious to them, and one which they
believe would bring back the evils of the
| war. So streng has been this sentiment and
this fear, that do not think temptation
! to restore the Democracy has ever crossed
| the public mind.
The present situation, therefore, is but the
result of a corner made upon the people, by
which their sentiments stifled, and does
not commit the public mind to the present
Southern policy. 1t only proves what our
people will suffer and permit rather than re-
store the Democratic party to power. Let no
man deceive himself The principles of lib
erty dear to the Republican masses as
they ever were. The present Southern gov
ernments, and all efforts to pervert stte
enlightened public sentiment there, are as
odiOus at the North as they can be at the
South, and the people only want a square
opportunity to say it.
The Cincinnati Convention, therefore, in
my opinion, meets an urgent public want.
1t proposes to break loose and organize a
party upon the principles of Universal Lib
erty and Amnesty. 1t proposes to carry out
and apply those principles and precepts
which their great leader taught and practised.
1t proposes to adopt cardinal feature the
substance of a resolution passed by our State
Convention last September; to liberate
within our land the enslaved of all colors
and races, to enfranchise all the people, and,
remembering only the virtues and heroism
of the war, to encourage a general forget
fulness of all the narrowing memories it pro-
duced.
The Republicans in power excuse and con-
tinue political disabilities on the ground that,
whenever left free, the Southern people have
been and will be unruly. Many answers to
this position are apparent. In the first place,
it is not true. No war great was ever fol
lowed by seven years of peace SO universal
and complete.
And, then, the excuse itself is nothing but
one of the WORKOUT false pretences by which
tyranny justifies its abuses. England as
serts this of ireland: Russia does of Poland;
Austria did of Hungary and Italy; the mas
ter did of the slave, and We do of the master.
The fault with this policy is, that it leads
to no end of our troubles. On the contrary,
aside from the wrong it involves, the longer
it is pursued the greater the injury, and the
harder to stop. Can we pin this country
permanently together with bayonets? Will
four, eight or twelve years of misrule sweet
en- the Southern dispositions On the CON-
trary, are not enslaved peoples unruly be-
cause they are slaves, Contentment is not
the fruit of tyranny and misrule, but liberty
alone brings peace. If we would ever have
Union worth the blood and treasure it has
cost, we must lay its broad foundations, not
in force, but in those affections which good
government only will develop. Delay not
only widens the breach, but corrupts, and
hardens, and units us, year by year, TO- con
cessions which ultimately must be made.
"Can you give me letter to some prom;-
nent man in Washington" said - to
me, the other day. 81 think l understar!
the negro character; and, Il our National
Committee will send me down South, can.
between this and the election, mass thu negro
vote in several States" Surely, il he PER
forms such splendid service in perveting
enlightened public sentiment, ne must be
quartered upon the industry of those people
for the next four years. 1 have Introduced
him as -, but you know his name is
LEGION"
And when can we dispense with his SER
vices? Surely not this year, when hard
pressed in the campaign. Surely not after
the election, when we make up our jewels,
and he awaits ''his just recoInpense of re-
ward" Not next time, for we shall be worse
off then. When can we dispense with him?
Never!
Aside from the condition of the South,
there are other changes contemplated by the
Cincinnati movement which demand our es-
pecial consideration. Prominent among
these is the Tariff question, and the release
of our people from the oppression Of ''ItOtec
tom" The situation of Chicago most aptly |
this necessity. From 100000
to 500, 0OO, 900, to all human usefulness, have
been annhilated by fire. 1t must now be re-
builders, to use ones expression, say large |
third could be saved if foreign material were |
free of duty. Now, if this is so |
necessary to Chicago, because burned up ddd |
poor, why is it not necessary for the whole |
West, ecause poor bm not burned? If we can |
save much on the reconstruction of 4 sin |
in adjoining the Empire yet to rise in the |
West, with its wealth of cities, villages, and |
towns.
OF course, no one will pretend that the |
necessities of the Government will permit |
absolute free trade, nor should we fail to af- |
ford such just protection may be Incl |
dental to revenue; but this whole subject |
needs revision by hand not hostile to the |
but friendly to the consumer. |
You and l became Republicans at the same
first in the State. Although |
for many years retired members, l presume |
neither of has voted out of line.
Another Presidential election is now upon
us, and must decide again whether we
will cling to the party, sitting our convic-
tons and hoping for reform, whether we
will break ranks and go to Cincinnati.
If we stay, when will Reform come? /
have been watching for it some years; bu;
the star of promise has not yet appeared.
change of parties may not bring it; but to
continue IN folrer one that cocers APP and con-
reals, necessarily l,siljstnotes those euHs from
which the country seeks release Parties, like
may be chastencd and purified
by attliction; but neither Tammany nor the
Republicans will be rcgenerated by success,
though their reign be continued until dooms-
1ay At the close of this Administration,
we will have had twelve years of power,-as
long any consecutive party has ruled since
The formation of the Government. We are,
therefore, old the oldest, and 'it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of
needle - than for an old party to purify its
practices. The Murphys and the Floyds al
ways live with the old, but Reform pitches
its tents in the ranks of the new
What the country greatly needs is the
breaking up of old lines, and the re-arrangc-
ment of the voters in new associations.
Nothing remains at issue between the Re
publicans and Democrats but the malice
which the conflict produced. Ii both parties
we're dissolved, and their members redistri-
buted and confused together this relic of the
war would find no resting place They are
now held together by mutual antagonisms.
The continuance of either perpetuates both.
The disintegration of one dissolycs the other