Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-19
:. RApICALrsar AND cRunE.


RADICALEB1I AND CRIME.
The Philadelphia Telegraph, a Grant or
gan, has an editorial on what it calls "a
Southern Weakness, /" from which we er-
tract as follows:
"fhe enemies Of republican institutions
all over the world now have the privilege of
contemplating spectacle which must af-
ford them infinite satisfaction. -Four States
OF The Union arc involved in nnseemly
muddles which cannot but bring discredit
upon the country in the eyes OF its friends
and foes throughout the world. Louisiana,
Alabama, Arkansas, and South Carolina
have become the prey of rival factions, law
and decency are alike defied, and the true
republican spirit seems to be entirely dead
within their Ooun?s. Il is well
for the American people of all sections and
all parties to devote q little of their time
and attention 10 these unw holesome wran-
giles, and for the lawmakers to devise some
scheme for preventing their recurrence. The
Southern spirit of laRlessness engendeIei
Ivy the institution of slavery, and fostered
ny the civil war, has received fresh strength
from the carpet-bsg invasion. Nearly ere
ry State entered into the Rebellion has been,
TO greater or less degree, prey to It's evil
Influences, and il is high time that some
thing was done 10 put an end TO the dis
graceful scenes which have been so fire.
| qDently enacted south of the Potomac aud
Ohio. As it is, the anii-Repdblican party
throughout the world can low point 70 the
Southern section OF the Union As an exam
pie OF the uncertainty and instability Of free
institutions, and the opportunity which We
afford them TO bolster up mOnarchical ideas
will be made the most Of. The radical
weakness OF tie Southern character needs a
radical remedy, and that remedy should be
applied without further delay. Although
the interference ofthe Federal Government
in local matters of this character is u be
deprecated, there would appear TO be no /.
help for il at present.
In its bitterness toward the Southern
psople, the Telegraph fails 70 tell its read
ers that these uRseemly wrangles, so dam
aging to Republican Institutions, are pecu-
lisrly the ofTshoot of Republican rule as
practiced aud enforced upon the South by
the Grant administration. They are the
result of contest between rival factions of
the republican party to get control of these
States, except in Alabama, where 1t is an
effort Of the Republicans to retain the
power they lost in an appeal to the bal
lot-b2x. In the case of Louisiana, Grant
has taken the side of the usurping, reyolu-
tionary faction, and in cold, hesrtless, in
sulting manner, which slave
owner would not have employed
toward his most mental servant be-
fore the war, caused the citizens of that
State who proposed to visit him and appeal
to him in person for redress of their griev-
ances In a reversal OF his decision, to be in
formed that ''their visit will be unavailing
SO far as the President is concerned" for
the reason that "his mind is made up and
will not be changed" The "Autoefat OF
all the Russias" could not have replied more
haughtily to his subjects under similar cir
cumstances than this man Ulysses S. Grant
did to the people whose servant he is. 1t
is not an insult to the people of Louisiana
alone, but of the whole country. The peo-
pie Of the North who SO supinely listen to
the echoes of tia footballs Of despotism as
they come up from the broad plains
and bsyous Of Louisiana, may yet feel
the grip of the iron hand concealed
in the velvet glove with which the
people of Louisiana and Alabama
have been throttled. Grant decides
against WArmoth, though Warmcth repre-
ssnts the people in Louisiana; but how is
it in Arkansas? An almost precisely SINH
lar condition exists there, with the respec-
tive positions reversed. Why, then, does
not the President decide against Baxter in
Arkansas? Brooks, the fusion candidate,
makes exactly the same claims to legal
election that Kellogg makes in Louisiana;
how, then, can the President decide one
way in Louisiana aud different way in
Arkansas? The Little Rock Gazette thus
quietly points out the trap which stands be-
fore the President:
1.-THE situation in Arkansas is precisely
the same IS in these two States, (L0uissn2
and Alabama with the difference that the
Conservatives here occupy the position |
| legal returning officers of the counties have |
given certificates of election TO q Radical |
msiority in each house of the Legislature. |
Ii the Conservative minority of each house |
| who hold certificates of election shall or !
ganize separately from the Radicals, and |
set up Legislature by admitting Others
whom they believe (and who doubtless |
were,) legally elected, then we have the /
Alabama case with its rclitical features re-
Versed. So in Louisiana Ii Dir. Brooks
and other reformers sht Il invoke the aid of |
the Federal Courts, under the election and |
enforcement laws, to 10 consistent the |
United States Court musi Uphold them. Ii |
Grant and the Federal JuG ciary support the
Radical side in Alabama Louisiana, to
be consistent they must hep the refOrmers
here with bsyonets and decisions The |
Cld story of the wolf and the lamb will
doubtless be again adorned by the course Of
the General Government 10 regard 20 the |
election in The States of Arkansas, Louis
lana and Alabama. Congress will have as
many reasons fer overriding each, as there
may he States to be oVerridden. Clayton
thinks Rice is mistaken in asserting In the
Senate that the returns show that Brooks is
elected, but declares that the question will
be settled by the proper tribunal In
Louisiana the returns happen to be against
the administration candidate for Governor,
Kellogg; and the United States Court, by /
The aid Of United States artillerymeD, in
terferes TO prevent the proper tribunal
from settling the question. No argument |
is good against the desires fpower."
Now where is this servan of the people,
who replies so imperiously and insultingly |
to the people of Louisiana, who propose to
present in person an tumble pc
tition for a rehe airing of their Ease and a
redress of their wrongs, to taRo refuge in
the event the Conservatives of Arkansas
make such an appeal to him as the Radicals
of Louisiana did?
There is ohe point in the article from the |
Telegraph to which we wish to direct es-
pecial attention, as it is of piece with |
charges that are frequently made against |
this section of the Union. 1t is what that
paper is pleased to term "ths Southern |