The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1872-11-01
The Irreprcssiblc Conflict.

The New York Herald is non-pnr-
tisan journal, and generally rises TO n
broad. liberal and intelligent view Of all
questions affecting the political trd so.
cal condition Of tie country, In re.
cent iSsno II has q strong article upon
| the tendency of Radicaism ~ illustrat-
ed in Arkansas and South Carolina,
where carpct-bag rule prevails. from
which we make the extract below. We
desire the reader to keep in mind that
lheGc are the utterances of Il journal not
unfrieolly 10 Gen, Grant, but while fa.
vorng his reelection feels its obliga-
tionS TO the country sufficiently to point
out the errors and weaknesses of his
Administration. The article Is longer
than we usually transfer TO our columns,
but will amply repay an attentive Pc
ruSal:
The Statesman whose remains were
given TO the earth at Auburn on Mon
day first pronounced, we believe. those
ominous words-.Ihc "irrrprc-siblc con.
tlicI.' They were uttered while Mr..
Seward was Senator of the United
states and when he WAS leading the an
ti-slnvcry movement in this country.
lie had said previously that there was
n higher law than the consttution-thc
law of conscience and public opinion
when referring to the question OF slave
rv, and the irrcprcS~iblr conflict meant
the anlagonism that did exist and could
not be suppressed between the free
Northern States and the South ON thi,
question. Believing that slavery must
he cXtuguishcd some time in this free
Republic. and tha, il was uCcpSSprv that
it should be, he used his great abilities
10 that end. We all know what follow.
ed. The conflict of word, and passions
rcSuNcd in the most terrible civil war.
and slavery was blo,tcl out with the
blood of hundreds Of thousands of our
citizens and ut n cost of thousands Of
millions of money. The vision of the
statesman did not reach beyond the
emancipation OF the hlHck race. nor did
Mr.. seward stop to consider the cost Of
principle involved wasH parrmount con
Nidcraiion. II" did not appcart to thina
that there would be any serious war
over this question, or, al the worst. not
such terrible war n we went through.
still ns we said, he was not Il man
likely to look to consequences when the
question was one OF conscience. Justice
or political necessity. He did not care.
probnb|y, TO look beyond the abolition
'oi slavery. He was conicnteh to leave
the consequences to the future and to
the wisdom of the American people.
II l. proper 10 say here. in Justice
TO the deceased statesman. that having
brought tnis irrcpeSSiblr conflict to the
end he had in view--,hc freedom OF the
urgrOcS-hc became conservative. AVID
cnd"avorcd to produce harmony be-
tween the two races in the South.
Those who followed Mr. Seward in
the control of public affairs were
more radical They were not content
ed with rmnncipaing the negroes,
giving them the suffrage and securing.
to them by amendment. TO the "on,ritu-
tion and through the law all the right, T.
and privileges that white citizens enjoy.
bn, were resolved, for political objects, /
to virtually make the blacks the ruling /
power in the southern states. II j. this |
policy which has produced the fearful /
state of things in Arkansas. which has T.
led 90 the uublushiug official robbery
and decentralization in South Carolina. .
Georgia, Louisiana and other States,
and which threatens to bring on war
Of races at no distant dav tnroughou, /
the South generally. No other civil /
izcd State in modern times has exhibit /
cd such Il spectacle of official villianv .
and degraded practices rs have been |
witnessed in South Carolina under me- /
gro rule and that of the white carpet
baggcrs. who are the allies of the ne. .
grocs against the people Of their own .
race aud blood. The orgies at the state
capital. Columbia, anon" the negro
men and women and their white allies. /
the trading in votes of the IcmiSlaturr
through degraded cOlorcd women. and
the plnndcr OF the Treasury and tax.
payer have not been exceeded in the
black Republic Of IIavti. aud that is saw
in" great deal. So in other southern
States decentralization has grown rank
III proportion to the negro population
and its influence in the local govern
mcntS. And how could it be other.
wise! The most intelligent and capa.
bic people have been ostrari,rd, and
the most ignorant have been made their
political masters. CnscrupulDus and .
needy advcnturcrS from the North have.
under the fostering care of the radical /
government at Washington. pandcrcd .
to the passions and prciudicc- of the .
ignorant blacks. and have thus Sown
broadcast the seed, Of race animo,ity /
and di>cord. While we are not dispo,- .
ed TO believe that either the adminislra. !
lion or the majority of the dominant
radical party in or out of Congress |
wished TO sec this dcpiorablc state of |
things. it is evident that their policy |
has brought it about. To secure the .
negro vote at all hazards, and. il ncces-
>arv to accomplish that. to ALLEVIATE the .
southern blacks from the whites, was
the object. The politicians only look
to the present and lcvc the future to take
Gaze OF ITSELF, il even war OF races
should he the result
The irrcpressible conflict, then. has
taken another shape. II j. rot now n
question of slavery or of equal political
rights, but which race shall rule in the
South. Indeed. it has been and IL still
n question OF governing the country
through pandering to aud controlling
tho negro vote. No such issue ought
to have been made. The matcrirl in-
tcrcSts OF the blacks and whites in the
South, and therefore their political oh.
iects and affi liaiions, are or should be
identical. This issue ofrace antagonism,
forced upon the Southern States by the
radicals. is full of mischief and can only
nnl din slrnnslr- w hnnrin In .nn Tho