The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-04-04


been said. they are Ia,publicans. bat chiefly
because they are not Republicans. We
l claim and with more truth-tO be Repub-
licans ourselves in every proper sense ~
/ that ternl- That i 10 say. We are such Re-
publicans as Jeffe rSon. Msdisofi, Monroe
and jackson were. We have faith To believe
that these old fathers understood the true
! definition Of the word. and they called
| themselves Republicans. They declared
| thar all men We're equal. aud were eatitled
10 their declarations. These modern Re-
publicans make equally liberal d. laratiOns.
/ but aow do they aetl Six years after the
| civil VAR is closed they refuse amnesty to
/ tens of thousands of the first men and most
honest citizens of the country. anu this they
| call RepublicaniSm. l affirm as mT belief
/ that there a. not a monarch in all Europe
wko has not acted with greater liberaiity
/ under more aggravating circumstances. As
/ witness. the conduct OF the Semi-InonaTchial
government of Theirs, IN France, towards
the Commune
| President Grant and his friends Ia Com
gress would punish what they are pleased 10
| call great criminals that Is u say. they
I would exclude from amnesty All Senators
and Representatives who withdrew from
Congress and Joined the rebellion and all
officers OF the army and navy who resigned
and did the same thing. and they would
grant amnesty (as they say. but don't do it)
10 every body else. Now the practical
working of this policy ~ this \ midship-
man, or a junior lieutenant in the army or
navy who resigned is TO be kept under the
ban forever while eX-Senat0rs. eX-Judges.
and eXMinisters to foreign courts. who had
nothing 10 resign are 70 be wralted am
nesty at once And this they call Justice
and equal rights. 1t Grant and his follow
ers would think for a moment. they could
not tail tn see that IL taking part in what
they stigmatZe as 1.-THE rebellion" was
crime, then these veteran statesmen anu
Judges, being OF mature1 Judgment and
great lelrnng, (whom tilrt propl-o A ''for-
give. } are greater ''erinIillla" than the in
experienced lieutenants and midshipmen
" HON they propose 70 punish.
The radicals falsely charge that we are
opposed TO Northern men settling among
Us. and say we Stigmatize all who come a.
carpet baggers.' They know the difference
between a Northern man who comes with
his skill. energy, industry and capital. ana
the miserable, lazy, pilferink. wou-like
sneak, who comes To stir up stfife and prey
on the little Substance that j. lett Us. The
first we welcome with all our hearts; the
last we loath with all the contempt and
scOrn that honest men can feel for thieves.
They are not such idiots a. not 10 compre-
bend the difference between Il gentleman
and carpct-bagger.
And then again they charge. with equal
falsity. that we denounce all Southern men
who joined she Republican party as SCALA
wags' They know As well as you and /.
that many "A Southern man has Joined that
party without losing for an instant the good
opinion of his neighboIs. They know
'scallawag' from an honest Republican who
i acting upon his convictions as To what Is
right. Your genuine 'scallawag' was most
likely blatant secessionist before the war,
"A mighty hero during the war who did no
fighting, and "A brutal master If he owned
slaves. and who after the war Joined the
radicals, out-yankied the Yankees In abus-
ing the South, hugged and caressed the
negroes got himself into Office and went 70
stealing. This is youc -'scallawag." and he
looks as little like an honest republican as 4
sheep-stealing wolf looks like a lion.
| entertained and expressed all these
views as early As 1871, aud got soundly
abused for it by some OF my former party
friends. Whether they will receive a reit-
GRAFTON of them now in better spirit do
not know, and. far as | am personally
concerned, do not care. But for the re-
pose. progress and future prosperity OF the
country. | hope they may. or If not that
they will bring forward plan of their own
that is more likely 10 give us peace.
| never hear a Southern man cursing our
fate and swearing he will not submit, that
do not feel the inquiry involuntarily bub-
bling up. well, what are you going To do
about it?'
You want to know what think of the
passive" policy. | would not have our
friends too active, nor yet altogether pas
sive. II we undertake 10 lead. IL ~ De
charged to "A restless desire TO keep alive the
spirit of secession. II We take no Part. IL
will be set down to stoical Indifference
growing out of defeat. In eicher case We
shall put weapon in the hands Of our enc
mics. against which il will be difficult for
our friends at the North to defend them
selves or Us. If Il national convention shall I
assemble, no odds under what name, the Z
foreshadowings of which give promise OF
reform in the government and relief 10 |
us. | would send delegates. These |
delegates | would select from the I
rank aad file, steering as clearas posi- \
bic of old party leaders, and especially /
those who were conspicuous in the ''rebel- I
liOn," so-calied. | would have our dele I
gates watch without ceasing, say very little. /
and report honestly.
| do not know enough Of Judge Davis 7
the Labor Reform nominee, TO say whether /
he Will make u an acceptable candidate;
but If he is taken up by the Liberal Repub- !
licaDs-I mean such men as SchurZ, Gratz !
Brown. TTumbull, Upton. and their friends 4
am for going in and lighting il I
out on that line.
You want 10 know II / am for di-solving 4
the Democratic party. No. Let it alone 4
and it will dissolve itself everywhere as il /
has already done in Mississippi. There will I
need no formal bulletin To notify /
the world that it i dead. Better let il dis
solve peaceably, does the victorious war
rior who has grown too old and feeble to /
fight, and az last