The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-23
What They Mean by Reform,

We call attention to the conclusion ar
rived at IN the report Of the minority Of
the committee appointed to investigate
the Ku.klux outrages. This report was
signed by Frank p Blair, 7 z Bayard,
S s Cox, James b Beck. 2 Van Trump,
A NJ Waddell. j G Robinson, j NJ
Hanks. Let it be remembered that all
these gentlemen are warmly in favor Of
Horace Greeley and are to-day among
the active leaders in the Liberal move.
ment " From the minority report we
catch a glimpse of the "retorm" which
the Democratic party hope to inaugurate
after the 4lh OF March, 1873. After
admitting the existence Of the Kuklux
Klans, aud the horrible outrages charged
against them. these "L,beral" statesmen
aud devoted disciples OF Horace Greeley
indirectly justify them by the following
language:
"As We have just remarked, we do not
propose to discuss at large the question
Of uegro government ip these pages but
We feel that it would be derelicton Of
duty on our part if, after what we have
witne, sed in South Carolina, we did not
adlnonish the American people that the
present condition of things in the South
canuot last. 1t was an oft-quofed polit'
ical apothegm, long prior to the war,that
no government could exist half slave and
half free The paraphrase Of that prop
osition is equally true, that no govern
Inent can loug exist half black AMI hall
white
There can be neither sympathy nor
harmony in any polity where such antag'
ouism is attempted to be overcome by
law. Gods law is higher than mani
law. Mans puny statutes can not repe
or nullify the immutable ordinances Of
the Almighty. Those whom God has
separated let no mau join together. There
can be no permanent partition Of power
nor any peaceable joint exercise OF pow
cr, among such discordant bodies of men
One or the other must have all or none
1t is the very acme Of folly and fanati
ci>m to suppose, in this day Of eulighten
meut aud lts couS, quent pride Of feeling
among the superior race, that there cal
be reproduction of the ancient fable o
Tying the living and the dead togethe
without causing death to both. WIZ
would have dreamed, fifteen years ago
what highest and most iar-saeing intel
lect among the great men who establish
I nI tbta Enrarnppant tho nuSIa n
homogeneity Of race and color, could hav
imagined that 10 the FIRST century Of it
existence African freedmen. of the loves
type Of ignorance and brutality, woul'
rule sovereign State of the Union. ant
be the arbiters of the rights and propert.
ofa race who have ruled the destlnies o
nations ever since government was know
among men ? Such state Of things ma.
last SO long as the party shall last whicl
had the power aud audacity to iuaugur
ate it and no longer. But whenever tina
party shall 60 down, as 90 down it viii
at some time not long in the future, tha
will be the end Of the political power O
the negro among white men Oh this con
tinent."
This is not our language, but the word
OF an earnest report the honest convic
tions Of every Democratic member ou tn
committee. The policy foreshadowed j
this extract is the policy Of the libera
party The eight Liberalites who sigue
this report are not extremists. but fai
representatives Of the party to which the
belong. We desire to be fair, to ute
nothing in malice against this desperat
combination to defeat President Gran
out the open declarations of our oppor
ents force US to believe that this liberi
movement, if successful, will inaugural
u reign of terror throughout the Soutl
such AS the world never before witnessed
9 When eight conservative men. who claiI
to be loyal, and whom we know to be il
telligent, come to the conclusion that th
right of citizenship, conferred by the Coz
stitution on the freedmen of the South,
nothing more than a party right, to |
tolerated while certain party is in powt
and no lonser, what eau we expect I
the thousands of ignorant and disloy,
men whe live on violence, who belle,
the killing of negro to be divine rigf
who are restrained in their acts of cruell
by the strong arm of the law. and wi
see in the defeat of President Grant the
opportunity to plunder. scourge, al
! murder the unoffendipg freedman Of Il
South? Ii the conclusions reached by Il
minority and published to the worl
after careful investigation, after mont
Of deliberation, is not an invitation
begin the work Of determination
subjugation, as soon as the Denocra,
party comes iuto power. we are no jud
Of language. 1t is the latest echo OF I
old shareholders cry; "A negro has
h rights which white man is bound
respect The nation can no: be deceiv
by the fgure-head of Horace Greele
Back of him. aud urging him onwaI
are all the dangerous elelaents viii
threaten our national existence. His ole
tion would betray our Government ia
(, the hands Of its enemies. aud. in
human probability. plunge our Repub
- into another war more fierce and d,stl
. tive than the one which followed I
rebellion. The support Of the Republic