The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-07-24
TIE uBLOODY CHASM."

The Greeley journals OF the South are
making great ado over the remark made
by Mr.. Secretary Boutwell,, in his North
Carolina speech, to the effect that the
"bloody chasm" across which Mr.. Greeley
proposed to shake hands, should be closed |
up by acts Of substantial justice I; in other
words, that it should no longer exist.
This sentiment is noble one-far nobler,
in fact, than that which merely proposes to
bridge the chasm by clasped hands-and
we fail to see the justice, or even the per-
tinency and good sense, of the criticism in
which our local journals have INDUCED in
their references to the sentiment. If the
people of the South have resolved on
shaking hands in good faith across the
chasm, they can have no objection to filling
it up in the manner proposed, and thereby
remove all obstacles to complete reunion
of the two sections on the basis of equal
and exact justice to the people in each Sec
ton. But to fill this chasm there must be
Justice to all, neither more nor less. Eqal-
ity of rights is now the cornerstone of the
Republic, and no administration can ignore
this equality, or set it aside, without vio-
lence to the constitution, and a baser sur
render of principle than any government
founded on the rights of the people can az
ford to make in the interest of oppression.
For the government must be just in Or
der to live. The concession of equal rights
was an absolute necessity in the crisis
which was forced upon the government.
To make this concession and then recall it
Gf that were possible) would subject us to
the sharpest censure of the civilized world,
if it did not widen the bloody chasm'
which already exists. The idea of filling
up this chasm by acts of substantial justice,
in which the South shall do its part, or
vindicate its claims to justice and human
ity in its treatment of the colored race, is,
we repeat, a far nobler sentiment than that
enunciated by Mr.. Greeley, and the men
of brains in the South must see it. Were
this done, the people of our own State
would have no occasion to complain of mer-
cenary carpet-baggers, for every Federal
Office in the State would lin the event of
General Grants reelection be filled by a
native VirginiGn. And this would have been
done. long ago, had our people shown a
disposition to meet the Administration one
tenth the way towards filling up the
"bloody chasm." IF the chasm has been
perpetuatcd beyond the time it should have
been closed, it has not been the fault o.
General Grant for there never has been an
hour when he would not have welcomed the
cooperation of the South in movement to
substitute native worth and talent in the
offices filled by carpet, baggers," so-called
If, then, there is any " bloody chasm" re-
naming, the cause of its perpetuation has
} been with the people of the South and moi
with the administration of General Grant
Adopt the wiser and iuster policy of filling
: this chasm with acts of substantial justice
towards the colored race, and there will b.
: no occasion to shake hands across it. /
7 will be fled in such way as to leave nj
trace of its existence in the past, and thu
most glorious future of the South will b,
: witnessed in the very acts that filled thu
: chasm. ...s...- - .s