New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-27
SOUTHERN POLITICS.
TEXAS.


good farms and slaves sufficient to cultivate them who,
without being politicians, nevertheless measuraby
well informed political subjects was Secession
ist not In favor Of Slavery per Sc but be-
cause saw this question had TO be settled either for or
against the institution at no very distant day ana
preferred that evils Of that settlement should fa
upon myself. and not upon my children. was always
at heart opposed to Slavery would at any mo have
been glad to see the South rid OF IT, but the way was
never opened until tho brought the change with all
the evils which had feared, along with It, When the
war terminated, the Southern people submitted III goOd
faith TO its inevitable resuts-emancipaon and the re-
nquishment of the arbitrary right Of secession These
being tho only questions directly involved In
the contest, the only ones that were uni
yersay admitted TO be settled beyond all question.
There followed the Reconstruction laws Of Congress
DISTINGUISHING some enfranchsng others, ana estab-
lsbing Boards OF Registrars under military rule, by
whose arbitrary ruling the right Of freeman to vote
could be denied him without appeal From this law
of Congress have sprung all the evils which have since
arisen in the South This law with the establishment
of military governments has been the fruitful source
from which all the corruptons all the official outrages,
all tho disregard OF law, right or justice In the Southern
States had their being These Boards OF Registrars
were composed rule, OF the most designing unscru-
pulous white aud ignorant colored men who were
entirely governed by the whites all selected Win
especial to their entire devotion to the party
In power and their Willingness to be used ms tools IN
furtherlng It's designs. How dd these men acti III
very many cases I'm utter gard Of law OF justice,
and their oahs They arbitrarily refused registration
where mems politics did not suit them, and for that
alone many Union men who had held out against
the Confederacy TO the last refused regstra0n
while others, who had done all In their power 10 ad
and assist tho Rebellion, freely admitted TO regis
raon solely upon the ground that they then pro1eseu
to be Republicans. In other cases they assueo 'ne
role of insulting and browbeatlng all who were known
holio IN IN a
this would not answer their ends they would put for
ward a negro registrar to abuse the party Offering 10
register until thousands who were in every respect en-
titled TO registration refused to present Themselves ana
never registered until in the last election Tor congress-
men, and from this many (foolishly. Think st
refuse to do So BY Of these registrars, by the
packing OF balotboxes, and false returns the elections
for the various State and County offices were generally
carried for the Republicans, and being once in power
they have by the corrupt practices held 1t TO the
present day These Republicans who were thus elected 10
Office were nearly every them either foreign adven
turers or INSCRIPTIONS scoundres who had been reared
at the South and uniformed colored men. Is 1t any
wonder that with such material in Legislatures 1t
was found easy matter TO bride them to pass any law
wbateverf it anything but natural that the colored
members readily fell into the general stream OF corrup
ton when they their white leaders plotting the
wayi For myself lido not blame these colOred gentry
I feel no animosity toward them for what
they have DONE All my resentment Is against
tho white scOundrels who thus debauohed them.
Nor my indignation confined 10 these state hieYes
alone go beyond them, TO Congress- and more especial
~ to the President OF the United States who had already
set the examples who had shown that be thought II no
disgrace to his high office it into pawnbrokers
shop where everything Of value might be pledged for
such returns the master Of the shop might think proper
TO give And now to what condition has this policy re-
duced the Southern States In what light, think you,
the intelligent, the tax paying the honest the INDUS
trious notwithstanding citizens OF the South view their
present situaon When they look at their political con-
don what do they seel Their best men debarred from
holding ofce their States plunged in debt beyond the
possibility OF payment their taxes under the delusye
pretext OF schools and protect ion 10 me od proper
Nv through a thevng police force, fun eight times what
they were before the war the Legislative, the Executive
and the Judicial offices OF ther states in the hands OF
ignorant and corrupt partsan before whom they neither
expect nor are likely to obtain Just TeSteR the South
have presented TO them l. IL any Wohucr ula u-
der OF things they at first became dsgusGd
then Indifferent, and finally hopeless OF any escape by
any conduct of their from the situation which for
years been staring them in the aeef Is III az an sur
prsng that they have aernated at times between tne
desperate resolve that they would no longer summit 10
this state things but would resist the state autho
thortes has been formed) and utter indiher-
enee TO public affairs, matters In which they had no
of events let them take whatever course they w0uidf
We have been yllied aud abused by partisan press
AGAINST whose fasehOods no denial OF any avail,
until we feel that aliens in the land OF our brth
that 10 longer have any voice In the aIls Oh our
country our hopes have died out the idea nat we are
part Of the free American people has passed
away; patriotism has lost its significance TO US,
and we stand to-day ready to submit 70 any form OF
government that may be put up at washington. Inc
present generation have no thought OF resisting any
United states it matters not to them neither IL DC re-
publican MOnaTchical or despote. Soutberners 1eel
tba the Northern people responsible for the present
state OF affairs They Will never naugurate any pan 70
arrest the threatened evil but Will let things drlt as
fhey NAV adapting themselves To circumstances as they
arise best they can, under the eOnycuoh at lucy
may Do "A
table state OF affairs II must De cOhieSsea put tue
Northern people must blame themselves alone Tor us eA
istenoe Bur while the Southern people feel
thus, they are well pleased to see the SoItneIn
eeption of the true condition Of the country,
and to know that they began TO see the danger 1t
ia in and taking steps 10 avoid IT, 50utherners nave
no politics except opposition to Radical rule ana they
are almost unanimously determined TO support Greeley
and Brown. All the opposition you see ana near from
the South TO this course comes from old FOSSIL Democrats
Democratic politicians VINO are seeking Tor once
alone. There is not an intelligent man IN the SOUTH Hno
studies the interest OF the country or or his own section
for President and Vce-President, and VINO Is not IN
OF defeating Grant ana his Radical Rng OF theyes
by any and all But the Southern people are yet
in the hands OF the Phlisnes The Radicals stl mold
the baOtbOxes Grant stu presents the Dayonet ana
1t behooves the Northern people TO see that by these
the voice OF the Southern people be not sted or
made to tell tale 10 suit the sehemers who thus give
the vote OF the south for whOms0ever they choose.
such are the feelings and opinions that present them
selves to when calmly and dispassonately look at
the past and the present and anticipate the future Their
only value consists IN their being, In my opinion, repre-
sentative the feelings OF all the Southern people who
not warped by popularity, some personal act Of
injustice oppression, OF some aspiration Tor Office
While the people the South have abandoned all idea
OF forcibe resistance TO The United States authority,
candOr compels that there fee lungs Of Bit
teess deep down in their toward the authorities
of the United States Government for the treatment they
have received nothing short of an earthquake could
bring them TO an eruption. 1t depends upon the North
ern people alone determine whether these feelings
shall be intensified by another four OF Radical mis-
rule leading eventually TO the destruction OF the Repub
ic OF whether by The Telur9 TO just, peaeeaoie and
hidden forever out OF sight, and this country % lea on
to the contamination OF its tit destiny, that OF the most
free the strongest and the best Government ON earh
tie hope OF all dOwntrodden people, and the asylum Tor