Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-12-20
Am Eve Opener.

discover, al length, the truth Of certain
warnings given by leading papers in the
South many years ago. The inteffcr-
encc of tho Federal authority in matters
Which i. is purely tie business OF the
courts Of the various States 10 adjust, il at
length spreading an alarm in NOrthcrn c'r-
clcs. The Louisiana troubles furnish
tie text, and the New York Herald strikes
boldly for the right, aud denOuUceS the re-
construction acts Of Congress. 1t grows
alarmed at tho danger which is menaced
to the country atlarse, us the fruit OF a mis-
taken policy towards the South, and, al
though the alarm would possibly have
been much more effective ii it had been
sounded years ago, still it is better late
than never The following extract t.Om
all editorial in the Herald, Of the 18TH ln-
slant, is very similar TO many that have ap-
pcarcd in Southern papers i'll denunciation
OF the rccnnSt ructiOn acts Of the United
States Congress
The troubles III louisiana, as we'll as in
i Alabama, South Carolina and other parts
of the South, aIiSc primarily from the re-
construction policy of Congress, or, more
opelly speaking, from the policy Of the
! dominant radical republican party. In
disfranchisiUg the intelligent and leading
men Of the South, and III eleyating the
whole mass Of ignorant negroes to politi-
cal power, we find the cause OF the present
dtpl0rablG state OF things. The object, as
is well known, was to secure the vote Of
the Southern states, so as TO repudiale the
rule of the radical republican party. This
might notsbe considered altogether unfair,
in Il strictly party or political sense, and it
may be that any other party would have
used the same advantages for a like pur-
pose. Nevertheless, this feeling has
proven disastrous. The world cannot
be governed by ignorance. The at
tempt to govern the South through the
mass of ignorant blacks, who were Just
emdncipated from slavery and who were
not at all prepared for CIVIC duties, has
proved lameEtable failure, as every states
man must have seen 1t would. But, to
make matters worse, the dominant party,
in carrying ont its policy, Hooded the
Southern States with carpet-baggers, with
men of no means or conscience and no
feeling Of abiding interest in that section
of the country. These INSCRIPTIONS and
needy adventures Were placed III positions
! of power and trust, while those who be-
lOnged to and had deep interest in the
peace and welfare Of the South were Cstra-
cistd The "miserahc scramble that
President Grant speaks Of for the spells Of
Office Is among these very adTcntluerS.
S i'll the Federal government seems to adj
here TO its original policy, notWithSt landing
the ilighttul consequences that have result
ed from 1t, tor we have seen one faction
sustained in Louisiana and another in Ala
bama, which aTe in accord with tile party
in rover at Washington, regardless Of the
will Of the people, the light of local self
government, or the iOIms OfState law.
Perhaps it is not possible 20 undo much
OF the evil that has been done, for rights
AMI privileges that have been concetled
cannot well be withdrawn, tltorgh they
may have proved misclievouS. Bat Con-
greSs and the President can DO a great deal
in tie way Of applying remedy. The
theory Of the abstract right of suffrage,
whether adopted from principle Or policy,
will have to be carried ont now, however
unfit the mass of negroes III the South
may be for the exercise Of that assumed
ri. ht or privilege. The evil might be Eeu-
tral'zed TO some extent, and, as we hope, to
give'peace 10 the South, if the Federal gov
eInment would let the several States have
absolute control over their own affairs,
and in case Of such a difficulty as that in
Louisiana, to leave the solution of it to
local laws if it would cOnceGe complete
amnesty, so as to give the most intelligent
portion of the community q voice ard in
nuence in public matters; il 1t would, In
short, help to restore the SOuthernerS to
offic, and flown down the carpes-baggers
and scallawaes who make all the trouble.
Such corruption and anarchy as exist now
in the South are not only injurious to that
section; not only check its progress and
material interests, and, therefore, prove
damaging to the business Interests Of the
North, but they arc infectious and must in
the end demoralize the whole Republic,
1t is, in fact, a long step toward centraliza-
ton, despotism and military rule. It is
the way in which all nations have marched,
the liberties and institutions OF which lave
been subverted or overturned.