The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-13

majority ...........o Il 90
Given q solid Southland the solldltying
effect of proposition to make the North pay
the South's debts will doubtless be wonderful
1t only remains to secure very small sup.
port North TO elect President on this issue.
One dispatch from Washington relative to the
@rhere is scheme on foot to punder the
treasury which, for magnitude and audacily,
outstrips everything OF the kind that has
been devised of late. 1t Is nothing less than
the assumption BY the General Government
of ths debts OF the Southern States to the ex-
tent of SIZE, ,O0O, 600. The echeme originates
with certain bankers IL New York, who are
large holders Of bonds Issued by the carpet
bag governments in the South. They have en-.
ployed lobby agents to quietly broach the pro-
feet TO Congressman, and these Lobbyists
have been engaged for several days IN This
work."
We doubt the accuracy OF the statement
about the bankers. The scheme, II 1t origina.
ted with Benjamin F. Butler, has far Presl.
dental look ahead. That the Sonth Will
again be power when 1t has slonghed on the
carpet-beggers has been long seen; and In
fact as everybody knows, rec9nstIuStlGn, gauaanE
with q big d. ana all the rest of that stuff,
never meant anything except TO keep the reo-
els down as long ss possible. But recogniz-
ing this re-entrance upon power as Inevitable,
our Northern politicians have likewise recog-
nized the fact that they must pay roundly Tor
any future Southern support. What to pay
has been the question. Cash down is out
clans OF Louisiana, South Carolina and the
Other nnredeemed States there Is no bribery.
The election of q United States senator In
Georgia lasted three days, and was character
ized with desperate efforts and great excite.
ment, but NOT dollar passed. Money direct
being useless, release from oppressive taxes,
q resIoration of credit to Its old standard and
the delicious retribution of handing over The
carpet-bag debts 10 be paid by those who
erected the carpet-bag governments consll-
tute the only practicable bribe. The douceatr
is enormous; out then Butler knows himeelf
to be a pill only to be swallowed with dozen
extra coatings of sugar.
As to the arguments advanced openly IN
favor of this new job We hear only two. One
is that something is due the weak, suffering
South; the other deals not at all with senti-
ment, but relies on law, 1t ls about this the
Southern State governments are statutory gov
ernments guaranteed TO be Republican In
form, and legal, responsible, &C., DC, by the
power which called them into existence-to
debts II has brought into existence and guar
anteed. 1t cannot allow the South to repudl-
ate and cannot repudiate itself. 1t Is In the
position of endorser, and must pay If the ma
ker of the note fall. In this sort Of logic
the extreme sharpness of the Massachusetts
Congressman msniiests itself 80 plainly that
were there no other evidence the scheme
would appear his. Possibly his law might ap
ply to aforeign holder Of a carpet-bag bond,
since Congress did affirm the carpet-bag gov.
ernments to be all that they should be. and
the foreigner might get his government to
hold that this was guarantee; but as respects
any domestic application we fancy there is not
much force in fne-spun argument. The
worst feature is that the agitation of the point
breeds trouble and rehashes the dreary
scoundrelism of reconstruction once more.
Had the South been dealt with properly no
such diaquiet,ng ghost would be possible now.