The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-01-30
Political IEanffcSIO from the Miss
isstPPi University.
Professor Walton's Address.

Gentlemen i thank YOU for the poll
call you have Just made for me to addre,
! you. Let me begin by saying that | el
tirely agree with what has been so hant
: somely said by the Chairman-that j
that in my judgment it were better
making your nominations not TO be Ini
, led by any imaginary good feeling betwee
yourselves and opponents into suppOrtin
one who is not Of your party. This Is,
, is true, a time of less political bitterness
than any that it has ever been my forum
to witness. | have never seen the da
when there was so little party rancor. Blu
/ believe that result has been brough
about by the steadtastness with whicl
the country has stood by the Republican
and extinguished the
BIGoTRY OFTHE SOUTHERN OPPOSITION
party. Gen. Grants triumphant re-elec
ton has silenced the arrogance.
Liberal Republicanism means local self
government developed beyond its prOpel
constitutional restraints. Republicanisn
proper, means the contrary; it means ;
vigilant maintenance of Federal authority
in arresting the
OUTRAGEs OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
And for the Southland when I say the
South / mean for the White South rs We'll
as the Black South-for the South there
can be no evil so baleful as local self-gov-
eminent, when it is left without its proper
restraints.
/ know that to a certain extent. and
that very large extent, this institution
of local selt-gOvernment is written down
in our Constitution, and | have no doubt
that it possesses its virtues and Is withal
an excellent contrivance for homOgen-
eOus people. 1t suits
WELL ENOUGH FOR THE NORTHERN STATES,
! but in the South, where the people are
| half of one race and half of another, it Is
an institution, which, if not kept under
! the severest checks, would soon bring
/ about our utter ruin. The four hundred
thousand white people and the four huud-
| red thousand colored people who consti-
tute the population Of this State, never
can Danish entirely from their hearts all
jealousy and distrust Of each other. The
Government Of this State, and all Others
similarly situated, is at all times, and will
forever continue to be, an object of dread
to the one race or the other, according as
one or the other may control such Govern
ment. When the blacks have the ascend
ancy, the whites are stricken with terror
for fear Of losing their property; wien
the whites have it, the cOlored race are in
even greater terror for their personal lib
erty. The utilization of people of the same
race with each other is rs fixed a law Of
nature as any other law of cohesion which
makes the parts of body cling together
Such utilization of blacks with blacks and
of whites with whites, never will in this
world be put an end to; and as long As it
continues we can never have good govern
ment except by the aid of
EXTERNAL POWER.
Every election becomes contest between
races. Every time jury is summoned,
where question arises between a white
and a colored man, it becomes a vital
question whether it is white or a colorcd
jury. The contest extends to everything
and is destined to be perpetual, and would
soon end in strife if it were left to our
selves
Whatever good intentions might, for
time, exist on both sides, do not believe
that God has given it to man, when thus
circumstanced, to be at peace with his
neighbor. 1t does not lie in human ma
ture. There is but one mode of perpetu-
ating peace and equal rights and freedom
in such community, and that is by call
ing in the aid of external power; and it
is this aid-it is the powerful hand Of the
American people that keeps the peace
here to-day. Our peace to-day is the
peace Of the United States. We would
be worse off than Mexico or South Anne
RIGA at their worst, but for the majestic
power Of the American people command
ing the peace in our midst and so, what
ever may be the value Of local self-gov-
eminent to the homogeneous communities
Of the North, we must consider our own
security, and there is nothing in it to Us
At least, while [ do say that to Us there
is nothing in it. certainly here it must be
put under every Constitutional restraint
which can be thrown around it, to keep
down violence and confusion.
| am asked by my excellent, liberal
friend, Mr.. PhippS, who tells me he is
with us to-day to report our proceedings,
l am asked whether the Republican party
proposes to abolish State governments?
[ am not authorized 10 speak for the
Republican party, but l am an humble
follower OF that party, and as such | pro-
pose to say that / am a little sorry that they
do not. For my part | do not consider
freedom in any danger from centraliza-
ton, even if Capitalization were at hand
With our representatives at the Capital,
| should not grieve to see the Federal
Government clothed with even a larger
jurisdiction than it now exercises in this
country | should be glad to see all dis
putes such as those agitating Louisiana
and Alabama, settled finally, if possible, |
by the Supreme Court OF the United
States. However, the abolition of State
governments, and all that sort of thing,
are not to be thought of as practical issues
in American politics; and as long as the
State governments continue under the !
Jealous but Just watch of Federal autho- |
ritv their abolition is not desirable for |
while thus regulated they will give US all |
the advantages of local self-government /
without its attendant turbulence. But |
there is a practical issue connected with |
this thing that is styled Capitalization. |
and one forever destined to be the most |
practical issue in Southern politics That |
is, shall the Federal Government exercise /
the power which the Constitution clothes |
1t with tor the preservation OF peace ana /
good order, and for the protection OF civil /
rights in the South? Shall the Federal |
Government secure the ballot-box against /
intimidation and corruption? Shall the
Federal Government enforce the ku-KIux /
laws and execute justice between man and |
man in the South? am for using the /
powers of the United States for all these I
benefcent ends as long as there is any /
necessity therefor. And if this is what /
YOU call Capitalization | am for it. If this I