Litchfield enquirer., 1874-09-03
A Reaction.

No observant person can have failed to recognize the waning enthusiasm for the principle of equal rights to all colors that has characterized the past twelvemonth, and which found expression in the de- feat of the Civil Rights bill in Congress two thirds Republican. For generation the flood tide has been running; first gathering force slowly: then rushing for ward with irresistible sweep to emanci- patton, enfranchisement and civil equali- ty; finally slackening and losing force just as it reached tho final measure which the great apostle of equal rights died lament ing he could not see consummated. Now, the tide plainly begins to ebb. The re- cent votes of North Carolina and Tenne- see, show how heavily the fall elections are likely to tell against Southern Repub- licanism. The "war of races" in the border States and the rise of the White Mans party where the negro is in a weak minority, show the determination of the old master to reassert something at least of his old mastery, and we look forward with anxiety to the years of lamentable degradation which seem likely to follow the years of lamentable supremacy which have demonstrated the unfitness of the ig- norant blacks to have unchecked control of the great powers guaranteed the res- pective States under our federal constitu- ton.
 We have always held-and we believe the result will show the correctness of our View-that just as soon as the reconstruct ed state governments of the South began to demonstrate the weakness that must inevitably follow from the political su- premacy of an ignorant electorate, white or colored, Congress should have taken immediate measures to check the evil. It is probable that amendments of the Ma Eional constitution would have been nec- essary to give Congress power for efficient interference. Such increased power would, we believe. have been eminently benef- cial. The past five years have demon strated the terrible evils of an unchecked negro supremacy;-and the coming five years will, we fear, demonstrate the equal ly terrible evils of an unchecked white su- premacy. Neither race can be trusted to govern the other; and force, fraud, anar- Ohy and oppression will probably embit- ter the local politics of the South for years to come, to an extent that will backen the material progress of that sec- tiou for half century, even if it does not lead to a second civil war.
 The Republican papers of the North have spoken so freely for the past year of the evils of negro rule at the South that there is no need of our doing any more pioneer work in that direction. What we are now beginning most to fear is that Northern Republicans will be as blind for time to the dangers of white suprem- acy as they have been for so long to the dangers of negro supremacy. The south ern white is dangerous because he fails to recognize the fact that the position of po- itical equality between white and black is the best for both races. Trained to look on the negro as the natural worker and himself as the natural idler of socie- ty. he has failed to see that if he is to lead the negro under Q free system he must beat him at aOork. In no case can he continue to live on the negro's work, now as of old, without bringing that race into some relation of subjection. We I'm. agine that few Southerners expect any restoration of slavery, but we do believe that they still expect the negro to d" the manual labor of the South, and to rear themselves, without work, the fruits ot that labor; and, as long as such is theil view, they are no more fit to be trusted with uncontrolled power over the negro than the negre is to be trusted with un controlled power over them.
 Had Congress assumed, or obtained b, constitutional amendment, the power nee esaary to check the abuses practice, under negro supremacy it would hay been in condition to check the abuse that will certainly follow the reaction ii favor of white supremacy that seems no, setting in. As it is, the National govern ment must remain a supine spectator c the oppression and mlsgovernment j seems to consider itself unable to remedy and reaction must run it's natural course As long as we have a Republican Con gress. and executive, indeed, there cal be no reign of terror and general intimi datiOn and subJection of the negro race a the South; but. with Democratic Con gress. are we certain that there would b. n0~such violent Teaetion? It is the flea of some sach result and the habit of olt association that is keeping the Repnbli eau party together; and the more we se oI tne violence of this southern reaction Che more we are convinced that if vii, h yuse as well if we stand to our pr,na . ,;,
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