National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-14
SOUTHERN SENTIMENT.

A large number of people in the North
honestly believe that the stories of Southern
outrsges and crime inflicted because of po-
litical differences and discussions are all
manufactured out of whole cloth to sub
serve partisan ends. If they could read
the expressions of the Southern White
League journals and the ayowed utterances
of the White-League orators as thew are
reported in their own papers, we are GER
tain that they would soon change their
minds upon the subject. Here, for instance,
is the Meridian (Ala.) Mercury, of arecent
date, warning Mr.. Stanton, manager of the
Chattanooga and Alabama railroad COM
pany, in the following style: eff Mr.. Stan
"tOn wants to have a good time with the
people along the line and class of en-
"ployees he will necessarily be compelled
"to have, it would be well for him to let
'politics alone. We predict now if he at
tempts to put his road and its influence
against the white people of Alabama in
the coming election, the old prejudices
"now softening will be revived in all the
Intensity of former times. Whenever
"during the pending canvass it is clearly
" ascertained that Mr.. Stanton is using his
"road for political. effects, we predict for
him serious trouble and endorsements
1.-THE truth is we don't believe under the
present political excitement he can run
"his road at all as political machine 1t
"will be thrown off the track if he at
"tempts it..
A correspondent writing from this Sec
ton explains the offence of which Mr..
Stanton has been guilty in the eyes of the
White Lesguers. A short time ago it was
necessary to do some grading on the road,
and two or three hundred colored men
were employed to perform the work. They
were hired because it was necessary to do
so, the whites being too idle or too proud
to engage in service of that charact er.
Now it is charged that the sole motive of
Mr.. Station was TO make some votes for
the Republican ticket; in their phrase, to run
the road as political machine.
Let US put one of their orators upon the
stand and hear what he says. Within ten
days Ex-Governor Thomas H. Watts, who
was the Attorney General of the Confed-
crate States, made speech at Selma, Ala
bama, in which he is reported in paper of
his own political faith to have said ''White
'tmen, you must wake up. We cannot and
twill not take everything. like the
NEGRO. He is not to blame; it is the white
''curs that lead him. here announce to
''the negroes, for see some present, that
sat New Orleans not one of them was
KILLED and we will not hurt you here; but
when we do commence, let each one of US
''pick out one white Radical and slay him
draw bead on his cravat." Upon which
the Selma Times, White League journal,
commented Then followed one of the
''happiest efforts of the honored and be-
'lOYed Watts. His appeals were thrilling;
"his home thrusts appropriate. In brief,
''no speech has ever given more satisfac-
''tion to Selma audience, and we only
wish that every man in Alabama could
''haye heard him''-heard particularly,
we presume, that portion of it in which
it was recommended to draw bead upon
the Cravat of every white Radical.
We have no desire to stir up sectional
hate and aAimosity, but what can be
thought of a community in which such
atrocious sentiments are found in the
columns of its leading journals and on the
lips of its favorite orators? To be Repub-
lican in many sections of the South is to
be an outlaw. A price is set upon his
head, and reward is practically offered
for his assassination. No matter how good
or acceptable in other respects, if any man
does not agree politically with the mem
bers of the White League he is fiend in
carnate, and as such his murder is decreed.
A difference of opinion means death. Will
the party which saved the Union and
abolished slavery shrink from this new
contest to which it is challenged?