Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-09-02
Southern Politics.

ing but in the South it is as plain and
sharply defined as ever. There the issue
which divides the parties, and the spirit
which animates them, is precisely the same
rs before the war The Democrats are resell
we'd to put the colored people down, aud
keep them down. deprive them Of polit-
ical tights If possible, and if not, to make
the exercise Of those rights so dangerous as
TO drive them from the polls in sufficient
numbers give the State aud municipal gov
into the hands Of their lifelong
enemies These views and purposes have
been cherished ever since the task Of re-
the Southern States was Gu
tered upon. Sometimes they have been
concealed or disavowed when it seemed ne /
cessary to propitiate tho public sentiment
Of the Northern States and avert stringent
legislation, or enforcement Of existing laws
for the security Of periled citizenship
Sometimes all restraint was thrown OIL, and
the hostile purpose was not only ayowed in
boasts and threats, but found expression
also 10 shocking nets of oppression and
cruelty. At present, encouraged probably
by recent indications Of partial reaction
of Northern public sentiment against the
corruption and wastefu extravaganza Of
some Southern State governments - bad
enough, doubtless in fact, but greatly cx-
aggerated by report--tho Southern Demo-
Gratis have determined to go into the pend
ing elections as white mans party
pledged not to tolerate the exercise by black
men of those political rights which the
constitution and the laws guarantee to them.
The Republicans Of the South are not
excited by this avowal Of hostility to any
corresponding violence Of speech or act.
Their recent declarations Of policy are TEN.
perate and reasonable. They are not even
willing to demand all that their friends in the
North think should be conceded to them
but equality Of political rights the name
and fact Of citizenship, the just and impair
tal administration of the laws, they do
firmly insist upon. The Republican con-
vention Of Alabama, IN its resolutions,
earnestly disavowed any claim or desire to
have social equality established by law
The futility Of laws TO that end was asserted
as strongly as it ever was by anybody.
Mixed schools were declared to be not de-
sired by the coored people Of Alabama,
though it has seemed to US that the main.
teuauce Of separate schools is a dangerous
concession to unreasonable prejudice, which
will have to be abandoned some day, and
will surely lead to more mischief than
would result from an immediate and radi.
cal settlement of the question. But the
convention did assert the determination OF
the Republicans of Alabama to maintain
the political equality Of all men, the free
dom and purity of the ballot box, the equal
administration Of justice, and an equal
right for all Of every race and color to
share in the government of the people, by
the people, and for the people, and in all
the benefits provided by public expenditure.
The conaiot now in progress throughout
the South is not war of races, as some sup.
pose. 1t is war on the part of the rebel
Democracy for the suppression of freedom
Of opinion, speech and action. Since the
colorcd people are almost unanimously
friends Of freedom and free speech, they
are united with the Republican party. II
is not their color, but their political prin'
ciples to which the Southern Democracy
object hence, the organization Of the White
League, the avowed object Of which is t
murder and intimidate Republican voters
thereby enabling rebel Democrats to con
troll the polls. Their murderous work il
not confined to the coored people. From
all parts of the South come reports tina
white men have been murdered and
very strange thing about it is the fact tina
the victims are always well known Repub
, licans. Before the war, Republicans woult
be shot down at the South as freely as the,
r would shoot a rabid dog and so it is to
day. 1t is not a war Of races. 1t is a re
. newal of the old fight for freedom of opin
= ion, freedom Of speech, and protection 0
the ballot-boX The rebel Democracy de
a clare that no person shall speak or vote
= unless they can speak aud vote to transfe
the government from loyal to disloya
hands. That is the contest 1t is not
war Of races. No one has ever heard 0
the murder of a colored man who voted tn
Democratic ticket A coored Democrat i
u, all right with the Southern Democracy
but Republican, whether white or black
is shot down like dog This, we are told
n is war OF races. Northern Democrat
t journals think that sounds less obnoxiou
i W 'uc oaih VI loJal pouuVIhts tnhu NOul
Q the announcement that it is war for tn
: suppression of loyal sentiment at the South
s They endeavor to make their readers be
e ieye the trouble grows out Of Republican
n tyranny and outrage, but they fail to poin
T to single act Of violence on the part o
9 either white or colored Republicans at tn
$ South. Men are daily assassinated, but in
Q vestigation shows that the victim is in ever.
I instance a Republican, white or colored
4 Democrats here at the North Justify thi
: conduct on the part OF their Southern
n brethren, and yet they ask the friends 0
3 freedom and free speech to vote with them
5 The postal telegraph scheme will prob
i ably be settled one way or the other at tn
c next session Of Congress. The congress
IS sional printer has completed the printing o
Il the views Of the government the Wester
e Union Telegraph Company and of othe
n parties on the question, and copy of tn
n document will be forwarded at once to eac