National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-28

their class, while the honest hardWorKlng
and conscientious men, who really mould
the thought and lead the opinions oil the
Republican party in the South are seldom
mentioned. This latter class embraces
large number of men who have not held,
and who do not seek to hold offices. But
after all that has been said. the Legislature
of any Southern State now under Republi-
can rule may safely be cited for comparison
with that of Pennsylvania, leading Mid
die State, for instance, and the comparison
will result to the injury of the latter Rail
roads have been bought and sold by legls-
latiYe enactments, have been enriched and
impoverished by the same means, ana great
corporations have obtained partial control
of State governments in the South; but the
lus.re of the Tammany ring in New York,
now dimmed, it is true, by the temporary
incarceration of Boss Tweed, shines to-day
alone as the greatest success ever achieved
by any ring of corruptionists in our history.
1t has no parallel in the South, as it has
none in the East. Yet the followers of
Tammany, like the followers of MIR.
Greeley, cry out against the carpet-baggers
of the former section.
We do not intend to justify one wrong
by another, bat we call attention to these
facts for the purpose of pointing out the En-
ror and injustice of the present popular de-
nunciation of class of Northern born men,
the majority of whom served in the armies
of the Union during the war, who have
elected to live in the Southern States.
They may not all be Websters in intellect
and some of them may have been poor in
pocket At the close of the war, but they are
citizens of our common country, as much
entitled to consideration in every regard
now as they were when they left the places
of their birth to join the throngs of patriots
who, in 1861, rushed to the defence Of the
flag of that country. And since the close
of the war, since the ''new rebellion" Of
the White Leagues, Tax Unions and Ku-
Klux Klans has developed itself, theirs has
not been an enviable life. Many of them
have returned to the North, driven from
the homes of their adoption. either by the
social ostracism or Clannish commercial
customs, or by the sheer force of arms,
while others would rejoice to do the same
if they could without the sacrifice OF their
investments One by one, or not intre-
uuently more than one at time, these in
trepid patriots are thus abandoning cher
ished hopes of bright future-hopes that
were guaranteed as certain of realization by
the Government of the United States and
by the party in control Of that Government;
hopes that could only be realized under
condition of peace-while others drop by
the roadside, the victims of midnight assas-
sins. They look to the Republicans of the
North for succor, and are greeted with de-
rision. They know that the future for
them is overcast with dark clouds Of despair
unless that succor comes, and it is not sur
prising that they begin to feelrestive under
the smarting infiction of that derision.
However, the time is coming when their
reward will be reaped. 1t is true that
the Northern people are so occupied with
questions of closer import THAI the govern
ment of the South that they have not taken
time to investigate the truth Of the situa-
ton; but the recent outrages in Louisiana,
in Alabama, in Tennessee, in South Caro-
lima, and in short throughout the entire
South, have so shocked the sensibilities of
law-abiding men as to force them to seek
information regarding it. Instinctively the
comparisons which we have made suggest
themselves, and the deduction forces itseli
that after all the tales of robbery and plum.
der must be exaggerated. The facts sustain
this deduction. The taxes in the recon
structed States average less than those o.
New York and the richer communities o.
the North, labor is cheaper. than in any
section of the Union, the land is equally
productive, and the resources in mineral:
in naval stores, and in indigenous product:
generally are boundless. The people have
with rare exceptions, recovered from the
depression and poverty Of the war, anc
have so much money to spare, as we ex
planned a few days ago, in one State alone
South Carolina, they have been able to buy
in the Northern markets $500, 900 worth o
repeating rifles with which to arm their 'fn
dependent rife clubs. Railroads have beer
rebuilt, new routes completed, factorie:
erected, and, so far as possible in communi
ties cursed by the almost thriftless habits o
slave holding, promising thrift has asserted
itself.
We repeat that these facts sustain thu
deduction that the tales Of misgovernmen
are exaggerated, and we appeal again to tn,
sober second thought of the Northern
peopleto support US in our effort to clea
from the name and fame of non -nativr
Southern citizens the stigma which thei
enemies have so unjustly put upon them
But, even if all these tales were true
and doubly true, why should law-abidin!
people raise their hands in aid of the muir
derers and assassins who have raised thi
cry of pet-baggers? Are they not worse
ten fold worse, than the verriest carpet
Dagger of whom they may complain
Their hands are stained with the red bloc
of innocent fellow citizens their lips ar
parched with the hot oaths Of the Ku-Klu;
Klans, and their hearts yearn to Overturl
the dearly bought results of our great civi
war. Shall we render them the service the
so insidiously ask Of us, or shall we stand b.
our friends who stood by us and our fla
during the war, and since then have aide
us in carrying the banner Of the Republ
can party to repeated victories?