National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-15
GHATTANOOGA

II is JIue Inab the COnVenuOn OF SOuJnern
Republicans now in session at Chattanooga
has notaccomplished much more than an or
ganization; but it is evident from the pro-
ceedings thus far that the spirit which per-
vades the meeting is one of calm dignity,
and calculated to make favorable impress
sion on the general public. It is not with
out some qualification we discover that
they have accepted the advice rendered to
them by THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,
and while ignoring personal and purely
political topics, the Third Term question
for instance, have addressed themselves to
the serious consideration of questions
which underlie the actual condition of
affairs in the South. They have appointed
appropriate committees for the considera-
ton and preparation of business, and not
withstanding the plain indications of in
discreet enthusiasm and an earnestness
which borders on self conceit, the charac-
such as to warrant the prediction
that the result of the convention will
be worthy of the gravity Of the occasion
which called it together. Not alone will it
portray the horrible condition of society
which permits murderers to go UNPUBLISHED
or rewards them with places of safety and
power, or displays bloody record of poliSi-
cal sssassinations, intimidation, ostracism
and prescription, but it will show the
causes which lead to that condition. Right
manfully and boldly the convention has
taken the bull by the horns" to use
homely expression, and has begun to crap
pie with the root of all the evils which
have so long served to devastate and retard
the progress ofthat section. They have be-
gun to make up statistics showing the igno-
rance and illiteracy of the masses of the
Southern people. They are considering the
power of Congress to enforce education I'M
der national school system. They will show
that the present educational system is sim
ply farce. They will also show that the
hereditary inclination of the Southern
people is averse to free schools. From
all this they viii make the truth
full deduction that q slavery to
prejudice and an intolerance of po-
litical antagonism exists to-day which
is as much of a curse as the black
crime of human bondage was fifteen years
ago. They will also consider industrial
questions and matters of material interest
to the commercial welfare of the South.
In this regard the experience of hundreds
and thousands of Northern born citizens,
who have invested sums of money aggre-
eating millions Of dollars, will be of avail,
and show that the spirit of intolerance to
which vre have referred has served to keep
bacl. emigration and retard the investment
of still larger amounts of capital. At the
same time they win show that the much
talked. of poverty of the Southern people is
simple moonshine, because the statistics viii
prove that the Southern States were never
more prosperous than they are now, and
that with their boundless resources and IN
developed opportunities the only explana-
ton of the poverty which does really
exist resides in the fact that the
people are too lazy to work. In
short, the result Of the convention promises
10 be truthful arraignment of the NAL
contents of the South for crimes without
parallel for their atrocity, for ignorance
which is inexcusable, for intolerance which
is only born of malign influences, and for
the basest ingratituds toward a generous
Government and forgiving foe. Thus
arraigned, it will be a difficult task for
them 10 disprove the assumption that they
are, indeed, engaged in new rebellion"
against the legally constituted authority,
and the proof to sustain this assumption
win be readily found in the existence of
White Leagues, Tax Unions and Ku-
Klux Klans. But The convention viii not
stop here. II win go far enough to disa-
buse the minds of the general public Of the
belief that terrible condition of misgov.
eminent prevails in the South, and viii
show that the extravagance in the expendi
ture Of public money is no greater in the
Southern States than it is elsewhere, and
that the responsibility for it is divided be-
tween the dominant political parties.