Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-09-26
IS THE MISSION OF THE REPUB
LICAN PARTY ENDED?

York Republican State Convention. We
copy that portion of his remarks relating to
| the condition of the South
One of the catch sayings OF our opponents
| has long been that the mission of the Repub
| lican Party is ended, that its work was done
| when slavery and rebellion fell. Have you
| ever thought how senseless this cry is, now |?
| Look abroad in the land, take u, one by one
| the grave public questions, and tell me which
one of them would be safe without the Re
| publican Party and Republican President
Look over the South, from the Border States
to the Gulf-you see prostration, demoraliza
ton, discomfort. These things are, in part,
the inevitable effect OF q vast sad war, war
forced on the nation, and brought on them
selves by the white people of the South, mis-
guided and deluded by the leaders Of the
Democratic Party. ! say the existing troubles
of the South came of war and its changes and
havoc in part, and only in part Much of the
difficulty has more recent cause. The wors,
present woes of the Southern people come
from the lamentable and suicidal course OF
men who have been freely forgiven by the ma
ton for one Of the bloodiest crimes in the
book of time. When the armies of the South
had surrendered, and the State Governments
had been set up in lhem, not even Jefferson
Davis, was denied the right to vote. All
could vote, all could take part in rebuilding
their shattered interests indeed, the fact than
all could vote was grievance to those who
still hated the Union. There was another
cause of complaint. By the votes of three
fourlhs of all the States, in their Legislatures,
the ringleaders who had taken and broken an
oath besides committing treason, were not al
lowed to hold Office till relieved BY Congress:
and let me here remind you that not one who
L. a. l. 4
But even this, even postponement of the
time when those who planned the rebellion
might resume their places in Congress, was
deemed an afffont too grievous to be borne.
Such at least was the preteXt, and they set to
work to make the worst OF their local affairs.
They refused TO help, they refused to aid il
electing reliable men 10 their Legislatures,
and to public Office. They exerted themselves
to deter capable men from accepting Office or
taking the part that citizens owe in free
government. Social ostracism, persuasion,
and still worse means were brought to bear to
prevent all who had sympathized with seces-
sion from joining in restoring order and pros
perity in the reconstructed States. The
avowed purpose was to leave everything 20
the carpet baggers and the niggers, as they
called the victims of their long opposition in
the hope that in this way they might bring
such odium on the measures which had given
the black loyalist the ballot, that political re-
action at the North would again seat them in
the places from which they had vaulted into
rebellion, and make them again masters of
the situation. Thus far the plot has failed.
The North did not react. The Democratic
Party reacted, few sound men not Demo
Gratis reacted, few honestly mistaken Re.
publicans reacted, but the Republican Party
brayely and steadfastly upheld the cause of
humanity and fair play, and triumphed in the
idea that al! men who stood by the flag in the
dark hour, all who prayed or worked or
fought on the nations side, should wear the
citizenship which has been saved and earned
in battle by black as well as white. The oh.
stina,e obstruction policy of the Southern
leaders missing its aim, has wounded its in.
ventors. Ignorant men. weak men, venal
men have seized the opportunity to work
their way into places Of trust and power. Bad
legislation, excessive taxation, unwise and
profligate administration with their trains of
evil have ensued, and now what do we see !?
Do the authors of all this mischief relent? Is
it proposed by lawful, peaceful! means to
right these wrongs? Not at all but violence,
bloodshed and revolution are the attempted
remedy. White Leagues, Ku-Klux, and a
war OF races. These are the remedies, sort
of despotism tempered by assassination. Look
stained her soil since last July. What is the
special complaint there? Why, that Kellogg
was counted in as Governor, when in truth
McEnery was elected. Suppose he was. We
IN New \ ork have known equal wrongs. 1t
is an open secret now that John T. Hoffman
was counted in as Governor, when John A.
Gri>wold was eiscted. We did not know then
that In two cities 80 900 were falsely added
to the count, but we had far more conclusive
evidence that Mr.. Hoffman was not elected
than has yet been discovered in the case of
Mr.. Kellogg. But we did not organize armed
and masked bands to murder and to burn.
We did not compel Federal. State, and county
officers to resign on promise of sparing their
lives, and then murder them in cold blood
We did not Stay women and children by the
light of their blazing homes. Finally, we
did not seize by force the capital of the State,
sho t down the Police, bsrricade the streets.
and inaugurate a reign Of terror on the ruins
OF the law. Yet all this has just happened in
Louisiana. The tdings flashed through the
land, and as on the ship all the men turned
to the captain in the storm, so the nation
turned to the President and asked: Watch
man, what OF the night?' Promptly came an
swer from the firm soldier and quiet magis-
trate, who never yet blanched in the pres
ence of danger, and never shirkcd a respon-
sioiilty when was cast upon hun. In few
words he gave the insurgents five days to un-
do their work as far as their deeds could be
undone, and at the sa" time he made such
orders for the disposition of troops as gave
grim warning that at the end of five DAYS the
beak and claw of national power would tear
IN pieces the fabric of lawlessness and riot
ms warning was eLougf Rebels knew
Grant. They did not wait for even regi.
ment. They were willing to take his word
Tor 1t, and to stop if he would. Thirteen
years before Il Democratic President, had ne
been inspired by a like spirit might have
stayed the rising tide of revolution which de.
luged continent with blood Had Buchanan
been Grant in 1860, and had Grant been Bu-
chanan IN 1874, the fate of both occasions
might have been reversed. Had insurrec-
ton tfiumphed last week in Louisiana there
is net Southern State in which "White
Mems Leagues" ''war of races" and A
bloody grappl- for the ballot-bo and the
State Government would not have been the
order of the day. What would Democratic
President and the Democratic Party have
done with the outbreak in New Orleans? We
have no Democratic President. That bles.
sing IN disguise has for some time been
averted, and we are not likely soon to be
l lA.y, D..