National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-12

| INC duN6uCcIleut VI tiiclI IcSpcCl1sC SioAui
for the support of the people Of thos'
States. The Republican party is doing thi
now apparently in a very acceptable man
ner; but question arises right herr
whether it is not neglectins other Interests
of more certain and profitable character
The feeling of doubt regarding the Middle
States seems to have absorbed the attention
of some of our leaders TO the detriment o
our prospects in other sections. We do not
of course, alludc to the New England ol
the assuredly Republican Northern States
in which the principles of the party res
upon foundations as solid as the everlasting
hills; but we do refer with no little anxiety
to the South. 1t has become SO fashionable
of late to abuse Republicanism in the South
as the source of endless evil that many peo.
pie have begun to believe that Southern
politics abound in muddles which are dis
graceful, and which will certainly faint the
party or authority bold enough to interfere
with them. ut costs something to be q
Southern Republican" is substantial fact
but unfortunately it is one that has been
reported so often as to become somewhat
stale, and the people do not always relish
stale truths. We have heretofore given
some idea of the history Of Republication
in that section, ofthe bloody carnage which
has accompanied the building up of the
party within its limits, and the records Of
Congress show, upon indisputable proof
that no description Of ours, or that
has ever been attempted, has ap-
preached the horrible truth regarding this
unfortunate condition. Hunted from home,
with their lives imperiled, and making
sacrifices of blood and property with the
true heroism of martyrs, the Republicans
of the South have earned better treatment
than they receive at the hands of those
who sneer at the story Of their hardships
as stale truths. Unfortunately for them,
other questions than the results of the war
have arisen TO attract attention, and while
some of their friends still remain true to
them, others are drifting away into new
channels of political thought and action.
We have steadfastly maintained that the
issues of the war should not absorb all the
time of our Legislators, and have pointedly
alluded to the necessity for action upon
more recent questions; but, at the same
time, We have been equally earnest in our
appeals that none of those issues should be
disregarded or in the least imperiled. We
believe that the party is broad enough in
its ability TO meet the issues Of the present
without neglecting those of the past, and
we now see very plainly that if it would
succeed in the future, as it has in the past,
it should begin to revive some of its half.
forgotten interest in Southern affairs. It
will not do 10 COVER before the charges of
the opposition that Southern Republicanism
is corrupt. Men of courage and capacity to
act as leaders should think for themselves,
and even if the charges were proven to be
true. as they have not been, they should be
boldly honest enough toassume the respon
sibility Of correcting them. When the en-
tire Democratic party is at war with the
amendments; when it de-
clares in every conceivable form its disbe-
lief in the legality of the reconstruction
acts; when it resorts to bribery, intimida-
ton and murder TO overcome the legiti-
mate majorities Of the Southern Repub-
licans, and when it conspires to re-establish
the power of State rights, as it is now
doing, those are false Republicans, indeed,
who hesitate to assert their influence for
the protection of their endangered princi-
piles. The overthrow of single Republi-
can State government in the Southern
States would satisfy the conspirators, and
would destroy the strength Of the party in
that section. Itwould dishearten the mem
bers Of the party in other States; and if the
act should be accomplished through the
agency of Congress, it would forever Danish
from the possibilities of the future q return
of general Republican msjorities from States
upon which we now have good reason to
rely with implicit filth. All these things
must be taken into consideration when we
attempt to calculate the result of future
and unless we do this without
delay we may soon find new debatable
ground and new balance of power in our
DOlitiCal contests