The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-11
HoYrsa CO., Proprietors. - -.
States Rights Doctrine from an Unexpected
->|@,'!'''f~ !" Source

The New York Times has quite surprised the
country by its recent course in politics. A
staunch supporter of the administration of Pres
ident Grant, and an acknowledged organ OF
the Republican party, its utterances are always
Considered weighty and forcible Referring to
recent ,enunciations Of Senator Eaton, of Con-
necticut, who. declared with tboldness his unal-
terable devotion ."as States Rights Democrat
of the old Jefereonian school, !" the Times takes
occasion to lecture his party on the propriety
of examining this question fairly and justly
before deciding against it. The comments are
at once commendatory and significant:
The regulation" way of answering all this
is to stick a label on Mr.. Eaton's back certify
ing that he is a; Bourbon and Copperhead,
and to call attention to the fact that he was by
no means Sound" on national issues during
the war. But even after this had all been done,
there would still remain a question in the
background which will have to be met fairly
in the face come day or other. The extreme
length to which States Rights theories were
pushed in 1860 and 1861, brought about re-
action; and that reaction has led many people
to think that State Rights belong to the dead;
and-gone class of questions, and that any man
who talks about State Rights is sufficiently
answered when he is called a Bourbon 1t
is unnecessary to say to any Intelligent reader
that this view is miserably shallow one, and
that in reality the right of States to govern
themselves is as dear to the people as itever
was And it ought to be dear to them, for
when they abandon it they will have utterly
forsaken the system of government established
under the Federal Constitution. They may
set up something else in its place, which may
be called by any name that may please the
persons then living; but it will not be the
government designed by the founders of the
Constitution. It may be civil policy based
upon parliamentary rule or it may be mon
archy or a despotism;; but it will no longer be
constitutional republic such as we have seen
here for nearly ahundred years. We say, then,
that when Mr. Eaton talks of the necessity of
maintaining State Rights, and of giving the
citizens of South Carolina the same freedom
which the citizen of Connecticut enjoy, it is
not enough to allege that he is a ''copperhead,"
and to fling at him the missiles which dark
ened the air between 1861 and 1865. If the
citizens of the South are living in a state Of
oppression, Mr.. Eaton is right in calling atten
tion to their situation if they are suffering
from. Injustice, the nation at large will never
tolerate its continuance, and; -therefore,-ethe
sooner the injustice is redressed the better.
-, All such questions as these should be dealt
with frankly. It is very bad policy on the part
of the Republican party to try to stuff them
away in corners, and cover them with the
'sbattle-hag" or with any other of the war par
aphernalia. The people will not consent to
see either Poland or an Ireland created on
this SOIL It is not impossible to redress mis-
takes when they are discovered; but to persist
- ~ to
tend that religion and morality require us to
persist in them-this is a course which we cer-
tainIy shall not take the responsibility of re-
commencing to the Republican or to any other
party. The Southern States are not living
under q fair Or free government-so Mr.. Eaton
and many others allege. Well, is the assertion
true? Look at South Carolina! The facts in
reference to that State seem to be about as we'll
established as any historical facts can be, and
they amount to this: The negroes, assisted by
rascally whites, have held sort of grand orgie
in the State for several years past, have swal-
lowed up among them pretty nearly all the
private property in the State, have ruined what
may be called the native citizens even more
thoroughly than the war had done, have robbed
and harried like so many highwaymen, and
have reduced the State to condition which
must shock every man who sees it or reads
about it. The very Governor of the State is
thief The Legislature is gang of thieves.
Is this a Republican government, such as the
Constitution guarantees to all the States3
We venture to say that it is not-that, on
the contrary, it is government of which the
Republic has every reason to be ashamed. No
doubt the system introduced as o ss"war meas
ure' into the South after the war-chieay upon
the advice of Senator Sumner and Thaddeus
Stevens--was experimental; but can we wonder
that people everywhere begin to ask how long
the experiment is to last3 There should at
least be some signs Of improvement visible as
the close of the war, and is South Carolina
better governed than she was then2 She
clearly is not so we'll governed as she was
purely under military rule. The same must
be said, nsutatis nautandis, of Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Texas and Arkansas Now, it is folly
t. suppose that the Republican party, as an
organization, will continue much longer to look
on with perfect satisfaction this great failure.
The leaders of the present moment may not
pay any attention to the subject; but if they
do not, other leaders will arise who 4oiN see
that Justice is DONE. Last week we all wit
messed the United States Senate engaged for
about twenty -four hours at stretch in passing
a bill for the benefit of the negro, merely out
of sentimental sort of Difference to the wishes
of deceased Senator. Respect for the dead is
incumbent on us all-but legislation should be
based on a careful and wise regard for the
welfare of the living, not upon mandates,
real or fictitious, of the dead.
The negro has had a very fair amount of
protection. 1t is important before going any
further to find out what use he hes made of
the freedom given to him in what way he has
exercised the vast political powers with which
be has been endowed what sort of a govern
ment he has helped to set up in States where
he is most powerful; whether, in short, he at
this moment stands in need of protection from
the white man, or the white man stands in
need of protection from him. If Mr.. Eaton
intends to raise these questions, depend upon
it be will obtain an audience, aud he cannot be
suppressed D5 howls and groans, and We for