The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-27
A Confession.

A remarkable article from the New
York Times, copied elsewhere, on the
alarming results of negro and carpet-bag-
ger rule in some Of the Southern states,
will attract attention, What makes this
confession remarkable is that it comes
from the leading organ of the party which
is the author Of this shocking system of
government. The facts admitted by the
Times have been asserted again and again
by the opposition and independent press
until they have become undisputed histo-
ry, known to the whole world. There has
been no excuse for the Republican organs
not knowing them; and, indeed. they haze
known them, even while they connived at
them, and attempted to apologize for
them. That they now admit them and
call for remedy, is only because the evil
has become so threatening that it is not
safe to connive at, or extenuate it, longer.
1t must be recognized and treated-not to
relieve the impoverished and oppressed
victims of the detested rule, but-to save
the Republican party. 1T cannot be
shirked," says the Times, without en-
dangering the safety of the party"
Some points of this surprising confession
would do credit to Bourbon Democrat.
The sheer at the steamboat porter who
has been elected to the United States SEN
ate, only because his skin is black, recalls
the shout of partisan exultation which the
Republican press echoed over the land
when colored barber wss elected to the
TTn,kaI GtaAao aapof 20 from tho copa ofata
few years ago. Mississippi can hope for
no prosperity under it spresent control, is a
strange bit of evidence to come from a
journal that rejoiced over the self-election
to- the senate of the military governor who
established the present control" and
which complacently numbers Ames with
the unhinching supporters of the Admins
tration. But the sad condition of affairs
in Louisiana" and the only less dismal
state of things in Mississippi, are not the
darkest spots in this unhappy picture Of
Republican reconstruction, wrought with
federal baton and bayonet. 1T is in South
Carolina" says the Times, that negro de,
nomination is most pronounced, and there
its evils are most apparent" THE legis.
lature of South Carolina is apparently q
gang of thieves-a perfected system OF
planted from the cotton fields to the halls
of the capitol, where they have been drilled
by INSCRIPTIONS white adventures, have
naturally made mockery of government
and bankrupted the state.
If these admissions of the DISASTROUS
fruits Of the Republican party in the south
are remarkable, the attempt to show that the
Republican party is blameless is amusing
al
that the Republican party is not response
BILE for a condition of things which it ha,
either carefully and deliberately brought
about, or encouraged the carpet-bagger:
TO bring about, and then rewarded then
for their infamous success if it can prove
that the administration is blameless for
the accepted work of its own approved
tools, it is certainly welcome to make the
attempt. But it will not suffice TO make
the political adventures, or carpet bag
gers, the scape- goats of unreasonable
crimes and excuses Of the reconstruction
policy. The carpet-baggers were begot.
ten by the Republican party. and are ever
now the accepted offspring of that party
They live under its roof, they support it
policy, they vote for its candidates, the,
feed at its table, and they are enrolled OF
its lists.
But we would rather applaud the Time
for its movement toward cure of thes
reconstruction excuses, than upbraid i
for its share in producing them. If it vii
earnestly go ahead and induce its party t
employ the same agencies to get rid of tn
illegal and barbaric governments in tn,
South that it used to establish them if i
will persuade congress and the administra
20 hn II oil
Claytons, and others tormentors of South
ern peace, and give the people their right
full control of their own affairs, we vii
cheerfully award it all the credit of tn
good works.. Louis Republican.