The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-10
Trio Fate Of a Badly Governed People

The tptlA ibtsl'N -
nrof,,,ion and safety Of ;hc people No'
only their protection from foreign enemies
,,y from the mi lrics, dangers, ana ca'aih'-
,r< Of lie. An energetic and lnoustriou>
n,,n,c are carabie of resisting The ordinary
circumstances that war upon human >alei!
~. q comfort; but where an isolated part Oh
,lc community suffers from, loca! causes 10
degree they may be unable to resist. the com
muuity Itself under properly regulated gov
crnmen, provides for their succor ard
safety.
The present generation is too familiar with
the former Independence OF the pcop'e--the'r
ability 10 cope with all the accidents Of ma
turc--to bc reminded by Us Of the perfect
order which was maintained prior to the war,
and how every danger was met. and every
calamity provided for. The Federal Gov
ernmcut never was called upon 10 appropri-
ate money or to issue ration, TO the suffering
people.
There were no suffering people to issue
such ra;ion> TO. Everybody was provided
10Y. llc acIllsN dtNt tiiN EtiilN W. N'''A iNs
ahoundet! in the land the manhood aud in
dependence OF the people provided for the
local wants ard >ufferingS. 1t was considered
unconstitutional to call upon the Federal
Government for aid; and southern mem.
her O.. Congress. supposed at the time TO be
in articulo morris, expressed As his last will
and tc>talfi, ut the Gc>ilc that be should not
be buried q, public expense. because there
was no clause in the Constitution v hich ail-
thorizcd >ucn burial.
Eut times have changed. That manhood
that spirit Of independence which governed
our ancestors mas departed. The war for
State rights and the Constitution has settled
things adversely. and the body polite OF Il
southern State is no longer what ii was. 1t
i low sick and weak. 1t has the yellow
fever. Ii cannot provide for The pcopIc-it
Cannot anticipate any more than il can re-
licve sfi}iction 1t is too weak for that. The
old master is bed-riddeu any body may
come in 10 minister 10 his dcciInin. hours
and wipe The sweat tom his Camp forehead.
Congress, any od!, may 81 proprlutc money !;
any body uay pat away The remains of the
Gctd
1t is sad condition for the country TO be-
brought TO by f,naticSm and folly. But to
that complexion has ii COM. The body
polite in the southern States is weak and
sick ard helpless. 3Ioncy from anywhere
j. acceptable. 1t is no longer able TO help
Itself. The ration must exercise the COM
mon acts Of charity and bencvoIcrce-
cndeavor to succor ard prolong lite and to
bury tie dead in who>e bodies life can no
longer te maintained.
The transition is wonderful. We can
hardly believe our Own eyes in looking upon
il. But it IS too true. We canuot deny it,
The facts are uucoutroverttle. Hence Lou.
i>iana goes 10 Congress hence all the south
crn States 60 10 Con.rc>S-htncc everybody
bcgs Congress to youch>aie some OF the com
forts, some OF The protection which in tor
liner days the States gave to their PEOPLE.
Tie New York Times ventures 10 look
upon the change, and SENDS lis commissioner
w +piAii Nal DIDh W SIC uDN luIISS are
there. With AL lis regard for the ruling
party. and in evident desire to shield them
from responsibility, it is compelled to say
what follows:
The administration of affairs in South
Carolina Is very delicate and difficult task |
1t requires that al expenditures shall bc
Kept at II" lowest point. and that taxation
shall be skilIuIly and justly distributed. So
far irolu lLitil.lug these conditions. the Gov
crumcnt ot Ike state has been grossly and |
currupt!v lavish. and taxation has been
distributed fooli>hlv, and probably dis
honestly. 1t is no wonder that wide |
spread hardship, and in some
CASES. utter ruin have resulted. These arc |
Things readily Recognized. The remedy it is |
not so easy to point out. Direct Interference
bv the United States Government is impos- !
slble. But il is not impossible that Il con-
siderable indirect Influence should be en-
ertcd by the Administration and 10y the Re-
publican party. Ii the Government were to
take care that its officers in the State were
wholly independent of the class that have
plundcred South CarcIi"a. and that they are
themselves hone~' men, such step would
&o' pe "i'"c 1t value"
Vi course II would mol DC. Dul WY
are the bands Of the Federal Gov
c1nmcut tied? Is it not Us capable OF
violating he Constitution for good as 1t Is
for evil? Has the Union an interest in de-
stroying the southern States? Is its dignity,
is its power, to be promoted by dragging
down a southern State to the low level OF
African civilization, Of barbarian govern
menl: Let the people of the United States
answer.
Those southern States were once the fair
est portions of the Union. They furnished
two.thirds OF the exports Of the whole land
What are they now! This question is one
=! the Union may we'll reflect upon.
We say that reconstruction" has Grip.
pied the South and the UnioE--that the rem.
cGy must come, or the Union must 20 to dis.
ruptiou. 1t is impossible for it to live az il
j.. The dead and live body cannot lie tied
together. Prosperity and prostration can
rot 20 hand in hand. The Government
must do something for the relief Of half its
territory, or 90 itself into irretrieyable dis.
ruption and ruin.
#
:" IL the Object Of the DfSDQtch in taking