Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-12

regard for the welfare of the living
not upon mandates" real or fictitious
OF the dead. The negro has had a yer,
falr amount of protection. It is import
ant before going any further to fin,
out what use he had made of the free
dom given to him ; in what way Ii
! has exercised the vast political power
! with which he Las been endowed
! what sort OF a government he ha
helped to set mp in the States where ht
Is most powerful; whether, in short, he
at this moment stands in need of pro
lection from the white man, or the
| white man stands in need of protection
from him. If Mr.. Eaton intends tc
raise these questions, depend upon il
he will obtain an audience, and he can,
not be suppressed by groans and howls,
and We, for our art, shall not join in
any such attempts at suppression. We
should like to see the questions taken
up by Republicans. Mr.. Carpenter
made great beginning in reference tc
Louisiana. Such a work would be fan
more conducive to the good govern
| ment now and hereafter, than the
/ headlong aSsage Of sentimental bills
/ III favor of the negro.
The Butfa' o Commercial Adcertiscy,
| also a lead :ng Republican organ, OF
! Western New York, gives the follow
ing advice to its party frierds in the
Soutl
The Arkansas politicians have sent
a Il legation to Congress. When viii
the Southern Republicans appreciate
the fact that they can no longer run
to Nashirg gton with the story of their
grievances and ask for Federal aid in
settling their private qnarreis? Close
upon the Cud of the war, when the
South was IN condition of political
ii civil c..s.ns. when hundreds OF
tA"ueauds rf freedmen were without
adequate protection, when loyal men
were surrounded by those who had
raised their hands against the Govern
ment, and when obedience to Federal
laws WA rxncted from those who
hated the U1ion-at such a crisis Con-
gress felt ,-hliged to strain its Consti-
tutional prerOgatlves, to make virtue
OF necessity, and to so shape legisl:a-
ton that the war for the preservation
of the nation would not prove a total
failure. In the persuance of this
policy Congress was compelled to side
with those who were loyal to the
Union, obedient to the Government,
and in favor OF rendering equal and
exact justice to all men, both before
the law and at the ballot-boy. The
loyal people Of the country recognized
the peculiarly of the crisis. They saw
that the policy pursued must ne # the
emergency, even though it trespassed
upon Constitutional limits. But it was
hoped all along that the necessity for
extraordinary special legislation would
soon pass away, and that ere long
matters might return to their normal
condition.
In due time the Southern States
we've all readmitted, ample constitu-
tional provisions were made for the
freedman's enjoyment of the rights of
were taken to prevent the demolition
of the structure which had demanded
the sacrifice Of so much life ard treas
ure IN its erection. From that hour
the Southern States stood once more
upon the same plane with the other
members of the Union. It was not the
object OF Congressional legislation to
give the Southern Republican party a
perpetual lease of power. But yet
sucn misapprehension seems to have
arisen in some quarters IN reference to
the reconstruction policy. If the
Southern politicians are defeated at
the 'lot-boX they pack up their car
pet-Dags and start for Washington.
They are too often represented III
Washington by men OF their own kid
ney, and it is deliberately proposed
that that body shall waste the pnblic
time and commit acts of gross rarti-
Sansltip to elect men whom their
fellow citizens have rejected.
Now, there has been too much of
this nonsense. The way to check it
efItctually IS for Congress fiatly and
unequivocally to let the Southern Re
pubilcans understand that they must
settle their private grievances as they
best can. They must learn, further
more, that unless they show them
selves worthy of public confidence,
they must ere long be re-
manded to positions in obscurity or
disgrace. In many of the South
ern States the conduct of the Republi-
can leaders is anything but honorable.
Unscrupulous, vcnal aud itIgious,
they seem to have no idea of govern
| ment beyond an illegal acquisition or
retention Of power and systematic
! plunder of the people. The Southern
Republican party must get rid of such
men. Such scandals as have been
Witnessed in Louisiana, Arkansas and
| South Carolina must not be repeated
Among the unintelligent colored voters,
many of the men i'll power keep their
influence by representing that they are
backed up at Washington. This mis-
representation can easily be made
clear to the comprehension of even the
dullest freedman. The Southern
"delegations" that are hanging around
| Washington must be made to feel that
their game is up, that they must hence
forth take care of themselves. There
is no reason why the Republican party
of the South should not command the
respect and secure the cooperation OF
the best men of both races. It will do
so as soon as it rids itself of set of
pestilent rascals who do not deserve
decent treatment in any honest COM
munity. The time must soon come
! -vhcr, there will be no room among
Southern kepuDIlcan, Tor such men as
Pinchback, Kellogg, Baxter, Clayton,
Moses and a crowd of other just
such precious specimens of political
depravity.