The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-04-30
TaE POLETEoAA SITUATION.
De Soro Co., Miss, April II, 1874

I rt4SGAou upon TIE 0iSpSHS%AtlOiIS u 1oNi-
dence in regard to the Southern people,
must, it seems to me, force the conclusion
that duty requires resignation 70 our dez-
tiny. Deeply as sympathize with the
people of the South in our common suf
ferings, and highly as admire their no
Die and manly traits of character, yet,
it has been my LOT to differ with large
majority Of them, from the agitation Of
the measures that eliminated in war
down to the present time. With all due
Difference to others, it does seem to me,
that the Southern people have, on many
important occasions, failed to ''realize the
situation"-to use tritebut significant il
/ lus.ration.
To % no further back than the termin-
alton of the war, and the restoration OF
peace, the South came out OF the struggle
/ the most impoverished and spirlt-broken
people, mentioned in all history. Their
/ system OF labor-the only source Of all
7 permanent wealth a1d prosperity, which
mad ever been defective enough-that OF
/ forced slave ia5or-was not only democrat
! ized and dlsDapde1, but IT'S continued pres
ence IN the land prevented, and sull
prevents the substitution of any other sYs-
TEN.
The Southern people had submitted to
the clemency Of the conquerer; aud with
alacrity and esgerness, the, besought a
rehabilitation in al! their former rights and
privileges in the Union. Here they met
with difficulties they did not anticipate
owing t. that great social upheaval which
always follows in the wake of protracted
civil wars In the work Of "reconsruc-
ton, they contrived to occupy the politi-
cal arena instead of abandoning 1t for the
field OF industrial enterprise. When the
work Of reconstruction was c0usummated
upon the terms prescribed by the con
quering power, and the Southern States
restored 10 their original status IN the
Union a. far as they could be, after the
changes wrought in the organic law. even
then they did not ''reaize the situation.
When Gen. Grant was presented as a can
didate for the Presidency the Southern
people should either have sustained him,
or have tacitly acquiesed in his elec-
ton.
There were many reasons why Gen. Grant
should have received their favorable con-
sideration As commander of the army,
he had never been charged with unnec-
essary severity and cruelty. He never
exacted degrading and humiliating terms
from those who surrendered to his Glenn
eucy. In his intercourse with those
whom he bad to regard as his enemies in
war, he was informally courteous, gener-
Gus and forbearlug.
When the Confederate commissioners
to the Fortress Monroe conference reached
his lines, they bear testimony to his
kind, encouraging and dignifed bearing
and the expression OF his desire for
peace, although he knew that the success
Of their mission would deprive him
Of the glory of terminating the war by his
sword When Gen. Lee surrendered,
he mo1estly showed his r spect and sym
pathy for fal en- greatness, and granted
him terms, unobjectionable to the most
sensitive soldier When there were
movements on foot for furnishing for trea-
son those who had surrendered to him
he declared that those entitled to the
protection Of his parole should have it.
When the feeling toward Mr.. Jetter-
son Davis was most unrelenting, no one
doubts, but that if Gen. Grant had thrown
in the scale the influence Of his name
and power, Mr. Davis would probably
have been sacrificed But he had no
thirst for blood He longed for peace
and quiet to the distracted country. His
remark-''let Us have peace"
so much ridiculed by shose who did not
"'realize the situation contains the true
philosophy Of what he wished to accom- |
plish. /
With the war, the old issues which for
merly divided parties, died out. 1t is to
be regretted that the names of parties, as
we'll as the causes which originated them, /
had not also died ont. If, by general con
cent, all men Of all parties had sustained !
Gen. Grant for the Presidency-it would |
have gone further to hasten the restoration |
of kind feelings, and obliterate all unpleas |
ant remembrances OF the past, than any
thing that can be supposed. Untortu- !
nateiy, powerful opposition was organ
lied against him that nominated can
didate for the Presidency against Gen.
Grant / forget which nominating con
vention was held frst--it matters not, how
ever, for it was foregone conclusion from
the day of the surrender at Appomatox, /
that Gen. Grant would be the Republican
candidate Gen Grant was obiectiona-
bic to many because he was the represen- I
tation of that pro-union principle, that
had triumphed in the contest
The hands on the dial plate OF time !
are never turned backward. The failure
to dismember the government had i'm |
posed on that government, duties growing ]
out Of the march of events-duues, IN |
volving an adaptation of the national
policy to the changes in the organic law. /
Was it to be supposed possible, that the /
people would entrust these duties, to the |
very men and the very party, who had |
been conquered? Was it to be supposed /
that those who had won power and con
troll by such immense sacrifices would /
quietly surrender that power to mere
party contrivances?-and that, too, when
The echo of cannon had hardly ceased2
When although the fury of the storm had
.bated, vet the pillows continued to
surge? And yet, the majority Of the
people would not recognize the
ogic of events-woud not realise the
situation.
In passing in review, the first
our years of General Grants adj
we are forced to admit, that
lie has shown himself the statesman, far
beyond what was anticipated. He had
,een man of the camp He had no ex-
,erienee or training for the duties of civil I
overn ment He took the reins of pow
r at period Of confusion and distur
ance. He had to adap, his administra-
ion Of the government, without prece-
ent to guide him, to the great changes
which had been made in the organic law.
he foreign relations of the govern
lent he conducted on a most salts
actory basis. At no time in our history