, 1874-10-17
PRE- SIDENT GRANT AND
THE SOUTH.
(Spectator.)

If the United States were in Europe, or
if they were inhabited by any other race,
we should say the political situation there
was becoming dangerous, and even as it is,
it is sufficiently grave. More depends, as
we understand the facts, upon the decl-
sion of one man than ought to be lett to
the patriotism and judgment of q Wash
ington and that one man, General Grant,
is still one of the least known of his cOun-
trymen, and certainly no Washington at
all. The desperate expedient forced upon
the North by Southern unreasonahIeness
at the conclusion of the war, the admission
of all Negroes to full political rights, has
in one way been singularly successful. 1t
has protected the Negroes from violence,
has made them citizens Of the Union in
feeling, and has developed q great amount
of political interest In their minds. They
attend carefully to political affairs, their
best men show an aptitude for political
life, and they have perceived with true po-
lltical insight their special relation to the
general Government, on which they must
in extremities rely for their protection.
Their unbroken vote in 1872 for President
Grant, against the most popular advocate
of their claims, Mr.. Horace Greedy, show
ed q political instinct scarcely to have been
expected from their general ignorance.
Unfortunately, however, the result of the
vote, beneficial asst has been to the Negroes,
has not been equally beneficial to the whole
community. Had they been fairly treated
at the first, it is probable that they would
either have taken to money-making in
stead of politics, or would have split into
parties controlled by their former masters,
and have left to them the business of ex-
%ecutive Government. The planters, how
over, not unnaturally, though with great
want of wisdom, refused to assume the
lead of their former slaves, resisted their
use OF the vote, and proposed LabOur Laws
of the most severe character, thus compel
ling the coloured men in self defence to
look only to themselves. Aware of their
own ignorance they turned for help to the
North, selected as guides any white men
who protested themselves their friends, and
in some instances were deceived by ~rascals
whose single idea was to make money of
their support. These men being much
more detested by the planters than the
Negro chiefs, and feeling the detestation
much more acutely, have ruled in a par
tisan spirit which by degrees has excited the
Whites almost to madness, and has pro-
duced in their minds a conviction that the
Negro franchise is inconsistent with the
very existence of c%ivilised government;
means, in fact, the prostitution Of govern
ment tor the purposes of plumber. They
defed, insulted, end resisted the new au-
thorities at every turn !; the State Legisla-
lures appealed to their constituents, the
Negroes took the alarm, the Whites grew
still more exasperated, and at this moment,
throughout the South, every true political
question. is postponed to what the Ameri-
cans IN their shrewd slang have chrlstened
the skin ticket" Every candidate Is
Judged by his relation to the claims and
wishes of the different colours. To add to
the confusion, the jury system, which sell
dom works well when a race quarrel is on
foot, has become utterly corrupt, the exc
cution of the criminal law has been en-
trusted, to partisans, and in two instances
at least, the power o fpardon vested by the
State constitutions in the Govarnors has