Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-25
GAINESVILLE. 5. APRIL Is. 1874.
THE CHATTANOOGA COMMERCIAL

bon element in Tennessee 1t has been
repeatedly stated in these columns, that
the CHRoNIcLE belongs to no party
and pretends to the leadership of none.
Its leading aim is to purge the govern
ment of eruption by removing from
power. the party which has made
thieving speciality, and usurped I'M
constitutional power as means to
that end. In pursuance of this lead
ing idea, we stand ready to cooperate
with any political organization-Dem-
ocratic or Conservatiye-that has the
the will, and show of strength, to re-
duce it to practice. We even support
ed Greeley, believing that any change
would be an Improvement in the adj
ministration of federal affairs, and we
would strain a point and vote for An
dy johnson, if electing him to office
would crush RadicalIsm in this State.
It's not true that this is one of the
papers that look upon that half of
the people arrayed in opposition to its
own political view as beings composed
entirely of rogues and tyrants, and its
present want of faith in the people
comes of the fact that the Republican
party gained a partial victory in the
last general election in this State, and
of the further fact that there is pos
sibility of result similar or even more
favorable, following the election next
November" Whilst our want of faith
in the competency of the people for
self-government, dates much farther
back than the last general election in
this State" it has never been predica
ted upon the assumption that the mass
of the people is dishonest; but upon
the notorious fact that they have
never been made acquainted with
even the elementary principles of gov
eminent, and that, being uniformed as
TO their true political connection with
the administration of their goyermen-
tai affairs, they have long been content
to let others do their thinking and
have therefore, been victimized by the
ambitious and designing. There are
thousands of honest men among the
Radicals-at least we hope so-yet,
that they are victimized by roguish
and tyrannical leaders, is placed be-
yond honest denial, by the protracted,
but one-sided, investigations of Con-
gress into the habitual thieving of so
many whom the Radical people have
trusted as honest and faithful. Every
department Of the government has its
prominent officials arraigned before
Congressional committees, as well as
the bar Of public opinion, for offenses
that ought to consign them to a felon'
cell, and all the whitewashing of impli-
Gated partizanship can not hide the rot
tenness of the Radical party as exem-
plfied by its representative men.
Can the Commercial, or any honest
man suppose that, if those who gave
the partial victory to the Radicals,
in this State, had been competent to
take care of themselves, through a
knowledge of what constitutes good
government, and proper appreciation
of the widespread evils resulting from
corruption in high places, partial vic
tory could have been won? We think
not, and can account for their strange
course in two ways, onlv,-either grave
incompetency to discharge the high
duties of citizenship, or secret sympa-
thy with the grossly corrupt admins
tionwhich is entailing poverty upon the
people and dishonor upon free institu-
tiOns. Neither suppositiOn is incom-
patible with private honesty, but either
is a sufficient endOrsemet of the charge
that the people are not competent to
self-government. Had it been other
wise, there would have been no sec
tiOnal war, or if that was unavoidable,
there would have been peace after the
war, instead of that monstrous iniqui-
reconstruction inaugurated by
Andy johnson, endorsed by the Radi-
Gals of Tennessee, and tyrannically
carried out by the Radical admins
tration
1t has been a good many years since
we advanced the opinion SO obnoxious
to the Commercial; we have never
changed it, but hope to be forced to do
so, by the Grange movement, indicat-
ing, as it does, settled purpose on the
part of the people, to enlighten them
selves on the subject of the relation of
the government to the prosperity of
the country. and of their own power to
adjust those relations so as TO secure
official honesty and economy. TO do
this. they must think for themselves
and learn to dispense with those mid
dlemen in politics, who have grown
rich upon public plumber because the
people have lacked the cohesive power
of mutual interests and enlarged views
of social and political duties. We
look upon every Grange as an educa-
tional institution in which the people
are to be taught the necessity for gov
erning themselves as well as the how
to do it" and feel an abiding faith
that as they progress with their good
work the power of Radicalism will de-
cline until the traces Gifts corruptand
monstrous tyranny will nowhere be Wis
ible, save on the pages of impartial
history. So strong is our faith in the
saving efficacy of this popular move
nent. that we are encouraged TO doubt
the realization of the Commercials
even more favorable results following
the election next November" The
opposition is fearfully chaotic, but
there may be degree of harmony be-
fore November, however problemitic
now, that will spoil the calculations of
Tennessee Radicals, based upon the
votes of the Independents.
1t may be true, as the Commercial
L.. II. -. -, . L.. 4, A. O..