Middletown transcript., 1874-06-13

are suffering from injustice, the nation at
large will never tolerate its continuance,
and therefore, the sooner the injustice is
redressed the better.
All such questions as these should be
dealt with frankly 1t is very bad policy
on the part Of the Republican Party to
try to stuff them away in corners, and
cover them with the "battle-fag" or with
any other of the war paraphernalia. The
people will not consent to see either
Poland or an ireland created on this soil.
1t is not impossible to redress mistakes
when they are discovered but to persist
in those mistakes after discovery, and to
pretend that religion and morality require
us to persist in them--this is course
which we certainly shall not take the re-
sponsibility of recommending to the Re-
publican or to any other party. The South
ern States are not living under fair or
free govornment-so Mr. Eaton and many
others allege Well, is the assertion true
Look at South Carolina. The facts in
reference to that State seem to be about
as well established as any historical facts
can be, and they amount to that-the ne
groes, assisted by rascally whites, have
held sort of grand orgie in the State for
several years past, have swallowed up
among them pretty nearly all the private
property in the State, have ruined
what may be called the native citizens
even more thoroughly than the war had
done, have robbed and harried like SO
many highwaymen, and have reduced the
State to a condition which must shock
every man who sees it or reads about it,
The Governor of the State is thief.
The Legislature is gang of thieves. Is
this republican government" such as
the Constitution expressly guarantees to all
the States?
We venture to say that it is not-that,
on the contrary, it is government of
which the Republic has every reason to
be ashamed No doubt the system intro
duced as "war measure into the South
after the war-chieAy upon the advice of
Senator Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens
was experimental; but can we wonder
that people everywhere begin to ask how
long the experiment is to last? There
should at least be some signs of improve
ment visible as time goes on. Nine years
have passed since the close of the war, and
is South Carolina better governed than
she was then? She clearly is not so well
governed as she was under purely mill
tary rule. The same must be said, mata-
It's mutandis, of Louisiana, Mississippi,
Texas and Aal,ansas Now, it is folly to
suppose that the Republican Party, as an
organization, will continue much longer to
look on with perfect satisfaction at this
great failure. The leaders of the present
moment may not pay any attention to the
subject; but if they do not, other leaders
will arise who rW see that justice is done.
Last week we all Witnessed the United
States Senate engaged for about twenty
four hours at a stretch in passing bill
for the benefit of the negro, merely out of
sentimental sort of Difference to the
wishes of deceased Senator. Respect
for the dead is incumbent on US all-but
legislation should be based on careful
and wise regard for the welfare of the liv-
ing, not upon mandates" real or fcti-
tious, of the dead The negro has had a
very fair amount of protection. 1t is i'm
portant before going any further to find
out what use he has made of tho freedom
given to him; in what way ho has exer-
cised the vast political powers with which
he has been endowed what sort of
government he has helped to set up in
States where he is most powerful; whether,
in short, he ut this moment stands in need
of protection from the white man, or the
white man stands in need of protection
from him. If Mr. Eaton intends to raise
these questions, depend upon it he will
obtain an audience, and be cannot be sup
pressed by howls and groans, and we, for
our part, shall not join in any such at
tempts at suppression. We should like
to see the question taken up by Republi-
cans. Mr.. Carpenter made great begin
ming in reference to Louisiana. Such
work would be far more conducive to the
prosperity of the party, and to the cause
of good government now and hereafter,
than the headlong passage of sentimental
hills in favor af tho ponrn