Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-10-29
Southern OutrageS.

! Unfortunately, 1t Is not true that
Southern outrages were manufactured
for political effect at the North. Un-
fortunately, we say, for however rep
rehensible lie even for political effect
may be, the effect of Misrepresentation
Ofthat kind could readily be passed
over if the people felt assured that
peace, law, and order reigned within
| the borders of the Southern States.
There is no such assurance, however,
The stubborn fact remains that men,
and women, too, are prosecuted, and
even murdered, on account of their
political opinions or their color. This
is not confined to States where the Re-
publican party has the Govern nent.
1t is as bad in States where the Demo-
cratic party controls all the State offices,
as where the Republicans rule. Nei-
ther can it be because of corruption on
the part of officials, because we find
that Outrages are not committed upon
such officials, but upon private citizens,
whose only offense is that they are
black, or that they are from the North,
or that they sympathize with the col
ored race, or with the Republican par
ty. 1t is, in fact, war of races. This
is the meaning of the White Leagues,
and the talk about white mans Gov
eminent. 1t is combination to defeat
the legislation putting all men on an
equal footing before the law in the
South, AS they are in the Northern
States. It's, in fine, an organization
to put the colored race under the feet
of the white race, and to this end it
sought to deprive them of those privi-
leges which secure to them the ballot
and equal rights. Whether this will
succeed must depend upon the action
of the people of the Northern Stat s,
not directly but indirectly. The ma
tiOn is pledged to the rights of all her
citizens, everywhere, and of all races
and Of all colors. This is also the mean
ing of the Constitution. The citizen
owes his allegiance, first to the nation,
and second to the State, and If the lat
ter fails to secure him his rights, it is
his privilege to appeal to the former,
and it is the duty of the Government
to see that he is protected.
The talk about misgovernmenti is on
ly preteXt. There is no State Gov
ernment at the South that cannot be
changed by the people themselves. In
this respect the same laws apply as in
the Northern States. In point of fact,
most of the Governments have been
changed and are now in the hands of
Democrats, and i'm Democratic States,
the outrages are as bad, or worse, than
in Republican States. These facts dis
pose of all the pretexts upon which Cit
izens are murdered, property destroy
Ell, and the right of private opinions
and free speech denied. The constitu-
tional rights of citizens are trampled
upon, for no other reason than the po-
litical opinions or color of those citi-
zens.
The question, then, of reconstruction
has not been settled. 1t is an open
question, and the objective point on
hond is oppression on account of race,
and on the other, the enforcement of
the constitutional provisions which
guarantee to every State republican
form of government, and to every citi-
zen equal rights. The question now
before the American people is, wheth-
er oppression or justice shall prevail.
Gin Gazette