The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-19


Interesting and Suggestive Ideas of the Sit
uation.
We publish the following editorial from the
Springfield Republican as very significant OF
the signs of the times:
It is now some two or three years since the
ablest of Southern newspapers first broached
rather startling idea-viz,, that General Grants
second term, if he got it, would be very likely
to witness the birth and growth of new ad.
ministration party at the South-a party OF
white men who had owned niggers aud worn
the grey-a party of sort never before seen
in our politics. The elements of such party
were all there it said. Of the military men
who took part in the rebellion, many bad lost
their property, many had lost their old belief
in republican institutions, many had lost both.
There was widespread feeling that the battle
of the Constitution, of State rights, of the Old
American ideas, had been fought and lost
that Capitalization was an accomplished fact,
and the downfall of the republic only aques-
ton of time. There was widespread dlspo'
sition to accept the situation in the fullest sense
of the words, and to sacrifice everything else
to the achievement, if possible, OF material
prosperity. General Grant was net personally
unpopular with the Southern soldiers. He nad
not been identified with abolltionism ike Mr'
Greeley his ante belium politics, so tar as ne
had any, were known to have been OF tne M Or
thodox Southern and pro-slavery type. DE
had shown magnanimity at Appomattox, and,
later. when the civilians at Washington were
for bringing the Southern Generals to account.
If reelected, he would be in a position to be
of great help or hindrance to the South In its
struggle to recover ITSELF Given almost uni
versaI poverty, dependency, recklessness, what
more natural than that large percentage OF
the ex-rebels should see in a fresh surrender to
Grant the best thing left to them, if not the
one chance for mending the evils of the pres
ent, and even, in time, retrieving material los
ses of the past?
There are some grounds for suspecting that
the Louisville Courier Journal knew what it
was talking about Predictions that had a
rather wild and improbable look in 1872 read
quite differently by the light of 1874. We
DONE say that they are fully accomplished, or
in visible process of accomplishment. But we
do say that number of things have happened,
and are happening, which are in the direct
line of the c6urier-JouraaPs vindication.
It is fact, we believe, that of the military
leaders of the South, the greater number either
voted for General Grant at the last Presidential
election or did not vote at all. Also that since
the election, quite number of them have
taken occasion to publicly vindicate friendly
feeling toward him. Also, that influential
Southern journals, heretofore Democratic in
politics, have altered their tone in speaking of
him personally or of his administration.
1t will be remembered, further, that the
Conservative or "white mans" party of Vir-
ginia. at its last State Convention, went little
out of it's way to disclaim hostility to this ad-
ministration. Mr.. Mosby, quondam guerrilla,
but now an intimate friend and confidential
adviser of the President, has informed the
country that this disclaimer was his idea, and
that the Virginia Conservatives are now all
"Grant men," or in fair way to become so.
Some of our readers know-others may like
y have overlooked or forgotten the item-that
Mr. Kemper, ex-General c. S. A., now Govern
or of Virginia, lately paid the President visit.
Since his return to Richmond, ne has had q
good deal to say about this visit. He tells
everybody that the President is all right, has
sound ideas, and is friend to the-white and
Couseryative-South. We quote couple Of
sentences from the Richmond Dispatch:
"Gov. Kemper, it is said, told Gen. Grant
that he thought the current of public opinion
III COuuLy SChOioAy oOoA1S0
extreme Republican measures The President
concurred with Gen. Kemper's views, and said
that he did not mean in the future to lend his
influence to any but liberal measures to the
Southern country, and especially to Virgins" !"
In his latest message, the President said a
good word-several of them, in fact-for GER
tain pet Southern projects looking toward a
grand carnival of ditch-digging and mountain
tpnpelino at the expeuse of the national treas
ury. If he had been desirous to cultivate
popularity in that section, this was very OBJ
vious stroke of policy.
It is generally understood and believed that
he regrets his share in the Louisiana blunder,
and that he was recently on the point of asking
Congress to order new election there. He
succnmbed, for the time being, to the adverse
pressure brought to bear by Senator Morton
and other gentlemen who had committed them
selves too far to admit of a graceful retreat.
But, according to late special dispatches of the
New York Herald, he has since told Southern
congressman in conversation that he thinks
the carpet-bag element in their section has
done the party more harm than good, and that
he means to be shy of it in future in making
his appointments.
We are not disposed to attach to these straws
an exaggerated Importance; still less, to turn
alarmists. Weare not at all in that line. But
we find them rather interesting and suggestive.
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