The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-09-10
THE STANDARD.
THURSDAY. = SEPT. no, Is4a.
9 al [From Harper's weekly.l
ska EQUAL Rights.

there will be war of races, revolution,
the overthrow OF universal suffrage, and a
military government at Washington
If the North is ready for this, SO is the
South: we have touched bottom and can
go no further. We have reached the
point where gravitation stops and turns
back. But the intermediate stage is to
be avoided if possible and we would
avoid it, even if we have to back General
Grant for a third term, or for life. he
may veto the Civil Rights Bill, and
being made sure of reelection, may
r startle the country by refusing to run
f1f So let him dictate his successor. and
the South will accept him. sft
The World a Democratic journal in
New York says:
''The talk about general war of races
is too preposterous to receive serious at
4 tention. Neither race wants that; but
y the time seems fully come when the
, question must be peacefully decided at
the polls whether the whites are to rule
< Or the negroes are to ruin the Southern
T CStatesyfls oI klIH
The Indiana Democratic Convention
'views with abLorrence the attempt on
the part of the Federal government to
take control of all schools, colleges,
churches, hotels, railroads, steamboats,,
theatres, and grave-yards for the pur-
pose of establishing negro equality, and
enforcing it under numerous penalties of
fines, damages, and imprisonments.
The Alabama Democratic Convention
denounces the colored citizens as an
Ignorant and barbarous race" and re-
peats the words of the Indiana resolution
And Mr.. Eaton, just elected to the
United States Senate by the Democratic
Legislature of Connecticut, announces
that he shall try with other honest SEN
ators to take away the Federal bayonets
from our brothers., meaning that he
shall try to commitsthe blacks in the
care of the whites.
The situation in the Southern States,
bad as it is, is mainly due to the Demo-
cratic party. 1t is not the result of the
policy of reconstruction, but of the con-
ditions and circumstances which shaped
Reconstruction. If the Democratic party
had had absolute control of those States
from the surrender of Lee to this moment,
the situation would have been different,
but it would have been very much more
threatning, because injustice would have
been organized upon the largest scale,
Il and the monstrouss consequences of such
policy to the moral tone of the whole
country were shown in the influence of
slavery for seventy years. And yet at
the end OF the war had the white leaders
in the Southern States shown themselves
equal to the situation, had they learned
of Governor Orr and General Longstreet,
they might have controlled affairs. But
they sulked and .defed and protested,
and passed the most Infamous black
codes, and with full sympathy of the
Democratic press of the Northern States
which openly sneered at General Long
street and all the late Confederates who
. showed signs of sense and statesman-like
4 Instincts
Two courses, were open to Congress
one was to hold the recovered States in a
Territorial condition, the other was to re-
store them as rapidly as possible to prac-
= teal relations in the Union. Public
opinion scarcely permitted the first
course to be considered and in adopting
. the second, Congress, instructed BY the
soYeFw he lining facts having the completest
evidence of the revolving spirit and intol-
! cradle policy with which the colored pop
ulation were to- be treated if the old
Democratic ascendency in the States
should be suffered to reorganize the gov
ernments at its pleasure, Justly took all
the risks, and made both races equal cit;-
zens. That great confusion much mis-
government, and injustice in many Ways
have followed is not to be denied; and
the only consolation is that much and
much more permanent evil must have
resulted from adopting any other course.
Ii, by any unhappy chance, the Demo
cratic party could have obtained posses
sion of the government, the condition of
the colored population under black codes
and vagrant laws, and at the mercy of
Democratic ex-slave=hofding Statesoy-
ereignty legislation, would have been
only a less shame to humanity and civili-
zation than the slavery which under an
other form it would have perpetuated.
Plainly the wise and patriotic. the
peaceful and necessary, course for the
country to pursuels-to@ maintain the I
equal rights of all citizens in the fullest
and completest manner. This cannot
and will not be done by the Democratic
party. IL declares indeed, that the
rights of the colored citizens must be
protectea But il 'abhors' IAN equality
which il calls social, but which is not
social, being merely legal 1t speaks
with Mr.. Eaton of our brothers in the
Southern States, meaning those who de-
nounce the colored race aslbafbarons.
Its anifnating spirit issone ofshostility to
the policy that gave political and civil
rights to the colored people. It is tra-
ditionally seryile to the class that held
them in slavery; and while the Demo
cratic party does not declare that the
colored race should be deprived of the
suffrage, the manner in which it would
protect that right can be inferred from
II
convention, while Democratic contempt
of equal civil rights is openly and vehem
entity expressed. But equality of citizen
ship and the disapp of prejudice
againstth equality arezsimply impossi-
bic when the law stigmatizes any class of
citizens. r-
This is the very time to insist that the
policy which has been adopted shall not
be abandoned. To hesitate, to retreat,
to attempt 10 undo this work, would be
the height of folly. The Louisville
Coatrier-Jostr7aL ought to know that it's
threats of civil war and revolution are
obsolete There was q time when they
had force, and when a timid North
.trembled That time is gone forever,
and we wish the Courier could understand
the unspeakable contempt with which
the new generation, the new NORTH
hears a menace of revolution should the
legal equality of American citizens be
;eyerywhere maintaine From the first
moment in the first Congress that the
question of the colored race in the Union
challenged attention down ITO the pres
-ent moment, every proposition ameliora-
ton of it condition has been met with the
same assertion, that it was unnatural,
ln1ohstreas, unchristian, and would surely
end in universal massacre and anarchy
The event has uniformly belied the pre-
diction; and had the Democratic warn
ing been Needed and the counsel follow
ed. this nation would have been absolute
ly subiugated by the slave power, the
power Of finiustiee and inhumanity.