National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-05
THE SOUTH AND THE ELEC,

THE SOUTH AND THE ELEC-
TIONS.
1t is perhaps too soon to make even an
approximate estimate of the result of the
recent elections in the South, but we have
sufficient information to warrant the asser-
ten that with exceptions in a few scatter
ing Congressional districts, in Alabama,
for example, the Republicans of that Sec
ton have proved themselves to be more
active, TO be truer to principle and more
earnest in their opposition to the Democ-
racy than their Northern political assO-
ciates. They have done this under most
adverse circumstances, and under discour-
aging influences. While the Northern
people were absorbed with thoughts which
pertain TO local issues, and with feelings
which in many regards are in no way con-
neeted with the cardinal principles upon
which the party rests, the Republicans of
the South have fought a square national
battle face to face with an implacable en-
envy, whose hordes of infamous assassins
and bloody prosecutions have not hesitated
to resort to means to obtain success which
would mantle the cheek of the most wicked
savage with blushes of shame. In the
North to be Republican is a COMPARE
lively pleasant thing, but to ayow and sup
port Republican principles and to vote for
Republican candidates in the South is to
subject oneself to contumely, to ostracisn
in society, to persecution in business, and
to danger of assassination. Now that the
contest is over, and no political capital
can be made cut of the tales of Southern
outrages, these facts may be stated in plain
terms without mourning the certainty of
contradiction at the hands of the Demo
cratic press; but they remain self-evident
to-day as they were last week, and as they
have been ever since the close of the war.
In short, the record of the Republican
party in the South has been from its very
foundation a record of martyrdom. The
devotion Of Southern Republicans to their
party finds no parallel in political history.
The sacrifice of life and property, the
patriotic submission of the people to ex-
traordinsry taxation, and the privations
endured by citizens of both sections during
the war, we're not more real or more cruel
than the sufferings to which they are now
subjected in supporting those principles in
these so-called times of peace. When the
blood of the nation was hot; when civil
strife wsged with relentless contest for Sec
tional supremacy, and when brothers bat
tied against brothers, the same principles
were involved as now; but in the heat of
patriotic excitement, in the ferVid rush for
glory, and under the inspiration Of national
pride or sectional ambition, it was natural
that life and property should be offered
upon the altar of principle. Since the war
closed however, and the passions which
it aroused have to some extent subsidized, it
has required something closely allied to
the heroic courage Of martyrdom to boldly
face the terrible opposition which at all
times has confronted the true friends Of the
Government in the ex-rebel States. An
this they did, not only on Tuesday last,
but whenever an election has been held in
volving questions Of national import And
they have done it, too, knowing that the
great National Republican party of the
North has forgotten and ignored their very
existence, or has snubbed and fippantly
treated their appeals for aid. In fact, they
have preserved the principles of
the party, pure and simple as
they were crystallized by the
legislation of Congress during the period
of reconstruction and in the platforms of
the party during and since the war, and
they to-day embrace within their organlza-
ton the true impulse of freedom and
loyalty to Republicanism. around which
the party win rally in the impending move
ment for its reorganization. This is no
idle boast in their behalf, but is the eternal
truth evolved from the avalanche of SIAN
ders against 'scallawags, Z" carpet bag
gers" and ''niggers, and stands forth to
day as an incontrovertible fact. We repeat
that while the Northern people have wasted
their strength and thrown away their
power upon issues which have no peril
hence to thereal differences involved in the
late contest, the Republicans Of the South
have kept intact the organization which
will yet save the Government from the
disgrace of repudiating the public debt of
assuming the payment of the Confederate
debt, Of Temunerating the slave-aristoeracy