Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-11
TXHATSOUTHERN REPUBLICAN, CON.
EEKTl0K

ccnspirators, the scalawags, have al
ready assumed control Of the proposed
Southern Republican Convention, and
have changed the place of meeting
from Atlanta to Chattanooga. 1t is
now quite evident that nothing good
will result from this convention. The
elements of which it was to have been
composed viii bealmost wholly ignored,
and the men who viii control its delib-
erations viii belong to the extreme rad
ical wing of the party. We were dis
posed to give those who appeared to be
leaders in this movement credit for
sincerity in the motives atttribu-
ted to them, but later developments
show that the under-current viii
be the more powerful in this
aggregation of Republican opin-
ions. Instead of laboring to promote
the peace and prosperity of the South,
it is now evident that the movement is
gotten up in the interest of political
aspirants alone. The Nelv York Tribune
takes this sensible view Of the move
ment:
1t has been agreed, it seems, between
Senator Chandler and certain eminent
1 and orthodox statesmen whose names
are withheld from an anxious world,
that a convention of Republicans of the
! Southern States shall meet IN Atlanta
on the 18th Of October, to set forth 10
| the nation the true needs Of the South,
and explain what has yet to be done
for that unhappy region before it Is
fully reconstructed. A convention
called under such distinguished aus
pices would be almost certain IN any
event to embrace only the elect, but to
make assurance doubly sure it is ar
ranged that, lowing to the
short notice." the delegates shall
all be appointed by the State
Executive Committees. This will
obviate the danger of any unpleasant
ness resulting from the admission of
disagreeable persons not in sympathy
with the Republican policy in the
Southern States, and insure unanimous
assent to whatever measures may be
proposed by the leading spirits of the
convention. a Congress of represen-
tatives of the Southern people could
not fail to utter some unwelcOme
truths, and even a strictly Republican
assemblage, constituted in the usual
fashion, might show = critical and com-
planning disposition greatly to be de-
precated on such an occasion as this,
Upon the whole it is no more than
prudent to have the delegates appoint
ed by he State Committees.
1t ought not to be difficult to select
a few score. Of eminent Southern Re.
publicans who will fairly represent the
men Inside politics, in whose inter.
est they are to be assembled. South
Carolina Of course will send honest
John Patterson, formerly of Pennsyl
vania, who can tell the people Of the
Union how the South has been affront.
ed with carpet-baggers, buying seats
in the Senate from her dusky legisla.
tors. The Hon. Franklin j. Moses ear
explain the processes of vulgar pecu,
lation, and ex-senator Sawyer and ex
Congressman Bowen can testify as tt
the practice of shipping feld-hand:
from the Sea Islands to vote in tho
city Of Charleston. Alabama viii have
an accomplished spokesman in the per.
son Of the Hon. George E. Spencer
formerly Of Iowa, who knows more
perhaps than any other statesman
in Alabama about those d~emOraliZing
bargains with the President which
have made Southern politics so un-
speakably corrupt. From Arkansas
might come the Hon. Powell Clayton,
formerly of New York, and what he
cannot tell about fraud Is not worth
knowing. Texas might add TO the list
, of delegates already appointed the
name of Senator Flanagan, who is one
/; of the best living authorities on tn,
defects of the Southern education sys.
TEN, and she has also a fine assortment
, os picturesque politicians ike the OK.
postmaster of Galveston, who would
} ornament any select circle happy
enough to secure their company. Lou
isiana breeds Republican Statesmen
as her bayous breed aligators
Kellogg, Pinchback, Casey, Packard
Durell, Warmoth, Observation-Disclosures
they could tell if the convention would
only resolve itself into an experienc,
meeting, What sche9 es of ~rascalitl
, they could describe, what prodigies o
registration, what miracles of counting
> what astounding operations of tn
courts, what novel political uses 70
revenue cutters, what ingenious device
for fleeing commerce, squeezing tax
payers, and emptying the treasury int
. the pockets Of the faithful All til
ills that have cursed the South sine
reconstruction, all the dangers tina
threaten her future, might be Illus
trated In such a convention as this.
The assemblage would also be a spec
tacle full Of suggestion for the North
a, There at one glance we should see ever
variety of political parasite that feed
: upon the PROSTATE States, every specie
of rogue, vagabOnd, and insolent pre-
tender that has made Republican gov
ernment at the South a repToach to al
the civilized world. With such
gathering before us we should not hav
to search far for the causes Of the pre-
sent distress, nor should we be puzzle,
TO suggest a remedy. To take all thes
men, and a few more like them, by tn,
collar, and lead them out, would sug
gest itself to all Of us as the one grea
reform necessary to secure the perfec
reconstruction of the South"