The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-10-24
THE CHATTANOOGA CONVENTION.

THE CHATTANOOGA CONVENTION.
The recent convention of southern carpet
bapgers and federal office.holders at Chatta
nooga was one of the most remarkable gath
erings of this remarkable decade. Meeting
os,ensibly to take into consideration the pres
ent deplorablc condition of the south, the di
rect result of the horrible botchwork the re
publican party have made of the business OF
reconstruction, the convention in reality was
got together to start the ball " of 4 third
term movement in favor Of Gen Grant; but
finding the temper Of the popular mind SO I'M
congenial in that direction, the body resolved
itself into a subsidiary agency to the attorney.
generals Office at Washington IN the business
of trumping up southern outrages,
The general tone of the speeches and reso-
lutons Of the convention presents very sin
gular tumble. The resolutions laud the
republican party and its reconstruction mon.
,trosity, and then admit the failure OF recon.
struction by constituting, as the most import
ant business of the convention, COMMITTEE
on outragcs" Declaring in one breath, as
several speakers did with much emphasis,
and as the resolutions as impudenly assert,
that reconstruction was success, the com
mttec on outrages" follows as asingular logl-
cal sequence to such normal and healthy
state of society as the complete success " Of
reconstruction would necessarily imply. In
the view of the convention, 1t thus seems that
the statement of "Gov" Brooks of Arkansas,
that the choice Of the south lay between a
government of thieves" carpet baggcrs) and
a government of murderers" white Leaguers)
indicated happy alternative, provided the
convention could succeed in prolonging in.
definitely the reign of the thieves The PHI.
losophy of Gov. Brooks view of the case
probably lies in the consideration that unless
there be stealing in the community there will
be no "outrages," and hence no sure and eff.
fective lever for acting favorably to the repub.
lican party upon northern elections.
The convention also, in its placid cOnvic.
ton of the complete success OF reconstruction,
and the restoration through it of a normal
and healthy state of society" at the SOUTH ask
that the jurisdiction of the federal courts may
be enlarged, "a request which, by the way,
Attorney. General Williams is doing his best
10 gratify,) and was quite emphatic in its de-
mands that the federal courts be prompt to
interfere on every occasion in maintaining
the political supremacy of the republican
party in the southern states, and that the mil.
itary be required to finish the work" which
the committee on Outrages are to begin.
The purpose Of the convention Outside Of
promoting the third term scheme) thus be-
comes plain enough. The northern people
are to be made to believe that the old rebel
spirit is still alive and rampant at the south,
and that therefore the reign of the thieves "
musisbe perpetuated d, and the industrial and
social interests of the southern communities
smothered to maintain these usurpers and
blood-suckers in power.
But may not this outrage" business be
overdone. Experience teaches that even
honey may become distastcful. How much
more shall not the public stomach revolt at
the amending feast Of horrors which is to be
spread before it by this perpetual committee
on outrages." Ifthc southern people continue
to show sense and patience few years longer,
and abstain from attempts to right their I'M
speakabe wrongs by violence, the day is near
at hand, we apprehend, when the work Of the
attorney,gen and his committee on out
RACES " will be remembered both at the north
and south only to be cursed.