The enquirer southerner., 1875-01-15
TIE
SgontRsr"er~ s gnqnirtr.
White And Black-ourselves as
Others See US.


we'll known, is again on visit te
this eruntry, and writing letters
home to England. His recent let
ter upon our Southern troubles, the
solution of the race problem, ane
the political interests involved, is
of so much Importance that we have
endesvored to reproduce the sub
stance of it in the limited space Al
our disposal in this weeks number.
We have first, an interview with
a Georgia planter, in whose opinion
the White League is in the carpet
bag and the White Question as
as found sin the newspapers is
chiefly q creation of the White
House, and little more than a po>
litical excitement 90 up to favor
the chances Of General Grant for a
third term, as the matter is UNDER
stood by Georgians and throughout
the South. Notwithstanding the
overthrow of Kellogg and the cons
sequent interposition of the Presi~
Dental authority, this Southern
planter says, 'We Southerns, like
you English, and, i'll truth, like
nearly all Americans, are laws
abiding people. You will never
find us moving outside the legal
texts, as we coustrue our legal
texts. We stand on law. White
League, indignation meeting call
to arms-occupation of the court,
house-fght of Governor Kellogg
and appeal to Washington for
military aid-these things sound
Ominous in speech, look mutinous
in leading articles, especially when
they are pointed by a biting tongue
and rancorous pen. Yet when the
truth is fairly told, they come to
very little as facts, and still less as
Indications of any wish to override
the law. 1 read the evidence as it
stands. McEnery and Penn were
duly elected to the posts of Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor of
| their State. AS citizens engaged
in business they had no interests
beyond the frontier to corrupt their
judgment in conducting her affairs.
Rich, respected, patriotic, they were
elected by a large majority Of
whites. But the carpet~bag had
put a rival in the field. William
c. Kellogg, supported by the negro
militia, seized the courthouse and
the ballot-box, rejected nearly all
the white voting>papers, and de>
clared himself elected Governor.
The citizens appealed to every
court within their reach. They
went before the local judges, but
Kellogg was already master in the
local courts. They rode to WASH
ington, but Grant refused to inter>
fere. Congress took the matter Up,
appointed a committee, heard evil
dence on all sides and saw that
Kellogg had been seated in the
chair Of government by fraud and
violence. Yet miserable policy
prevented Grant from putting the
usurper down. Like Louis Ma,
poleon, Grant is silent and reserved;
like him he is not SO deep Sphinx,
but you can make him out by trial.
Grant is not supposed to have
opinions, and used to say he was
too poor to nurse opinions; but he
has shown great capacity for hold
ing on to office. He is one of those
men whom we Americans describe
as always going ahead, yet never
reaching a conviction. Still he has
the soldiers appetite for sway. The
man is we'll enough in his camp,
but in the chair Of civil ruler he is
weak. Without political theories,
neither hard nor soft, neither grit
nor squash, neither Democrat nor
Rep4blican, he has to walk between
all factions in order to absorb the
necessary share of votes. He has
to play the part Of negro's friend te
get the colored votes. Thus, law
and right are left to struggle with
an armed intruder in the streets Of
New Orleans. Think Of this proud
and wealthy population groaning
under the feet of a carpet>bag in
truder, seated like some Mumbo'
Jumbo, or some Cung of Bonny, or
the bayonets of a sOldiery, who must
seem TO them no better than negro
pretorian guard. Yet they are
ready to obey the law, even wher
that law is strained SO violently
against them, hoping that time,
which always fights on the strong
est side, may set them free. Thei'
recent effort in New Orleans was ne
more than an attempt, unwisely
made by angry men, to redress thu
wrongs of universal suffrage, ant
restore the lost supremacy of law.
Such, as Mr.. Dixon tells US, ar
really 'the views of an expert AM
loyal citizen of the South. and h
asserts that these views are so typi
cal that they are commonplace, il
all society within his reach, beloN
the Delaware. Reviewing the case
Dixon notes the fact that the peo
pie of New Orleans had agreed
wait and bide their time, as a ne
election was drawing near. 'Bu
Kellogg took his measures to dc
feat their hope. Having a majorit