The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-02-12
THE GENEROUS NORTH.

The issue which Democracy
seeks to make with the Republi-
can party, says the San Francisco
Chronicle, is the broad, general
charge Of illiberality toward the
South and Southern men. We
are constantly told that the South
is oppressed; that, having been
conquered and having a good faith
accepted the issues Of the war, its
people should be treatedi in a gen
erous manner by its conquerors.
All the disorder occurring south of
Mason & DiXon's line is laid at
the door of the administration.
The President is constantly de-
clared to be the tyrant and the OPP
pressor. Whatever there is of
lack Of progress or want of pros
perity is somehow charged to pol
itical causes, and the Republican
party is held responsible for results.
We declare, without fear or honest
denial, that the reverse of all this
is true. If the Industries of the
South have been disarranged, it is
the result of the war and not of the
reconstruction policy. Ifdisorder
exists in the South it is attributa-
BILE to its violent and unsettled
white population, and to no other
cause. One favorite complaint is
of the interference of Northern
politicians, and the assertion is
made that if they had not interfer-
ed in Southern politics there would
have been no difficulty. 1t is
quite possible that we should have
heard less of Southern outrages,
but it is our conviction that the
outrages would have been multi
piled. Northern men who went
South with their families and with
capital to engage in business pur-
suits have been met with hatred
and jealousy, and have been most
shamefuily prosecuted. There is
no history in the world that illus
trates the same generous clemency
to the participants and instigators
of a civil war as has been shown
the Southern traitors. BY every
law that governs society, by every
code upon which nations have ad-
ministered their internal affairs,
the Southern rebels deserved death
for themselves and confiscation of
their properties. There is no 9TH
er nation in the world that could
have ended so great a struggle
without bringing to the gallows
the leaders of the rebellion; there
is no other family in civilization
that would have ended such do
nestle broil without the enforce
ment of penalty and the confisca-
ton of property.
A decade has not yet passed,
and nearly forty prominent rebels
Generals in the army and offic-
ials of the short-lived Confedera-
tion-are holding seats in the
Congress of the United States. 1t
is the most unparalleled history of
generous forbearance that the
world ever witnessed. 1t will be
unfortunate for humanity if the
Southern people shall betray this
confidence and make their restora-
ton to civil rights the opportuni-
ty of further attempts to destroy
the Republic. If, by any human
possibility-we might perhaps bet
ter say. if by any devilish ingenui-
ty-this nation can be again en-
broiled in civil strife, it will be the
saddest thing that could happen to
civilization; the conquering party
would not dare the further expert
ment of forgiveness and clemency.
If the South can conquer the
North, we could only be held by
them as prisoners of war; ours
would be a conquered territory.
If the South should again fail in
its resort to arms, it could only be
held as conquered province-not
as Ireland or Poland or Hungary
have been held, but under stern
er rule and with an iron hand.
Nor would we dare to hope that
another civil strife could be con-
fined to geographical limits-that
all the people ofone section would
be on one side, and all the people
of another section upon the other
side. It might not be so at the
North; it would not be so at the
South. One of the anomalies of
the late war was the inoffensive
conduct and quiet department of
the negroes. Whether it was the
fear or love of their masters,
whether it was the discipline of
slavery, whether it was indiffer-
ence to freedom, or an Unborn tim
idity that prevented them from
striking a blow against their en-
slavers or in favor of the army of
emancipation, the wonderful fact
is recorded that there was no sur
vile instruction and no attempt
in that direction. Would it be SO
another time? And is not that
man and that party the best friend
of the South. that by repressive
measures makes the calamity i'm
possible, and may it not be excus
able to even oyerstep the bounds
of the law to prevent the lightning
of the fires of another civil insur-
rection.-Inter- Ocean.
Life would be q perpetual flea
80 v-aro