National Republican., 1875-07-27
NoRDE0FF I'M NoRrH CAROLINA.

Mr.. Chas Nordhof, the Southern corre-
spondent of the New York Herald, has
reached North Carolina in his travels, and
after spending an hour or two in one of the
Raleigh hotels, has given to that journal
deliberate account of the political situation
in that State. 1t might require other men
days, weeks and months to do this; but
NoIdhoff, having been sent to do it in
uble-quick time and style, has accom-
plished it in accordance with the design of
his masters. After giving statistics of
population he shows that there is a total
voting population IN the State Of about
200, 0OC-between 10000 and $4,000 are
colored. The State was heavily Republi.
ccn in 1868. This means, of course, that
q considerable part Of the white population
supported the Republican ticket. "But in
"two year," he adds, "this majority was
$50 far frittered away by the peoples dis.
"gust and alarm at the corruption and
maladministration Of the Republican
"rulers that the Democrats in 1870 carried
"the Legislature, and they have held 1t
lever since" The most casual observer
should know better than this, and would
hesitate TO impose such an unreliable state.
mcnt upon the public. The real reasons
for the falling Off Of the Republican vote
after 1868 were the Ku.Klux murders,
wholesale assassinations, intimidations and
prosecutions. To these Mr.. Nordhof con.
veniently closes his eyes, and throughout
his entire letter be fails to find any fault
with the Democracy. 1t is true, he says,
they have among them "men Of little
"brains, who make foolish speeches in the
Legislature and appeal to old prejudices
"among the people," but he ignores the
| fact that these little Drained meA exert an
influence among the people, or they would
not be able TO gain their votes, and thereby
secure the opportunity to make foolish
speeches in the Legislature or elsewhere.
On the contrary, he tells his readers that
'North Carolina is at peace;" that the
Republicans are guilty of all the mismal-
agement that has occurred, and that the
Democrats are inclined to submit to the
changed condition Of affairs; but he is COM
| PEELED to admit that the latter have tried
to relieve themselves of the "evils of negro
supremacy in the few counties where the
"blacks are predominant by the exercise
"of ingenuity in framing charters and ger.
"rymandering city wards" In other
words, while the State is at peace and the
Democrats are inclined to submit to
the results of the war, they are engaged in
depriving the blacks of their votes by ille-
gal and unconstitutional-as the Supreme
Court has decided methods. But the
greatest fault he finds with the Republicans
of the State is their ignorance. This charge
he repeats with great emphasis, and 1t pos
sibly has some basis in truth. He forgets,
however, 10 ascribe this fault to the limited
educational privileges for which the Dem
ocratic Legislatures in a measure response
BILE. He goes on to say that the pending
campaign is exciting, and that the result
will be close, thereby disproving his previ-
Gus statement that the Republican party is
unpopular, for he explains that the Demo.
Gratis are in favor ofa constitutional conven-
tion-the issue ofthe campaign-and the Re-
publicans opposed The civilrights bill he
discovers to have been powerful
in the hands of the Democracy last year, as
every one knows it was, because Congress
failed to act upon it in time to take it out Of