National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-09-23
THE PENNSYLVANIA cAMPAIGN-ITs MA
TIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.


TIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.
If Judge Pershing lived in Georgia, in
stead of Pennsylvania, he would be Dem
ocratic leader the same as he is now, and
his Democratic followers would applaud
him the same as they do now, because he
is Bourbon of Bourbons. Gordon, Lamar
and that class of secession Democrats of the
South only have the advantage over him of
having fought in the rebel armies. Other
wise his record is equal to, if it does not
excel, theirs in the proof it exhibits of his
hostility to the loyal war measures of the
Government. In 1868, for example, he was
a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature
and voted for a bill prohibiting the negroes
from seeking temporary home in the land
of William Penn. He also voted for a res
olution dsnouncing President Lincoln's
emancipation proclamation. In 1866 and
1856 he labored and voted against the rati-
fcation of the thirteenth and fourteenth
amendments. He fought the law giving
soldiers in camp the right to vote
The Republicans of Pennsylvania are
thoroughly aroused to the necessity of de.
feating this mans aspirations to become
their Governor, and the excitement regard
ing his record promises to become more
intense, because il presents such a direct
and revolving contrast to that of General
Hartranft, his Republican opponent. Per-
shing has no more claim upon the suffrage
of loyal men than Lamar or Gordon, and
should be treated the same as they are. He
believes, and they belieye, that they did
right when they conformity opposed the
General Government under President Lin
coins administration, and while they may
attempt to avoid discussion of such matters
now by describing them as the dead issues
of the war, who will doubt that they would
repeat their crimes against good govern
ment if the same opportunity should be
afordedH Gordon and Lamar pretend to
be submissive to the changed condition of
affairs, but their acts show that in Georgia
thousands of Republicans have been dis
franchised on account of color, while in
Mississippi the process of that disfranchise-
ment, accompanied by murder, rapine and
intimidation, is now going on. These are
facts which cannot fail to bring homo to the
Republicans of the Keystone State partial
appreciation of the character of the struggle
their Southern Republican brethren are
engaged in, and have been ever since the
close Of the war, and they may serve to
dispel some of the illusions that have ex-
listed heretofore regarding the Southern
situation. They certainly show the grad.
ual Entertainments Of the State Rights De-
mocracy in every section of the country.
The success of Pershing would be re-
ceived by the Southern rebels as assurance
of further progress of these encroachments,
or as positive evidence that the people of
one of the most loyal States of the Union
have abandoned the great principles Of
freedom and equal justice for which they
fought during the war. Such an assur-
ance would be followed by an increase of
murders and assassinations and the revolu-
tionary usurpation of power by Ku-Klux
and White League organizations. No one
who knows anything ofthe internal dlabol-
ism which is asserted in every bone and
sinew of the Southern Democratic organi-
zation will doubt this for moment Nor
can it be denied that a few such catastro-
Plies as his success would revive the
scotched- but-not-killed heresy of secession
in its most malignant and reasonable shape.
In fact, the tendency to revive it exhibited
by Pershing's nomination is the simple and
plain result of the Vaccinations of the
Southern Democracy. They have assidu-
ously taught that the divisions of political
sentiment arising from the issues of the
war have been buried beyond the posi-
bility of resurrection, until now they have
accomplished the startling success of in
ducing their co-paItIsans in great North
ern State to use as q standard bearer
a man whose Infamous course during
the war earned for him the utter
condemnation of every loyal man in
the country. The active influence of these
teachings in producing this result cannot
be denied. 1t becomes at once apparent,
when we reflect that Pershing's record
would have secured for him a lasting and
deserved oblivion if the false protestations
of peace and good will made by these mis-.
creants had not for the time being dulled
the public interest in the issues of the war
and lulled the people into feeling of false
security. Loathed and sbhorred as he was
ten years ago by every true man in the
country, he has given no proof of repent
ance for his disloyal course since then, and
his nomination now cannot be accounted
for in any other way than by the assump
ton that the people have become negligent
and forgetful under the influence of the
teachings TO which we have alluded.
For these reasons we insist that the cam
paign in Pennsylvania is more important,
more fraught with national significance,
than any Of the number to be fought
this year. From Southern Republican
standpoint the issues involved in it over.
shadow every question presented in Ohio or
New York, or those likely to be presented
in any other State. Soft money and hard
money may be the features of the contest
which will attract the attention of the
voters directly interested in it; but the re-
suit that may be decided by preponder-