Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-09-02

not be lOrgOtten. important ~ inc man.
cial question necessarily is to the country,
and closely as it is brought home to every
mans interest, 1t is not the only vital ma.
tional question. 1t is naturally represent
ed to be so by those who wish to obscure
other and most serious issues. But those
who assert that there Is no Southern ques
ton. because 1.-THE South" Is at peace,
carefully conceal the fact that 1t il At
peace chiefly because the National Gov
eminent is in Republican hands, and that
it would cease to be so II the object for
which the assertion is made should DO &C.
complished and the Democratic party re.
turn to power. And this for the simple
reason tina. all those who are dissatisfied
with the peace that exists in that quarter
look to Democratic success 40 the sole
ground OF hope for disturbance II il
were well understood that the National
Government would continue under Re-
publican control, all the discontinued
spirits in the Southern States would adjust
themselves to the order established by re-
construction. But 50 long as they have q
hope of overthrowing the Republicans
they will be the source of apprehension
and disorder. Mr.. Morton very truly says
that reconciliation and harmony cannot
be accomplished by Northern celebrations
and iunketings Every man from the
Southern section, whether ex.rebel or not,
is sure of courtesy and justice in the
Northern States. All that is wanted Is
that every man, native or stranger, shall
be sure of the same in the Southern States.
When that is the situation, restoration
will be complete And that situation de-
ponds wholly upon the citizens Of those
States. The Senator wisely deprecates the
confusion Of right and wrong which -
implied in the equal honoring Of the sol
diers upon both sides in the conflict The
gushing eagerness to shake hands overthe
bloody chasm is very likely to lead US to
forget the eternal gulf that separates 1.-THE
lost cause" OF slavery from the sacred
cause of liberty and justice. We are by
all means to forgive, but by ali our love OF
man and Of country we are not to forget.
The continuance of Republican ascend
ency will be the final and conclusive proof
that there is that universal acquiescence IN
the new order which is warmly asserted to
exist by the Democrats. As the principles
of reconstruction have been steadily de-
nounced by them, MS they have constantly
described the Southern situation IS usur-
patton, q tyranny, y despotism, satrapy,
an anarchy, and as the first Democratic
utterance after the Republican defeats OF
last autumn was demand for the repeal
of legislation under the amendments, II IS
evident that Democratic success must nee
essarily lead to attempts to withstand those
principles to overthrow that tyranny, and
to repeal those laws Mr.. Lamar, Of Mis-
sissippi, has recently made speech in
which he describes the woes OF "the
South" a. worse than those of Rome, and
attributes them to Republican ascendency.
He says that the sudden enfranchiscment
of the negroes was q great catastrophe.
But he agrees that the rights Of the blacks
are the duties Of the whites, and argues
earnestly against the color line in politics.
His speech is very suggestive. For II he
feels so strongly what he calls the in.
justice Of the Republican party, how
much more strongly must the party
and the people in whose name he
speaks feel it! And how eager must
they be to remedy that injustice by
obviating the consequences Of the catastro.
phe! His earnest appeal for respect of the
rights Of the colored citizens is the strong
est evidence Of recognized contempt a
them among his hearers, and that hostility,
rs we all know, counts upon Democratic
success. We agree with Mr. Lamar that .
national policy of distrust and suspicion
toward Mississippi and other Southern
States 10 ungenerous and unwisc. But
such policy, rs he saw in Congress last
winter, is not demanded by the Republi.
can party. No sensible man, however,
will accept profusion Of acquiescence or
gushing hurra for the flag as reason for
forgetting experience and despisng knowl-
edge of human nature. We spoke recently
of Gen. Il. n. Logan speech to the Hamp-
ton Legion in South Carolina, in which he
said that the ex-rebcl soldiers had accepted
the Union as their own. But in the same
breath he declared that he was not willing
to assert that the principles for which they
fought had been settled or destroyed.
Such talk may be dismissed as bravado.
But it shows spirit which sensible states
men carefully observe, and patriotic men
do not hasten to put the Government into
the hands Of men who make such speeches,
nor of those for whom they speak
These are, considerations that must not
be overlooked, however urgent the finan-
cial question may be. Obviously the
Democratic policy is to insist that the
only question Of the election next year Is
administrative reform. But the Southern
Democracy cares very little for reform Of
any kind. And in other parts of the
country what sign of Democratic interest
in reform has been shown except Gov
T'ilden's war upon the canal ring in New
York, In Ohio, in Connecticut, in New
Hampshire, in Missouri, Maryland and
Kentucky, where the Democratic party is
in the ascendant, what evidence OF de-
sire or capacity OF reform has 1t given'
Gov. Tilden has pursued the canal frauds
in New York. If that proves the Demo
cratic party Of the country to be reform
party, hsw much more do Mr.. Bristow's
and Mr.. JEWELS dealings with corruption
and irregularity prove the National Re.
publican party to be one of reform, Re-