Wilmington journal., 1875-03-05
THE FORCE BILL CRAMPS DE-
FEAT.


The dawn of a brighter day is at
hand. The Grant programme for a
third term is a failure. That pro-
gramme was by force, fraud and pa
tronage to secure the entire Southern
delegation to the Convention next
year. With this solid Southern vote
in his favor, Grant needed only to get
forty-six votes from the North to Sc
cure the nomination for the third term
and to furnish these, lis said, Conkling,
of New York, and Butler and Boutwell,,
of Massachusetts, had taken the con
tract In this way Grant was to be
forced upon the Radicals of the North
by the Carpet -baggers of the South,
But independent of this, there is a
growing feeling favorable to Grant,
growing out of the disorganized de-
moralized condition of the Radical
party. For months it has been more
and more apparent every day that in
any free and fair election the defeat of
the Radical party in the next Presi-
dental campaign, was certainty, and
it being equally certain that Grant
would use the power and patronage of
the Government to prevent free and
fair election for the benefit of no one
else to the same extent that he would
for his own benefit that portion of the
Radical rf- that
success before all things else, have
been slowly but surely coming to the
conclusion that they were reduced to
the necessity of choosing between
Grant and Democrat for the next
Presidency; and, unfortunately, there
are many, very many members of that
party with whom the Democrat would
be second choice if they had to choose
between him and the devil.
The programme then for Grants
nomination for the third term prom
ises success, and this accomplished it
was thought that like causes would
produce like results and secure his
election-in other words that control
ling by force, fraud and patronage
the entire Southern electoral votes he
would need only ffty-six Northern
votes which he might easily get by
purchase in one shape or another. To
this end the Force Bill was introduced
into Congress to provide the macbin-
cry for the manipulation of the South
ern States.
But 'the best laid schemes of men
and mice oft gang aglee," and Grants
scheme has proven no exception to
this rule. In the first place that bill
has not passed in any shape, and it is
doubtful whether it ever will pass;
in the next place it has been already
so shOrn of its power for evil that in
its present shape it will by no means
answer the purpose for which it was
intended, and for the reason that it
was so amended before passing the
House of Representatives that it gives
the Pre- ident the power to suspend
the writ of Habeas Corpus only in the
States of Alabama, Arkansas, Louis
lana and Mississippi, leaving the other
Southern States free to vote as they
may wish. And this being so and
Virginia, West Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Georgia, and Tennessee being
sure to vote against Grant, he will be
obliged, if he would be elected, to make
their loss good by getting an addition
al number of Northern. electoral votes
equal to that cast by the above named
Southern States. This it is manifest
to every one, can not be done.
1t is apparent therefore, we think,
that the defeat of the Force bill in it
original shape, was the death blow to the
National Radical Party, for without the
entire Southern electoral vote being
cast for him Grant cannot be elected
Everything, however, depends upon
the people of the States of the South:
if they stand up and do their duty the
country will be saved from the ruin
that is now impending over it; if not,
the blame will be their own.
If Grant can not suspend the writ of
Ha6eos Corpus in North Carolina it
will be pure cowardice on the part of
her sons if the electoral vote of the
Stat. shall be cast for him. The day
for fear has passed. Hope and courage
should now animate the breast of
every man.
1t may seem strange to osome, but tits
nevertheless true, that the preservation
of the Federal Government, or rather
its restoration to it's constitutional
functions, depends upon the wisdom
and the courage of the men who for
four years fought the hardest fight |
ever known against the Federal Flag.
But SO it is, were it not for those very
men in the South whom their northern
brethren have SO delighted to stigma
TIE as ''rebels" and TRAITORS, in less
than twelve months there would not |
l1nger in America vestige of consti- |
tutional liberty.
Let us take courage then and re-
solve, every man Of us, to do our
Whole duty.