National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-20

back, in answer to Senator Morton, which is
peculiarly suggestive as furnishing the status
of the unreoonstructed Southern Democracy.
In this speech Mr.. Norwood said:
"That war, sir was fought on a principle.
Its origin was in a difference of opinion on the
right construction of the Constitution. We of
the South, honestly believing that rights which
we held were guaranteed by that instrument
could not be preserved in the Union, sought to
secure them under another and an independ-
cnt government. We struck no blow at the
existence of the Federal Government, and so
impartial history will pronounce It's verdict.
But we all know the result. When the war
closed we laid down our arms, went peaceably
to our homes, and set to work. The scene
was sad beyond the power of mortal pen to
tell. Two billions of property in slaves had
vanished in night. More than another bill
lion had crumbled under the iron tread of
war. Hundreds of millions more invested in
Confederate bonds were swept away IN a
breath. Many millions more of Confederate
Treasury notes persisted in the same instant.
Besides all this, nearly every planter was in
debt, and his land, which in the main was all
that was left of his estate, was covered by
mortgage"
Assuming this ground that the South was
right in its struggle to establish an independ-
ent slave holding government, and that the
North was wrong in its attempt to prevent Sc
cession, of course everything else follows, and
Senator Norwood coolly indicted the Govern
ment for treating the rebellion as a crime, and
charged upon the Republican party the re-
sPonsibility for all the anarchy which has eX-
listed in the South since the war.
The speech of Senator Norwood undoubtedly
reflects the views of the Southern Democracy,
which will be brought out with still greater
emphasis at the meeting of Congress next fall,
when this Southern Democracy will have con-
troll of the Lower House. 1t is better for the
people Of the whole country that these views
have been stated thus early. 1t will be still
better if Senator Norwood will undertake to
induce the Northern Democracy to indorse
them as the policy Of the party. This will
afford the Senator an opportunity to discover
the grave mistake he makes in supposing that
the Northern people will ever acknowledge the
right of a State to raise an army and take up
arms against the National Government, or
that they will ever look upon it in any other
light than that of rebellion. However widely
the people Of the North may differ as to the
methods of reconstruction, he will find that
they regard reconstruct on of some kind as a
right, and a necessary right. They will never
consent to lose what they have gained. They
will never go back upon themselves. The
ground assumed by Senator Norwood, that
secession was justiiable, and that the National
Government was not justified in opposing it
with military force, implies the right TO secede
again when the opportunity occurs. Should
that opportunity come, he will find the North
Just as united as it was in 1861. The assump-
items of the Southern Democracy and the utter
failure of the Northern Democracy in every
State where it has been in power since Novem
Der to better the condition of things, already
makes it apparent that the Republican party
still has a mission to perform.