National Republican., 1875-12-02
ISSUE yoxHnp-

III . ICCCub uu1UCI vi buC GAIlONhb
REPUBLIoAN we called attention to the
presence of an organized Confederate repre-.
sentation In the American Congress. This
Confederate representation Is to the nation
now what the slave representation was be-
fore 1850. 1t represents the South as dis
tinctive sectional power within the Union.
The old South rested in its sectionslism on
negro slavery; the new South, or "Confed-
crate" South, ress on negro serfdom.
Both are equally dangerous to the life of
republican America.
The question arises, shall this Confed-
crate representation standf Shall the late
slave States of the Union be reconstructed
on the basis of negro ser domf Shall the
negro citizen Of the South be remanded to
the custody of his former masterf Shall
this act of rendition this execution of
The spirit of the old fugitive slave law-be
permitted by the anti slavery sentiment of
the Northf These questions involve the
one overwhelming issue in Am erican poll
tics.
1t is the imperative duty of the Repub-
lican leaders in Congress to confront this
issue boldly. The Confederate' power in
Congress must be expelled, and its grip
upon the late slave States of the Union
must be broken. The first steps to be taken
in this contest are the admission of Mr.
Pinchback, of Louisiana, to his seat in the
United States Senate and the setting aside
of the Mississippi resolution. The Repub-
lican Senate can seat Mr. Pinchback. The
Mississippi question, and with it the ques-
ton of Confederate representation in the
American Congress, must 60 to the people.
The will of the people can be expressed on
these questions by petition. If these pc
titions are unheeded by the conspirators in
Congress they will in every case serve to
prepare the way for the needed action TO
be taken in The Presidential election OF 1876
and in the Congressional elections to fol-
low.
Let no Republican shrink from this issue
Confederate representation in the American
Congress means the final subyerslon of tho
Government. a Confederate balance of
power in the electoral college. is practically
the Government The Confederate recon-
struction of the South, with negro serfdom
as the cornerstone, gives the final victory
to the pro slavery party in America in the
long contest between 1t and the party Of
liberty. The people of the North are
neither fools nor towards. They can be
made to see the vital character of the issue
as thus joined between the National Repub-
lican party and the Confederate Democracy,
and they have the needed courage to rectify
the evil. When once the issue, as thus
joined, is thoroughly understood at the
North, we shall have the same popular up
rising which confronted Andrew johnson
and his Confederate allies in 1866. The
people will in their might again take pos
session of Congress and finish the work Of
Southern reconstruction according to the
Northern idea.
The time for timid counselors and q time
serving policy has passed In dealing with
the Confederate power. The old enemy is
not only at our gates, he is inside Of the
very citadel of the national garrison. He
must be driven out. Let the Republican
power, then, confront this Confederate power
by promptly placing the negro Senator from
Louisiana In his seat in the United States
Senate. This one act will. so develop the
issue as involved in Confederate representa-
ton in the American Congress that 1t will
be impossible for the Confederate Democra-
cy or their so-called Republican allies to
obscure 1t any more than Mr.. johnson and
his Confederate allies could In 1855 deceive
the people, though supported by VIM. H.
Seward and other leading anti slavery men,
with the Executive power and patronage
to back them. With the negro Senator
from Louisiana thus seated. we can advance
'fhe line of battle" We can force the
fighting on the one issue which forms the