Wilmington journal., 1875-08-06
THE SOUTIsa3tx VOTE.
How Ii May Be Made tO Count in
the Presidential Election.

the
[St. Louis Republican,
The South has been at peace for
six months, because it has been lot
alone Louisiana is quiet, Arkansas IS
uuict. Alabama is quiet, Mississippi
is quiet, and even South Carolina IS
oniet We no longer hear of Kn kiux
in Tennessee; of plantation battles
between whites and blacks IN Mlssls-
sippi; of 1egro mobs marching to
sack towns in Arkansas and South
Carolina; of Wholesale butcheries of
harmless negroes by masked ruffians
in Louisiana These things are over
for the present at least. aud We may
hope that they are end d forever.
That ac i've agent of disturbances, the
carpet Dagger, - retiring from the
South; and the native whites and
blacks, left to themselves, exhibit II
surprising capacity for getting along
peaceable together without outside
help All the accounts We receive
from the States on the Lower Mlss;s
sippl represent that the largest cotton
crop and the largest .:orn crop also,
ever raised there wall be prnduceI
this year-the result not So much Ot ii
favorable season as of the more cor
dial understanding between the two
races and Improved habits of industry.
The facts is, the whites and blacks
are beginning to address themselves 10
the solution of the difficult problem
of their future relations, with t. patient
and forbearing spirit; the blacks are
turning to the native whites for coun-
sci and fSSistnuce, and the whites are
recognizing their obligation to the
4 tI, t,I
the new friendship a fountain OF pros
perity; All immense cotton crop bless
es their reconciliation, and their land
is becoming once more the bright
home of prosperous and happy people.
All this means that the entire South
is lost to the Republican party. ItiAt
party never controlled IL vote OF Il
Southern State except through vio
leuce and intimidatiou; as the South
cru States were allowed to become
peaceful, they slipped one by one
through its tingers. 1t seems strange
to be told that rrxas, now Democrat'c e
by At, 900 majority, Georgia now ID, M
ocratlc 30, 900 majority, Virginia NOW
Democratic by 30, 900 majority, and
Tennessee now Democratic hy Il ,0W
ma prity, were n lew ye rs ago al
controlled by Republican. GOvcruOrs
and Legislatures, aud represented IN
Congress by Republican Senators and
members. Yet 1t Is true, and III the
loss of these States the Eepubiicil
leaders nHy foieste the los OF the las
three Southern States rtlat they stiI
control, Louisiana, Mississippi and
South Carolina. Iu estimating Che
probable result Of the next election,
there fore, the Republicans are forced
to consider that they will lose the 6t
electoral votes of the nine Southern
States which Grant carried in 1872
and that the 100 votes of the twelve
reconstructed States will probably be
cast against them, tOge ther with the Sc
votes of the other four cx-slavc State:
of Delaware, Kentucky, Mary land anC
| MissOnri-making 1873 Southern vote,
against the Republican ticket TO begin
with, and leaving only 3S votes IT, b.
lost at the North to insure a R"puh
lean defeat. This is certainly a DIS
NAL outlook for Il Republican who ha.
! taught himself to bellGve that i'll,
| continued asceudency of his party i
necessary to the safet.y of the Union
and it accounts for the tactics decide,
on by the Rtpublican leaders OF Trust
| ing not 10 then own strength, but th
possibly folly of their opponents
Their only hope Is that the D.mocras .,
will commit some mOnstrous blundc
which only the Democracy Can commit
and thus forfeit the victory within
| their reach.