National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-18

These clauses were supplemented by more
bindI 6 authority 10 protect eli ,ctors In the
form Ul the amendments 70 the C)nstitu-
ton Of the General Government to which
we have referred.
There were other points In the recon-
struction policy, including tie aboliii m OF
State rights clauses In the State co lstltu'
lions, regarding which there was much
debate and serious thought but they oil
hinge more or less directly upon the power
Of the General Government TO preserve the
rights Of It's citizens, and as the only class
of citizens whose rights have been endan'
gered are the blacks and their Republican
friends, the real point at issue now Is the
protection of colored electors. They ac'
cepted, as we have said, the right OF SUI
frage when it was extended to them and
entered upon its enjoyment with firm
beliefthat the pledges to protect them would
be faithfully kept Does any one pretend
to say they would have thus GLADLY &C.
cepted this tender of citizenship if they had
known that those pledges were not tn be
kept? that they were to be turned over
before really beginning to comprehend the
full scope of their new relations to the cruel
mercies of their former masters? that they
were to be subjected to murder, assassina-
ton and the most cruel impositions because
they gratefully selected to vote the tickets
placed in their hands by their iberators?
Did they expect that in the hour of their
dire extremity, an extremity forced upon
them by the acts of friends, those friends
would desert them? For eight years, dur
ing which the Republican party relied
upon them for needed assistance in two
national campaigns, they have proved their
fealty TO Republican principles, and have
thus added to the obligation of consistency
a greater obligation of political fellowship
as the basis of their demand for protection.
As the result of this condition of affairs,
the true men in the party have declared
their intention to enact a new law, the bill
for which has been carefully drawn by
committees composed of the foremost law
yers of both houses. 1t is known as the
caucus bill to protect electors. Stringent
as some of its provisions may seem to be,
it is really a compromise measure, for it is
not as stringent as a whole as the urgency
Of the situation demands. But it is the
logical sequence of the reconstruction acts.
1t is bill, in fact, for the rigid enforce
ment of those acts, and must be accepted
as the browning measure of the policy to
secure the successful realization of the OBJ
ject of those acts. The Republican men,
Der of either House who dares to vote
against the principles embodied in it will
assume the responsibility of repudiating
those acts, and if he is one of those who
voted to make them the laws of the land
will stultify himself and destroy his record
for consistency. 1t will be admitted that
the impartial enforcement fthe provisions
of those acts will secure to the Republican
party all of the Southern States, and it will
also be admitted that failure to protect
electors under them will insure Democratic
victories in those States. What, then, is
the duty of the friends of the party and
the friends of the Government? Plainly
to support the measure in question, and
thereby renew the solid assurances of
future success. 1t may be said that this is
viciously partisan view. But we deny it.
Mere partisanship is confined to the distribu-
ton ofspoIls; but when party discipline is in
voked to compel adherence to party prin-
ciples, the partisan is overshadowed by the
patriot-unless, indeed, we admit that
party principles are not intended to main
tain the integrity of the Government and
are only intended to serve the selfish pur-
poses of office seekers and place nunters.
Most emphatically do we deny this admis-
sion; but we cannot refrain from warning
those doubtful and doubling men of the
party-some of whom have already been
exalted to high Office, and others who are
known to be ambitious of further advance
ment-that if they falter now, if they do
not live up to principle, and preserve a
consistency of record in support of those
principles, they will be judged by the peo-
pie as mere partisans, as men void of pa
triotism, and as place-hunters who have
debauched themselves by fighting under the
party banner simply to obtain permission
to wear the uniform of captains. Let US
strip these traitors of their badges of rank,
shave their heads, and drum them out of
the camp in disgrace