The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-01-07
GheGmtelIiqetteea.
The Difficulties Of the Southern
Situation.

Situation.
ANY man who has travelled in the South
since the war knows that the great ma
jority Of white people in that section are
utterly and irrecOncilably opposed to
the Republican party, He also knows
that they do not fail to cOntOund the
Federal government with the Republican
party, It was the Republican party that
ousted the Democratic party in 1850, m
act that brought on the war, 1t was a Re-
publican President that called for troops
to protect the Capital Of the nation and
confront the rebellion, It was the Re
publican party that issued calls for more
troops, voted supplies, prosecuted
the war, and finally freed the
slaves, The Democratic party is
in no wise responsible for any Of
these doings. The South well understands
that Mr.. Buchanan and his admInistra-
tion did not commence the war against
them. Il was Lincoln, Seward, Chase,
Thad. Stevens, and the Republican party
The party has been in power since 1851,
and like Louis, Of France, has been the
State. u am France-I am the State"
said Louis lith. SO feels the South in
regard to. the Republican party. The
party is the government, and being such
the government Is to them a'cOnttnual
aggravation, They identify all the enoF-
mites Of reconstruction with the party.
Negro suffrageis is a fact that mole than any
other stamps the Republican party with
iniamy in their estimation, Negro Sut-
lruge Ia the Pandoras box from which has
issued thousand ills, for all Of which
they hold the Republican party RESPONSE
bio. Hence when they form leagues to
free themselves from the evils Of carpet
bag government, and find II necessary In
order to overcome negro votes 10 use
force and create terrorism, the govern
ment becomes in their eyes an emblem of
tyranny-a mere machine for carrying
ont the policy of the Republican party,
simply because il resists their schemes.
The Rhpubican party haS had most
difficult role to perform in the South ever
since the war 1t hal to decide in the
first place what to Ito with the negro.
Was he n free man or not2 lie had been
emancipated, was he citiaonY What
was his status2 Was he half slave still,
or was he really free? II he wasfrec, on
what prelext could the ballot be withheld
from him? 1t might have been withheld
ON educational grounds, but not on
grounds Of color. 1t might have been
wise to hive withheld II on educational
grounds under law OF universal appli-
cation to whites and blacks. We think
such a law would have been wise. We do
not believe that Ignorance should control
the polls in any part Of the country. A
man who cannot read and write Is
not able, except in rare and very
exceptional instances, to vote intelli'
gently. lie does not understand public
affairs. lie has but feeble ideas Of po'
liticnl principles. lie has no proper
notion Of the Significance OF vote. liz
is simply a machine. All such voters
whether white or black, are simply dent
weights on the virtue and intelligence o
the country.
OF this sort Is the vast army Of repeat
Crs and strikers in New York and otheI
large cities, and Of this sort are thousand
outside Of the large cities. II Is hurdl.
too much to say that one.third Of thO
total vote Of the United States to-day l
MI ignorant yoIei that is, not u vot'
properly qualified to elect law maker
and dictate measures Of public policy.
But still the question recurs, what wa
the Republican party to do with til,
negro at the close Of the war; Was
the proper thing to do to cnfrunchisc III
whites, who were almost nnnnimousl
disloyal, and refuse the franchise to III
negroes, who we're generally attached 1
the government? As matter Of fact
the government, 40 far rs the results 0
the war were concerned, had no friends Il
the South except the negroes at the clos
Of the war. The great problem Of th
hour was how to reconstruct the SOuther
States on the basis Of the results Of tn
war. Another great problem was how t
protect the negro In the proper enjoymen
OF his freedom. A freeman without th
ballot, especially where his relations hay
been that Of a slave, Is not a person likel
to command much consideration. Thi
was one difficulty in regard 10 the Negro
aud another was az TO II popular support
on the basis Of the results Of the war, 10
the government in the South. The Re
publican party OIL these gronndS fel
compelled to give the negro the ballot
They sought 10 provide an influence tha
would neutralite The natural Antagonist
Of the white vote. They sought ais
to protect and advance the nesr
in the enjoyment Of his newl
acquired rights. This was their pol
icy, and this policy explains why
is that great abuses have crcpt into locu
legislation in the South, which abuse
have created intense feeling among tn
whites, provoking them in many instance
to acts Of anarchy and lawlessnes Thes,
acts the Government has felt bound, a
was its duty, to reprcsS. And, while al
fair minded people must deplote thu
state OF things in the south that leads Il
violence and nsutpaton, yet there is nt
alternative but TO uphold order and pro
tect life even at the point Of Federal bay
onets.
We are In hopes Of seeing the do!
when the negroes in the South will dividI
1kat. ,z,n, Ika a0u,o "a tko ,phtNns IL,