The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-19
The Political Condition OF tho south
ern states.

MI NOrQnOH, In Wnlcn ne sums up tno AN5u'e
Of his observations in the four States-Arkan-
sas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
whose political and industrial condition he
has been for several months examining for
the HERALD. We commend these letters IN
an especial manner to the attention OF the
thoughtful readers of the HERALD, because
they announce the conclusions, upon an
evidently impartial and conscientious investi-
cation, of on inquiry into one OF the most
important public questions with which Ameri-
can craftsmanship has to deal
In his previous letters Mr.. Nordhof has
shown that the States he has visited have
been subjected for number of years to an
extraordinary but varying amount of mis-
government, which assuredly would not have
been countenanced by the Northern people
had they understood the facts. In this sum-
mary he asserts that, contrary to his belief in
past years, such federal interference as was
provided for in the Enforcement acts
was, for some years after 1865, alb
solutely necessary to protect the freed
men; but he declares with equal posi-
tiveness that this necessity no longer exists
and that federal interference in the local con-
Germs of the States in question is now and has
been for at least two years past an unmixed
evil; that it has prevented a final and har-
monious settlement Of political questions in
those States; and that the federal power has
been, of late, used almost entirely by and in
the interest of self-seeking and INSCRIPTIONS
demagogues.
He declares his belief that it was both wise
and necessary to give to the freedmen abso-
lutte political equality poor, ignorant and
helpless as they were at the close of the war,
because in no other way could their rights be
made secure and themselves prepared for citi-
zenship and turned from freedmen into free
men. But he considers the color line, the
massing of the races against each other on the
political field, as the gravest evil which
now afiicts those States: and while he
lays the blame OF It's origin mainly upon
the folly of the whites, who after
the war refused to sanction the political rights
of the blacks and attacked their personal
rights, he declares that at this time the
federal interference alone prevents q recon-
struction of parties, which he evidently be-
ieves to be the first necessary step to a per-
manent and peaceful settlement of political
questions in the South We commend what
he has to say on this subject to all who desire
to know the real condition of Southern poll
tics and the remedies for grievances and
troubles there, the existence of which no one
Denies 1t cannot be doubted that division
of political parties which throws the mass of
ignorant and lawless voters on one side, and
under the absolute control Of handful of
white leaders, is q serious danger to
civilized community, and has an inevitable
and irresistible tendency to corrupt those
who lead such a vote, where that is large
enough to control the elections. But Mr..
Nordhoff has shown that in Mississippi
the negroes have o numerical majority
of at least fifteen thousand, while in many
counties IN other States they are as four,
six and even ten to every white voter. He
says that there are scores of such counties so
completely under the control of those who
lead the negro vote as to place the entire
property owning class at the mercy of design
ing leaders and ignorant masses. There are
scores of Southern counties, he remarks,
''where the voice of the people is not the
voice of God, but the voice of the worst thief
in the community" His explanation Of the
working OF the enforcement acts and of the
effect of federal interference in maintaining
in power over the Southern communities a
class of bad men, white and black, native and
Northern, and in keeping the negro in a state
of alarm and distrust, is instructive, and we
think deserves consideration. 1t is certainly
of the first importance that the two races
who live there face TO face should be in har-
monious and friendly relations To keep the
negro arrayed against the white, the laborer
against the land owner, is TO prepare the way
for constant disagreement, and, what is
quite as serious, for continual irritation, lead
ing directly to violence and wrong.
This seems to rs as the most important
demonstration in Mr.. Nordhoff's in
vestgations. His conclusions will strike
many Of our readers as new
but we fear il must be acknowledged that
the North has known almost nothing Of the
actual condition of the South since the war.
Nor is this strange. The Southern States
seem to have passed with surprising rapidity
through transition stage in their affairs, and
what was true Of Southern society and senti-
ment in 1866 or 1868 was not necessarily true
in 1872 or 1875 But if any one wished to
misrepresent Southern community he had
only to tell in the North in 1874 what was
true four or six years ago and omit to add
that since then the spirit and acts Of the peo-
pie had materially changed. Moreover, there
is a certain vehemence in many Of the South
ern stat of the course Of affairs down
there which inclines Northern readers to in
credulity. If Southern writer's and speakers
would study moderation IN discussion they
would secure better hearing in the North.
The bitterness Of denunciaton in which some
Southern newspapers indulge themselves is