National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-01
The Southern Situation.
Editorial Correspondence Albany Evening 10 ur-

WASHINGTON, Feb Is, 1876.
To the facts Of recent Washington letter in
theEe columns some further and equally suggest
i've statements should be added. AS IN the first
case, they are put In the form Of q letter as the
most natural and convenient way Of presenting
them, and IN order that they may be enforced
with the fullest sense Of personal responsibility
and honor. Shrinking from any obtrusiyeness of
self, the writer is at the same time deeply i'm
pressed with the duty and Importance Of bringing
the truth he has learned from the most intellI-
gent and trustworthy sources in Washington to
the attention of all within his reach.
And what 10 the truth? What are the temper
and condition Of the SouthH What are the aims
Of the rebel element? That is the most vital
question of the times. Behind 1t lies the one
trGnscendant issue before the nation-nay, the
very security Of the nation ITSELF On this subject
the country has been grievously misled and de-
ceiyed. For long time there were conflicting
reports and statements. On the one side came
narrowing stories of murder and outrage; on the
other, grateful assurances Of loyal reconciliation
and goodwill. Between the two, what were
people TO believe? Amid these contradictory
statements, ever and anon there flashed the lurid
glare Of Coushatta and ColfaX parish, OF VickE-
burg massacres and New Orleans revolutions. So
they were deliberate, brutal, cold bloOded, po-
litieal butcheries But did they signify pre-
Vailing spirit, or were they only exceptional and
spasmodfc?
While the public mind was still bordering that
question, came the report Of the subcommittee on
Louisiana. In this report the country was at first
very naturally inclined to repose q large degree
Of confidence. Here" we were told, sis the re-
port of Republican committee; it shows fraud in
the return ing board; 1t paints the White League
in very white hues; II denies intimidation 1t pic
lures good spirit; how can you refuse to accept
it?" Unquestonably this logic, following this
report Of an assumed Republican committee, did
90 great way In determining the public judg-
ment at the time, with how much reason let US
That eommittee consisted of Mr.. Clarkson Pot
ter, Mr.. William Walter Phelps and Mr.. Charles
Foster. Mr.. Potter is q DemOcrat-an able, ae-
Democrst-and It Is the politics Of the committee
we are seeking, since the whole report lay In the
fact that it was said to be Republican COM
mittee. Mr.. Phelps is-Well, he Is Mr.. Will
Liam Walter P-h-e.l-p-s-undoubtedly gen.
tleman Of culture and talent, but still William
Walter. Before he left mis- seat in the House to
go to New Orleans he indicated, as Is well known
in Washington, Just what his report would be.
On his way South he passed through Louisville,
back the inteIiigence, gathered from his out.
spoken conversation there, that his report would
be just what It proved 10 be. These are positive,
preJudged the case, and, being appointed to make
investigation, formed his conclusions before he
had investigated at all; do not say one word
state the naked facts, because I deem them
due to the public as showing how much
value should be ATTACHED to his report
jority and the master minds of the committee.
Mr.. Foster was putty In their hands. More sig
nincant statements might pc added on this point,
but do not mean to violate any condolences.
Enough has been said to give edge to the ques-
ton, whether this report OF the subcommittee is
entitled to the confidence which the country, re-
lying upon the good faith Of unbiased RePubli-
can Investigators, was inclined to repose In It?
1t is row stated that Messrs. Phelps and Foster
VIII unite with the Republican members Of the
committee in their Recommendations In this
way they may partly repair the wrong Of their
own misleading and deceptive report, and 1t Will
such acknowledgment and partial atonement.
The country Will learn the real truth as to the
situation IN Louisiana when Messrs. Hoar,
These men have made thorough investigation.
They have gone TO the bottom. They are able,
can't trust them, we can't trust anybody. If we
can't rely on their Judgment and integrity, we
might as will give up representative government.
and truthfulness on its face. 1t will show its
non partisanship by sQuarely condemning the &C.
tion OF the returning boards but will at the same
time give true portraiture OF the violent rebel
temper and purpose. These members examined
all classes. They probed everywhere. They
tIyss IN. tbeX xt tSs s1snsSs nTS
licly and privately. For the first few days the
crafty effort was made to capture them with such
COMMITTEES; but when 1t appeared that they could
not be seduced In this way and were bent upon
finding out the truth, the whole tone changed.
posed the compromise shouted, bring out
Wheeler, wen wheel him; bring out Frye, well
fry him." The rebel element, animated by this
spirit OF implacable hate, seeks to oVeraWe all
classes. "You can't begin" said Mr.. Wheeler,
"'to understand the malignant purpose OF this
class and the terrible condition Of affairs"
Spoken by some men, that utterance would mean
little. Spoken by such man as Mr.. Wheeler, It
embodes q whole volume. Emerson somewhere
says the weight and value Of q sentiment depend
upon whether there is Q man behind 1t. Behind
this startling declaration Of Southern danger
there is q man whose candor, sincerity and sound
judgment impress everybody who meets him, and
whose high character and ability are known
throughout the country. His whole talk Of two
hours carried abolute conviction.
All the true men who have been South make
similar statements. The Mississippi the Alabama
and the Arkansas committees confirm the story.
/ told you s0mething-only little-ot what Mr..
CongeT, chairman OF the Mississippi committee,
related, He said Governor Ames was in quite as
much peril as Governor Kellogg. He added that
the life Of any member Of the committee would
not have been worth o picsyune alone after dark.
The Alabama committee has convincing evidence
that, during short time included within the Pc
Rod Of its investigation, horrible and nameless
outrage was committed upon a large number Of
blacks. see that Governor Garland, Of Arkan-
sas, says there are now no assassinations in that
State. II may be so; II may be that the reign OF
terror is now complete without It, But Mr.. Ward,
Of the Arkansas committee, states that while he
was there on the investigation, twenty assasslna-