The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-08-14

wonderfully unreo DISTRACTED They
breathed nothing but bitterness and
hate. Negro suffrage was laughed
to scorn. The mere idea of its ever
being tolerated was deprecated
with furious fcrvor. Oar Lcgisla-
ture met, and at once engaged in the
mad employment of legislating
against the negro with so little jus
tice and so little policy that they
quickly alienated him from us and
brought upon us the strong arm of
National power.
In those days was heard the voice
of Albert Galatin Brown, preaching
the doctrine of conforming to the
inevitable and reconstructing with
out compulsion. With the pres
cience of true craftsmanship he
foresaw that the right of suffrage,
and all other rights ola citizen must,
under the genius of our Republican
form of government, of necessity be
given to the negro; and he advised
that these rights be promptly accor-
ded him by the State authority, thus
making a friend of him, and leaving
no reason or excuse for National
interference.
This doctrine was embraced by
many wise men, not then or now
prominent in political affairs. But
the idols of the present hour engaged
then as now, in feeling the popular
pulse, instead of thinking out and
boldly advocating measures for the
public good, regardless of personal
interests, could not swdlloac the med'-
cine. They preferred to have the
people wait until it was crammed
down their throat. Brown and
Ethel BarksdaIc actually lost caste,
for a time, with those who led by
watching and pandering to the pas
sions of the multitude. Time-scrv-
ing politicians, seeing that the ha-
tired engendered by the war had not
been allayed, preferred to humor it
rather than risk their popularity by
aiding the councils of those wise,
unselfish and patriotic statesmen.
Well, we were forced to do what
we had been advised to do volunta-
rily. Had we acted of our own
motion we would have effectually
spiked the guns of those Northern
leaders who sought TO compass our
ruin by tanning the flames of sec
tional hatred. But we did not so
act, and we had to be forced The
process of forcing awakened the at
tcntion and interest of our enemies
and intensified their hate. The re-
suits were the reconstruction acts,
the alienation of the negro race by
our unjust and prosecuting legisla
ton at home, and the breeding Of
that swarm of adventures who, cv-
er since, have fed like vultures on
the vitals of our commonwealth.
We lost the golden opportunity.
Ten years have come and gone
and brought no cure. We find that
it has taken our party that long to
como up to the line then marked
out by Brown and Barksdalc. We
have only found the road they point
ed out to us now when it is too late.
Speeches are now applauded to the
echo which present no thought not
more foroibly put in Browns Terry
speech long years ago-which fur
nish no scheme of extrication not
fully elaborated in Barksdale's
Clarion long before the blatant Of
fice-seekers and:popular Idols of to-
day had recovered themselves from
luC VI uClCut.
Our ad captandum takers caught
the idea too late, or, if they caught
it earlier, concealed the tact and
were mute, out of complaisance to
the still unquiet passions OF the peo-
pie
What is to be done for statesmen
who thus have shown that they can
think clearly in the hour of storm
and disaster-who have shown that
they have the patriotism, the hon
esty, the nerve to advise their peo-
pie in opposition to their passions
who can breast the fury of popular
Mississippi will, doubtless, soon
have honors for those of her sons
who deserve them. 1t is not i'm
probable the next Legislature may
have a majority disposed to give
an exalted place TO real statesman
who has held it before with honor
to himself ard his State-who held
it when to be 4 senator in congress
meant something-who shed honor
on his State in congress when Cal
noun, Webster, Clay, Mason Doug
lass, Davis and other great men fig
ureG in that prond arena. Let us
test the gratitude of Republics. We
shall see.
"Aciions speak | ,udcr than words"