Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-04-28
A DISTINCTION WITHOUT A
e- DIFFERENCE.

We are told by Democratic news
papers that the Republican party is
not entitled to the support or the
sympathy of the Southern people for
the reason that the policy of the party
has been to Cypress that people. This
is the common argument, and the
most effective one used by the class
of politicians who lead the Democrat
ic hosts. We do not admit the truth
of the statement. The oppression of
the Southern people has been no part
of the policy of the Republican par
ty. 1t has adopted certain measures
to protect the rights of that portion
Of the Southern people who did not
see fit to join in the war against the
Federal Union, but in doing this, it
did not follow that any class of men
were oppressed. 1t is true that the
effect Of some of these measures was
to exclude a certain class of men
from office. They were excluded for
a time. The wisdom of such a course
we do not now propose to discuss ;
but if it was wrong, no man had
more to do with it than Andrew
johnson, man who now seems to be
in favor with large portion of the
Southern Democracy. But suppose
the effect was as stated. and South.
ern ex-Confederates were prevented
from laying down their swords, dof.
ing their grey uniforms and walking
into seats in the Federal Congress,
judicial stations, etc, the next day af-
ter they were paroled. is the policy
of the Democratic party different?
There is not day that we do
not read in our Democratic ex-
changes solemn notes of warning
against the policy Of nominating a
representative Southern Democrat on
the Presidential ticket of 1876.
Again, the party is warned not to
elect a Southern Democrat as Speaker
OF the next House of Representa-
tives. The effect of such an act, it
is feared, might prove disastrous to
the party in the future. The same
may be said of other positions.
Then it appears that Northern Demo.
Gratis are just as averse to placing
prominent Southern ex-Confederates
on their tickets as Northern Repub.
licans. 1t is true they are only gov.
erned by considerations of eXpedi.
ency, but the effect is all the same,
and that is to exclude representative
Southern Democrats from certain Of
fees.
This is just what Republicans
are charged with doing, but for them
to do it is oppression, while for the
Northern Democrats to do precisely
the same thing is an entirely different
matter. Divest the question of all
the hypocritical sentimentality thrown
around it by interested politicians and
it is just as we have stated it. The
oppression so much talked of when
presented in its reality amounts to
very little, and if it is oppression al
all, the Democratic leaders are toe
cowardly to take different course.
Why is it that jeff, Davis, the great
rebel leader is not prominent in the
parties of today? Why is it that
he is not called npon to take a prom
inent and active part in his party
contests ? Is it because his senti
ments are distasteful ? Not at all
He is personally as popular with &
large proportion of the Democratic
party as he ever was, but they EeU
Me effect. That is all. Hence he il
oppressed by his own party, by being
excluded from office.