Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-31
SENATOR MORTON's PROPOSED MISSISSIPPI
INQUIRY,

INQUIRY.
A reader OF Euay Euening, perlsng its cd |
itorial of yesterday, on Senator Mortons pro-
posed inquiry into the Mississippi election, |
would certainly conclude that the Democratic |
editor WAS at home Partisan in tone, extreme |
in assertion, characterized by apparently mes |
sured intemperance of language, it bears |
throughout the marks of intense dslike for |
everything that antagonizes the present hopes
and purposes of the Democratic party, and if 1t |
were printed in newspaper ayowedly devoted
to that party's interests, it would fairly be re-
garded as q sample Of extreme partisanship.
Its general tenor is a denunciation of the pro-
position to investigate whether there WAS in
timidation, fraud, or violence at the recent Mis-
sssippi election, and il the cut-throat organza-
ton which has now seized upon that State il
afraid Of the disclosures which alSenate inquiry
may draw out it could hardly desire q more
ardent plea than this article, which declares Of
Senator Morton's resolutions that
"Their adoption would introduce 80 radical a
change in our system OF government to
amount to a destruction Of the Federal Union
An assertion which makes the intelligent read
er open his eyes very widely. How an invest-
cation by the Senate into the election OF
Legislature which is to choose member of the
Senate, amounts to destruction Of the Union
the " Federal Union, as the Calhounists want
it called-may not readily be perceived, nor is it
explained in the Every Euening article. Bnt the
latter proceeds to say that -
THE serious introduction of such resoli.
ton by Senator sworn to support the Oonsttu-
ton of the United States is i'll reality act of
treason az destructive as the raising Of hostile
arm against the national authority"
This paragraph and the one above are in
stances Of what we have described as measured
intemperance of language. They can hardly be
considered seriously, though they are doubtless
seriously put forth. The natural comment on
them is that they indicate gross confusion of
mind on the subject of treason-just such as
was shown 80 often during the Rebellion by
those who regarded " the raising of hostile
arm against the national authority" as only a
venial offence, if not an entirely praiseworthy
act. From the confusion OF mind which caused
doubts, at that time, whether the defenders Of
the national unity we're not the " traitors" to
the assertion, to-day, that not merely Ievying
war against the United States adherng to their
enemies, giving them aid and comfort, but also
the offering of a proposition to investigate the
alleged barbarisms in mississippi is an act of
treason" there is direct line OF connection.
The same strabismus of morals and principle il
shown in both cases.
Looking carefully over this partisan article
which sounds precisely like tho echo Of speecl
by one OF the prominent Democratic aspirant
for the Presidency or even like the voice itself
no demonstration appears OF tho vehemen
charges against Mr.. Morton quoted above
oI,,,,l ;attn
OF the bravo and earnest Indiana Senator, ant
thoro passing illusions to President Gran
and his cabinet officers, to the work OF recon
s'ruction, &C., which show extreme bitterness
of feeling, and gross disregard for the truth o
history.
We arc not complaining that Ecery Erean
should express itself in those terms. 1t has a
great right 30 to do, as the HeraM or the Ga
zette, or other Democratic papers, But partisan
ship ia one thing and independence" is anotl
er, and that newspaper which claims not to b
Democratic any more than Republican, shoul
undertake the representation of the Democrat
case, bitterly, vehemently, and ofrensively,
not even honest, much loHs consistent.
Whether Senator Morton's proposition to il
vestgate the alleged violence at the MISSISSIPPI
election should be adopted is question to b
decided entirely in the light OF circumstal
COS. 1t is not, az Eoery Erening a
sorts, proposition like that OF investig
ting mayors or coroners election. II
election of member of the Senate will be MAJ
by the Legislature which has inst been chose
and this Legislature is known to be the produ
OF violence. Should the Senate inquire into al
officially ascertain this fact, it would DO pr
,t,a,.,l
and 80 essentially different from the investig
tion Of Governors or Mayors, or coronel
election, that only the same confusion of mil
which desires to make Senator Morton's resol
tions treason" would be likely to confound tt
cases.