, 1875-02-13
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
Habits Of Violence Among tho People
Of the South,
And the Consequent Diflcn'ttes in tho
Administration or Law.
4 Call upon Republican congressman to Sat.
tle the Louisiana lmbruglio.
Mrs. Swiss|1eln upon Carpet
Baggers.
SOUTHERN HABITS OF VIOLENCE.

Baggers.
SOUTHERN HABITS OF vtotEncE.
r. the EHtar ef T,hh Chtta9o Trt6Mne:
EulcAuo, Feb. til was pleased With yorr ar
sulo OH tho "progreAs Of the South" WHICH was
baesd aomowhat OIL tue article In the Ndtion on
the same subject. But s1lcte aro so1no points in
the Nutionts article which will bear little fur
ther reference and discussion.
Tue Nalion criticseB the action Of tue Gov
erument Ia sending troops into tile South TO pre-
sctvs order, as not boiog we'll fitted to ploduca
thst regard for the sacredness Of human life, and
those habits OF Hclf.control, in which thu South
csn psopls arc, for causes which it clearly sets
forth, sadly dcAciont. at any thought.
ftll mAn,' says tho Nation, had
been a4ked, before the War, IN
what way the aforementioned good
qualities could be infused into tho southern
character. hs would have snswcreo. unhcsi'at-
ingly, that Slavery must DO got rid Of, ard thon
re muat trust to the cisillzing influences of com-
ncrcc, education, aud tho press. III sou had
asked him whether it could not bs done by
troops he would have laughed at You"
Now, this il an instance Of the very old trick
Of attributlng 10 al adversary what 10 nsver
avo,yed OF intondsl and then gloryiug tu the
cheap triumrh Of turning IL into sidiculs.
The troops ire sent to the South for tile preyon-
ton Of crime. just as Lhs pol4co of:Nev York are
gcut to tho Five Points or other usual
scenes Of disorder. The "thoughsfnl man"
uonld hatdly adyise the Mayor to keep the
police away, anti trlet to the suftenlna aud cla-
waiting inhuences OF the Hafata aud Sun, aud OF
such commerce rs goes on in thess localities.
Tbs police are pecahsars, Notwithstanding their
inadequacy, IS missionaries, editors, or mer-
chants.
Eat 70 are glad to acknowledge an obligation
10 the writer OF tho article for biingins out =
comparatively little sttsotion At tue North"
but which ia OF great significance and that is,
that +" under the Influence Of the hshiss OF vio-
enco easily srsce1l!a to slavery. an actual mndl-
iicat,on took place iu Southern criminal jursprn
Deuce long baforo tbs Wu. Ine common-lhw doc
trine that mallce aforckhought makes tbs killing
Of man murder Was not only diHregRfaed by
Southern iuries. but Il became the eetled
tie prisoner, fur from concealing. that the per
son killed bad offended him, and that ha ed
him gtudge before killing him, made il his
principal erouad nf 0efense that he had killed
by previous quarrel. Ih,s, in the Northern
S.at.s OF in England, would hnys insufod l,is
conviction 1t Tbs South, it secured his ae4ult-
tn. Aud he gives sn Illustration thus: - The pres
the Var. an old gentleman who had, 10 vss In
formed. killed thittecn men, many Of thotn in
cold blood, with iulpunitg. Asking how IL was
1o had escaped, lis learnt that there never haI
been = conviction for nuroor in that county, un-
less it hAd boen accompanied with robbery aud,
Il few days afterwards. he heard respectable
planter Say, before large company, in poffcct
seriousness snd without any sisn Of disappro-
| Dation from tue bJssandoEs, that, II lo were
spoken of in = certain way ina stump speech.
'he would lie in wait for him {tllo speaker) and
kill htn,;' OF, IN other words. would commit what
| men in other civilized countries consider the
folilest Of Crimes"
These statements set 10 etroug light the diff
| 1icutics which are constantly met With In the ad-
1ninlstIalion Of lam undor Iha new state OF
things vt tho South. Tha habits Of siolcnco bred
! by Slavery aro not to DO dous away with by the
| enactment Of laws against them. There hahits
| will bn very s1ow IN dying out. ~ the Nation
| very truly observes, when the white men treat
each othor ip THU yio'eut and lnurde1ous faahon,
There is no earthly reason for expecting tint
offending negroes will 10 troatea differ
entity" That IL too truo. Bat docs tho
Nation, therefore,, propose to let tue
numbering 40 on without effort at hsndeIance ?
:,uc1l seems 10 be the import OF its article. II
finds fAuIt with the enforcement Legislation ii
The saysrcst tcrms, bat has nothing 10 propose
by way Of remedy for tho enormous evila which
1t fo1c1by portrays except that slow social prog
| reas IN civilization Which "it has taken the most
gifted races III the world from four to five Gen.
Advancement It ahoWB ,ls Clearly tho great
difficulties OF tho cass With which We have to
DEAL and then csasures the 1lepubcan rArtJ
! md the Administration for not having solved
/! them at opce.
It is easy for cynical tomper to End fault.
! 1t is cusy for a tneorlst in = library 10 mourk q
Iile Of books md look down with pedantic con.
Tempt upon the men who are dung .he practical
work OF iro, amid its jariiug pashiona and inter-
tsts. hut this is no tima fur angry accusations,
Tbs gravity Of tho altuRtion NJ tue South must
fill every patriotic mind with anxiety. Tho Nd.
tio,l's statement OF 1t IL forclblo. Tho worst
thing 10 DO said Of any community Ia, that In il
Ereht crimes eau 10 committed according 10 Inv
The work al retnedyiuy existing evils Will require
Government and patriotic pooplo Of all parte.
! can bring to il. \.
4 THE LOUISIANA QUESTION.
Ia ihe Editor II The Ch,caGs 2EtkHnk: