The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-02-10

struggle, II there were any, would De IL
Northern streets. They supposed, wher
Fernando Wood lamented that he could
not send them arms with which to shoot
down insolent Yankees, that he spoke
for Northern Democratic official authori
ties. In Congress the South had tram
pied upon fundamental constitutional
rights, upon the right of petition, upon
the freedom of debate. A few Northern
Representatives upon the floor Of the
House had main tanned the plainest con
stitutional principles at the muzzle oi
Southern pistols Democrats acquiesced
Wings were cowed, and during that tire
mendous time two or three men only
fully represented the unquailing and re.
sistless might and purpose of the North
which the North itself did not then sus
pect. Chief among them were John
Quincy Adams, Charles Sumner, and
Joshua Giddings
The conflict passed from Congress to
the field. The South was brave, persist
ent, daring. 1t suffered in every vein.
Ii bled at every pore. Families were
/ desolated Fortunes were ruined. Dur
/ ing four years every energy and resource
was strained to the utmost and the South
| yielded only when it could fight no lon
| ger 1t yielded, and turned from the
/ battlefield to find its social and industrial
system subverted, its industry paralyzcd,
its former slaves, whom to keep enslaved
| it had degraded and dehumanized, now
become fellow w-citizens and equal voters.
The barbarism which it had fostered had
| terribly recoiled upon itself This is not
an ancient history. 1t is the familiar
tale of yesterday and the day before.
The North and the South Of the fiery
quarrel and Of the war are the living,
acting North and South of to-day. And
the great question of the Centennial
year is whether that North or that South
shall control the government. We
yield to none in our sympathy with every
sincere desire and effort to heal the
wounds of civil war. We hear with
pleasure the eloquent tribute of Mr.. La
mar over the dead body of Charles Sum-
ner. We hail the generous words spoken
at Bunker Hill, and the pretty chivalry
of Southern soldiers in Boston. We can
understand the South Carolinian who
said to the Bostonian, "If we had known
what You really were, we should not
have wished to fight you" Every such
friendly token of better understanding
every honorable man gladly receives and
reciprocates.
But the question remains. The South
is unit for the Democratic party. The
North is virtually Republican. 1t is in
VAIN to deplore 'sectionalism" 1t is Of
ten unfortunate, but the sectional divis-
ions Of our politics are evident, and they
cannot be winked out of sight. The
Democratic party, whoever may be its
candidate, is the party of those whom we
have described as the South 1t is prob
able that people bred under the condi-
tions that we have mentioned, then beat
en- in war, and at its end encountering
the situation which we all know, have
all changed? Have we at the North es-
sentially changed? If we had been
beaten, and the South had decided to
maintain the Union upon its own condi-
tions, would it have been wise for it to
intrust the government to us? For a
generation the South had absolutely con-
trolled the government in a way and
with the results that are historical.
What has occurred that it should be re-
called to power Has it demonstrated
its truer patriotism, its deeper regard for
liberty and justice, its sounder views Of
the Union and the Constitution, its larger
intelligence than those of the North
We shall be asked If we would forever
fight the same old battle-if we think
that politics in this country can ever be
safe il we insist that they shall be sec
tional. Certainly not But is that a
reason, in the situation that we describe,
for recalling the South or the Democrat
ic party, to power2 We insist that the
truer patriotism, the higher intelligence,
the sounder constitutional doctrine, shall
govern the country. II these are divided
sectionally it is not we who divide them.
And shall we, because they are so divi-
ded, prefer tho lesser patriotism and the
lower intelligence
We do not apprehend that the Demo
cratic party will attempt to restore sla-
very or to MAINTAIN the doctrine of Sc
cession. There are few statesmen" says
Burke, in treating of similar subject,
so clumsy and awkward in their bust
ness as 10 fall into the identical snare
which has proved fatal to their predeces-
sors" That is not at all the question.
1t is whether the principles and tradi-
tions in which this generation of the
South has been trained, the tone of its
civilization, its intelligence, and the
events of the last fifteen years make it
desirable to intrust the national govern
ment to party which the South domi-
mates. Mr.. Tilden is Democrat highly
favored as a Presidential candidate by
many friends of Cancellation" Sup
pose him to be elected. There is no
reasonable doubt that in the event of
such Democratic success there would
be a presentation of what are called
Southern claims. They would be Of
many kinds, such as payment of war
losses, for confiscated real estate, cotton
and other property, and very many more.
These are all claims for losses in conse-
Rence of the war Mr.. Tilden Vas an
stive member of a society which pub
shed pamphlets during the war declar-
lg it to be wrong and unconstitutional,
nd Mr.. Lincoln a tyrant and a usurper
Thy should he object to paying Ameri-
an citizens for property illegally de-
royed by predatory armies Even un-
n the most "conciliatory of Democratic
esidents this would be merely a ques-
m of expediency, to be determined by
litical and party considerations. \
rty which, in defiance of its declara-
ms against arbitrary removals of sub
linate officers, seizes the first mo-
mt Of its obtaining little power to
i've out every Union soldier and fill
place with Confederate, would not
d it difficult to satisfy Confederate
laims" of another kind. This might
Cancellation for the South. But now
uld the North regard it?
We do not expect a man who has been
aten to say that he likes it, But if he
! be "conciliated" only by having his
way after all, conciliation must eyi
ally be postponed. We would have
North just, generous, forbearing
would not excuse the enormity in
lth Carolina of the election to the
Ich Of Moses and Whipper, nor il
lisiana the proceedings OF Durell. We
not expect the North always to b'
G or discreet; but we would, in th'