Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-04-03
From the Republic.
HOW THE REBEL SOUTH OBTAIN CON
TROL.

From the Republic.
HOW THE REBEL SOUTH OBTAIN C0N-
TROL.
That the sectional spirit which produced
our civil war in the interests of slavery
and Democracy is not dead, but that it ex-
lists in other more dangerous forms, be-
cause more insidious, has been made evi-
dent from the conduct of the Democratic
majority in the House of Representatives.
1t is a noteworthy, as well as alarming
fact, to observe that since the ex rebel
States have been re-admitted to represen-
tation in Congress but two men have been
elected thereto by Southern Democratic
votes, who were in any way identified
with the Union cause. These are Andrew
johnson, elected to the United States Sem
ate by Democratic Legislature. though
in the main opposed by its ex-rebel men,
bers, and Representative John Hancock.
of Texas, who held Brigadier's commits
sion in the Union service.
The manner; too. in which the. Confed-
crate Democracy have almost wholly OBJ
tanned control of all the Southern States
is in keeping with the spirit which inaugu-
rated the shareholders rebellion. The ex-
rebel States returned ffty-six Democrats
and seventeen Republicans to the present
House; while in the Senate they are now
represented by eleven Democrats and ten
Republicans, Zone seat being vacant.) Of
the Democratic Senators, six CO. were
rebel army officers, one a judicial officer,
and one other. (Caperton. of West Virgin
ia,) was a Senator in the Confederate
Congress. One Republican Senator
(Alcorn) was in the rebel State
service, and another (Robertson) resided
South during the progress of the civil
war. In the House, of the fifty-six (56)
Democrats, forty-one (4) held prominent
positions in the Confederacy; thrty-three
being military officers, seven being in the
Confederate Congress, one being its Vice
President, and another member of the
rebel Cabinet. Others occupied State po-
sitions of Importance. The remaining
ex-Confederates are from Missouri and
Kentucky.
The manner in which the South has been
possessed by the counter-rebellion ought
to be well understood by this time. Yet
there are those who dispute the truth of
history. Of the sixty-three representa-
tives now in Congress from the States
that rebelled. at least twenty-five (22) OF
them hold such seats in consequence OF
organized social ostracsm, violence, and
murder. The malfeasance of Mr.. Bel.
KNAPP is a crime committed by one man,
for which when proven severe punish.
ment is Justly due, and will be surely
meted out to the offender. But how much
greater is that offense through which men
three at least, hold seats from the State o
Mississippi in the National House of Rep
resentatives by reason OF an organized
system of intimidation, outrage, and as
sassinalion, general and personal, set in
motion for political purposes, and carried
out as a party measure by the obedien1
and willing members of the Southern De-
mocracy. Belknap's act was personal
and not partisan. That system of organ
lied assassination by which the Confeder-
ate Democrats obtain seats in Congress,
and 10 so doing destroy the rights of citi-
xens. is national outrage and atrocious
crime against liberty. The twenty-five
seats now fraudulently occupied offset the
honest representation from the States Of
Connecticut, (6.) Rhode Island, (2,) New
Hampshire. (3,) Massachusetts, I'D in
all, twenty-five members.
The processes by which this has been
L