The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1876-12-23
THE SITUATION.
BY EMERSON BENTLEY.


the Washington Star, conveys very
forcibly true idea of the present sit
uation;
The other evening, when the hopes of each
party were struggling with its fears, a col
ored orator of this city thus hit the political
preached to right sinful congregation. Dey
was stiffnecked. Dey was self-sufficient.
Dey wouldn't lis'en to nntiin. pray wild
dem. 20, Lord l say, take 'em up in de
holler oh your han an hol' 'em ober de mout
o. hell Hol' 'em dar till we scorch em an
scorch 'em. But o Lord, don't lef em drop
in So wild desc publican party. Dey
wouldn't lisen to muffin. Dey let our bredren
i'll the Souf be Inundated. Dey done bust
de Feedm's bank. Dey KEEP bad men where
dey stole more'n eber colored people does.
Now de Lords got 'em i'll de holler oh his
ham an he's holdin' of 'em ober de mouf O.
hell. An o Lord, seorch 'em and scorch 'em,
but don't lef 'em drop in! :"
Whenever the Republican party has
failed to represent the progressive
spirit of the country, and dropped
into the pathway of non-aggressive
conservatism, it has been drawn near
enough to disaster to re-awaken it
into new vigor and urge it on to
worthy deeds. Beginning the war in
1861 on the platform of Unionism un
der the constitution, and the negro
question being forced upon it by the
action of the military, and the negro
status as property under existing laws,
it hesitated in the exercise of its un-
questioned right to clothe the negro
with freeman's. privileges. The polit-
ical defeats at..the.polls of 1923 cast
a temporary gloom over the stoutest
hearts, which was made painfully in
tense by the apparent successes of
the rebel arms. The emancipation
proclamation, bold, aggressive chal-
lenge to the rising hosts of Democracy,
and assertion of fidelity to the freedom
loving sense of Republicans, at once
changed the situation, and the tri-
umphant reelection of Abraham Lin
coin to the presidency followed in
1864, and the collapse of the Confed-
eracy early in 1865. Pausing after
the close of the rebellion, toying with
the johnson policy, brought into new
lif. .l,.inp alan,x,nta .,f o,,to o,,p;oo,
and the penalty was paid in the South
ern riots and loss of life 1866 to 1868.
policy of protection to
citizenship, it achieved victory in 1868
and 1872. Recently, under the opiates
of conservatism and the willy sopllistry
of Bourbon demagognes, the sacrifice
of loyal lives before the shotgun cru
sade has proceeded without check OF
redress of an adequate kind, until,
on the verge of a revolu-
tionary abyss, that no prophet may
fathom or see the way clearly across,
it has been foand necessary to make
a careful survey of republican sur
roundings.
The affairs OF the Southern States
must pass under rigid scrutiny, and
out of that scrutiny must come just
er, wiser policy than heretofore pur-
sued-a policy beneficial to all class
es and honorable to the government;
Il policy of more perfect suppression
Df lawlessness, protection of capital
and citizenship. If there is moral
courage enough within Republican
ranks (aud the united position of the
press seems to indicate there is), the
the bravado and bluster of Democra>
cy will prove of no effect. Ruther-
ford B. Hayes will be peacefully in-
and all minor issues be re-
verted TO ordinary tribunals for set
Element. The leaders of the South
ire already represented as heading an
opposition to the extremists of North
err Democracy, and reflection must
bring to them the knowledge that a
iew desperate schemers are trying to
lse them as cats paws to take the
,hestnuts out of the fire; while the
'ecord of Hayes as a soldier and civil.
an makes it certain that wise states
lies in the direction of gem
,rous and cordial support of his ad-
by them.
Republicans must hold firm to their
awful and righteous election of
Iayes, until the aggressive array of
he defenders of violence and fraud is
dispersed aud broken. The crisis
passed. the grand old party of free
ION may attain to greater confidence
md majorities in the campaigns of
he future, for its work is not done
nd tho 4. ~ snsfioa mill hnlh