Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-10-25
THE NEW CONSPIRACY.
What is Meant by the Restoration of
the Confederate Democracy
to Power.

The Vital Issues of 1875 Con-
sidered.
The surrender at Appomattox closed
the war, and yielded the dominion of
the Confederacy to the undisputed
authority of the National Government;
but in the transfer of the conflict from
the field to the forum, the nation was
confronted with consequences of the
struggle as grave as the war itself.
Eleven States were found in social and
political chaos, and all form of civil
government therein destroyed. The
highest considerations of craftsmanship
and sound policy dictated that they
should be speedily reconstructed and
restored to their constitutional rela-
tons in the Union: but how was that
to be accomplished Four millions of
emancipated slav and five millions of
disloyal citizenspnay be said to have
composed the e. ire population out of
which the propos I'd governments we're
to be formed. /. the nature of things,
the conduct of tie late Confederates in
this new and wholly changed relation
of citizenship became subject of anx-
ious inquiry. He had surrendered the
sword of rebellion at home, and the
arts of diplomacy abroad, and sworn
to renew his allegiance; but could he
be trusted to found the free and loyal
gOvernm ents on basis of complete
and veritable freedom for all, and to
aid in securing within those States the
result of the nations victory?
FALSE TEACHINGS.
Unfortunately there was little in his
antecedents to inspire confidence. The
education that made secession and re-
bellion easy had imbued his mind
with the most pernicious heresies. The
disciple of Calhoun, or the devotee of
Davis, Slidell, and Yancey, he was in
doctrinated with a measure of politi-
cal poison which the fire of battle in
tensified and consecrated rather than
destroyed. These teachings constituted
his very best conception of the nature
of government, and his rights and du-
ties as citizen. The impractibility of
maintaining them by rebellion was
settled, but the deep. seated convictions
which prompted that effort remained
unchanged.
Yet, Notwithstanding these embar-
rassm ents which attended the expert
ment of reconstruction, and made wise
and prudent men falter in the adop-
ton of policy, the sworn enemy,
who had just surrendered his treason
with broken heart, and had given no
evidence that he could be trusted as a.
worthy citizen, was promptly restored
to all the rights and privileges he had
forfeited, and the States he was des-
tined to control were readmitted TO the
Union with largely increased political
power.
THE VITAL ISSUE,
But there were national considera-
| tons quite as vital as those peculiarly
local to the south. In 1861 the Repre-
sentatives in Congress from the slave
states, numbered "a, against 159 from
the states then free, while under the
present apportionment they have 1O6
to 1876 from the north. Thus, solid
southern vote, which the Democracy
have determined to secure in the
election next November at all hazards,
with only 40 Representative from the
north, will give the south undisputed
control of that body, while it will re-
quire only 10 votes from the north to
also give it control Of the Senate. Ac-
cording to this basis it will be seen fur
thermo1e that with the addition of
only AZ electoral votes to the 1873 be-
longing to the south that section will
be enabled to elect President and
Vice-President, and enter upon abso-
lutte control Of the Government It
was this alarming possibility, which
now presents itself in practical and
threatening form, that made men
doubt the wisdom of any system of
southern restoration which might ever
enable the rebel citizen to gain the as
cendancy and take possession of the
Republic. A brief experience of ten
years has demonstrated that the fears
and misgivings Of those times were in
deed well founded. Not content with
the usurpation of authority in half the
states of the south by means that tram
pie under fooG every essential princi-
pie of reconstruction and hold the laws
of God and man in utter defiance, they
propose now, by the same nefarious
system, to usurp the authority of the
nation.
This being the manifest spirit of the
combined master element of the south,
which to-day is better organized and
more thoroughly united and determin-
ed than at any time since it surrender
ed on the field, it is pertinent to in
quire with what temper it approaches
the National Capital.
SLAVERY VERSUS FREEDOM.
It is well known that two distinct sets
of ideas have long divided the north
and the south. The North has ever
been jealous of her institutions of free
dom and protected all her citizens alike
in their enjoyment. Freedom of
speech, freedom of practical thought
and action under the widest
attitude, and patriotic, par
amount loyalty to the nation
have been held as cardinal tenets