Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-10-28
The Issues of ls7e--not the Issues
of 1880.
BY JAMES NJ. MASON.

The leaders Of the Republican party are
anxious to create an impression and are adroit
to impress upon the Northern mind that the
Democracy seeks to undo the results OF the
war: that the South is solid to accomplish by
the ballot what she attempted with the sword.
They must palm of on the North this mon-
strous nonsense to carry the election, and II
they do succeed it will be because they are
able, by means OF a corrupt partisan press, TO
deceive q majority Of the voters OF that sec
tiun.
The absurlity of this charge is apparent TO
every man acquainted with the status Of aliairs
at the South, and when we speculate as To the
probable result Of the canvass we should IN
0uire. not whether the charge is well founded
or not, but whether those leaders and that
press will be able to deceive aud caJOle ma
iority of those patriotic voters who, caring
nothing for the personal elevation oil THIS or
that politician, are intent only upon the pub
lie veal aud seek TO cast their votes Tor the
side most likely to restore their country to lis
former prosperity and happiness.
The war decided the Union must not be
broken and that Slavery should not exist. The
question of secession is settled and no one m
Inmates that any State either claims the rlsht
or exhibits desire to secede. That doctrine
is settled. The decision in respect to slavery
opened several collateral issues which have
been determined by the people since the sur
render. The popular voice has given to the
negro the right Of suffrage. Being free be
occupied an anomalous position In these
latter days it is difficult to conceive OF four
million citizens excluded from political power.
Once and not many years ago, no man
could, unless possessed OF freehold, but that
day has passed and the accepted theory OF the
age is, for every one 10 enjoy the same measure
Of political power Perhaps the system
which gives to Tiden and to the street-sweep
the same voice in public affairs, is wrong.
but still il is, and was in 1865 the declared
policy of the different States. Hence it was
not difficult to con fer suffrage upon the ne
groes although it was conceded that not one
! in ten thousand had the faintest conception OF
single political principle. The bayonei dc,
cided he should be free aud majority declared
that he should vote
These two results of the war, one direct
and the other consequential, are recognized
everywhere as fixed facts, aud it is susceptible
Of demonstration that the South would not II
|
ouired political equality. Ii is trle, VII the
Republican leaders FIST proposed to eufranchIse
people entirely disqualified ny their pre-
yious habits of life for the intelligent exercise
of political power, those who had the good
Of their country at heart protested against the
manifest outrage. 1t is true, when they flrSt
proposed to place under the control OF an eie-
ment in society, that was absolutely ignorant
Of the first principles Of government, whole
States bleeding from all the countless wounds
of recent war States which in their then ex-
hausted condition needed the most skillful
nursing and the most prudent legislation, the
American mind was shocked; it was like
sending an idiot TO physc dying Ring. But
passions were excited by the struggle between
President johnson and the radical wing OF
the Republican party, and those who then
ruled at Washington failed to realize the stu
pendous folly of that act. 1t was bunder
which continuing the miseries of war through
eleven years of peace has parlyzed all the
energies of the most productive section OF our
country, has retarded the growth OF the Union
upwards Of billion of dollars and which has
warped and distorted the very foundations OF
our political system. The deed was done ;
the evil of it has been accomplished; the
worst is over After ten years Of proStration
the South has attained the point she would
have reached within six months alter Lees
surrender had she been left 10 the patriotic
counsels of her own sons, who were thorough
" informed as to the domestic requirements
of her situation. That section has lost ten
years Of her life, the nation has lost billion
of treasure, our political system has been radl-
cally, perhaps fatally, altered, and all this III
order to continue for few years the personal
supremacy of less than dozen political lead
erS.
But when the proposition, suddenly to en-
franchise the negro. first came 10 the South
there were many experienced sagaciOus, calcu-
lating men in that section more than ready TO
accept il. They saw what the Empires a,
Washington did dot realize first, the future IN
fluence of the cotton States with their repre-
sentatiou thus augmented second. that the
black vote would inevitably be guided by the
superior intelligence of the white race. They
well knew that t would be directed, not by
violence, not by intimidation, but by that
moral influence which education and wealth
always exerts over ignorance and poverty; by
that silent, unobtruSive, yet none the less Ell
fectivc moral suasion which the mll-owner Of
Lowell wiclds over the operatives in his factory
Hence these men Of the South, not only look
ed forward 10 an early day when the negro
vote would be thus managed by the most in-
telligent and patriotic element Of Southern So
ciety, but they comprebended what the pseu-
DO statesmen of the S9th Congress, intent only
upon temporary party success, failed to rccog-
nize. that this blunder, although for time 1t
might retard the growth of the country, yet
wouldeventually obtain forthe cotton States that
| JUS, share Of power in the councils at Wash
ington of which they were deprived when ex-
cludcd from the territories.
The expectations of the Republican leaders
| in 1865 may be thus formulated; The negroes
will Join our party they constituted majority
| in several States therefore we will give them
political supremacy they will ruin the South
| but offset our losses at the North and perpet-
uate our personal power. That is to say, a
helpless minority in the North supplemented
by the black vote of the South would domi-
neer over the whole country. Such was the
programme of 1865, but there was this error
in the calculation ignorance instDctlvely
seeks counsel of intelligence as the child takes
advice from bis parent the street-sweep dis
trusting his own Judgment follows the occu-
pant OF browu-stOne front human nature
is the same the world over and the negro OBJ
tains wisdom from his white nei ;bbor whose
political interests are necessarily identical with
his own. Thus, the South, increased two
tifths, is about to present a solid front against
4 Al. Il. Il