Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-07-29
WAS TILDEN RIGHT2

and Vice President. The attendance at
that convention was not quite so large,
nor yet so full of assumed confidence as
the one of the same party which a month
since sweled the transient population of
st. Louis. Some of the States represent
ed at the late convention, we're engaged
in the pleasant occupation Of playing the
part OF portions Of new Confederacy,
and consequently failed to send direct
representation to the Chicago gathering.
But that those States were fully repre-
sented the record of the conventions pro-
ceedings fully show.
Mr.. Tilden, the present Democratic
nominee for President was a prominent
member Of the Chicago convention, rep
resenting in par: the great State of New
York. He is credited with the Guthor-
ship of the famous, or Infamous les0lu-
tion declaring that four years of war had
only proved failure, and recommending
cessation Of hostiities in order that
terms of peace could be made on the ba-
sis Of the union of the States. People
who had watched the progress Of events
and were convinced by their inexorable
logic were slow to believe Mr.. Tilden
and the convention, as was evidenced by
the fact that the Democratic nominee re-
ceived the votes of but three States
But the times change and we have chang.
ed with them, and looking at Mr. Tilden's
resolution in the light OF the present, it
does seem just possible .hat the war is a
failure. For the war was waged for the
accomplishment Of certain results, and if
those results have failed to be manifest,
there Is some ground for taking Mr. Til
denis assertio1 at that time and applying
it to the present.
The war was not waSed for The mere
purposes of conquest ara subjugallon.
This is history and its truth cannot be
controverted. At its successful close
measures were at once instituted to ad
nit the States late in the rebellion to the
same relations with the Federal govern
ment held by other states, which they had
once themselves held and voluntarily
sought to cast aside. Those who had
been engaged in rebellion we're not treat
ed as conquered people to be dealt with
according to the whim of the conQuerors,
but rather as citizens who had voluntnri-
itr nd - rt.,ir
and were Mt liberty to resume their for
mer standing at any time. The except
ions to this rule at any time Stree the re.
construction measures were adopted were
so few as to be hardly worthy Of notice.
In the proof Of this we see the former
Vice President of the Confederacv, with
members of the Confederate Cabinet oc-
cupying seats in the National Legislature
and holding the influence which directs
the coun ellis of the Democratic party.
And whore thus much is conceded on the
one hand, we surely have the right to
look for concessions in turn. Do we re-
ceive them? Are the laws and authority
of the government recognized as para
amount in every State? Or are not the
Constitutional amendments pcrsistently
nulliicd by the local legislation Of some
of the RECONSTRUCTED" States If so !;
if the Union is restored only 80 far as to
admit those lately IL arms against the
government to the full privileges of cti-
zanship while those who were not in
arms are oppressed, deprived of citizen
ship on frivolous pretexts, or butchered
like hogs in the shambles for the crime Of
being black in "white mans" country,
then certainly, the four years of war was
failure.
That such condition exists in some
parts Of the South, none but the most
blinded partisan will attempt to deny.
1t is sheer folly to talk Of throwing aside
the "bloody shirt" and hurying the trag-
ical events Of the past, when the South
ern Democrats persist in Il course which
can not fail to keep unpleasant remrm-
brance be ore the people. When public
sentiment at the South so lar dlsapprOves
such acts as the Ham burg massacre as to
bring the murderer, to justice, will be
time enough to talk about forgetting the
evils of the war. There is no use in per.
petnating memories which can do no
good. 1t is far better to forget them
and go forward together in seeking the
general good. II the course 5 of 81 h
men MS Lamar could prevail, then peo
pie could have better faith in Democratic
motives. Bat with Democratic major
ity in one branch of Congress which
sneer at established truths of murder and
violence, it begins to look ms if the war
was failure and Mr.. Tilden right.