The daily gazette., 1876-06-07
For the Gazette. "


The fabulous and curious editorial
in the Commercial of Saturday, makes
the statement that there are three is
sues now before the cedntry-finsnce,
restoration and reform and the De-
mocrats cannot deal successfully with
these, bat the Republicans can. Now,
is not this assertion sihgularly pre-
sumptlous IL not imprudentf AS to
finances, the Republicans have had
these in hand for - or IS years, and
were they ever In worse condition, q
greater want Of money, or less of it.
Did not General Grant in his first mes.
sage, eight years ago, promise speedy
resumption of specie payment; have
they not whispered it to the ear and
broke it to the hope; and. if the past
is any guide, what assurance can the
Republicans give as to doing any bet
ter for the future? Certainly it ought
to be our immediate wisdom to turn
the Republicans out and try the de-
mocrats. Certainly we cannot have
worse times, and we may hope for the
better. And then, as to restoration of
the South, the Republicans have fatal
ly failed. The Republicans of Lin
Ooib . uuy Ole uOt IuO lsCpuDiiCauo Va
the preseut day. 1t is we'll known that
Lincoln acknowledged the right in
slaves; that it was too much to require
that they should be set free without
pay; that it was held out as the policy
of the Government, to induce the
South to come in; that such an exam
pie of msgnanimity should be shown
them as no other nation ever did,
When the South surrendered, they be-
gan the policy, hence General Grants
terms, hence General Sherman's terms,
hence .Lincoln's plan of reconstruction,
and hence the South voting to do away
with slavery, aud which could not
have been done without their vote.--
Justice and truth were meeting togeth-
er, righteousness, and peace kissing
together. This was the policy of
Abraham Lincoln, VIM, FL. Seward,
and the Cabinet in general. Men who
had read history, and well knew that
by acts of magnanimity they might
wipe out the mark of hostility between
the North and South or perpetrate it
for hundred years. They knew too,
there was philosophy in it, religion in
it, philanthropy; nationality, prosper
ity in it. When, unfortunately,
Abraham Lincoln fell, and Andrew
Johnson succeeded to the Presidency,
elected by the same vote of Abraham
Lincoln's committee on the same prin-
ciples, the extremist of the Republi-
can party, who Abraham Lincoln was
able to hold back, demanded increased
severity, and having grown into power
by mad passion, rather than reason en-
deavored to throttle the President,
throttle the Government, and throttle
the South; hence the increased amend
ments and prosecutions by which the
South was placed in subjugations,
! honest and high-minded men and mas
ters placed under serfs, Ignorance
over knowledge, white men under
negroes, and Northern carpet>baggers
and taskmasters love was required for
hatred. But how could the South love
that which was unlovely. Then fol-
lowed their fiagellations, mistaken
folly of the Republicans TO think that
by belted warriors, they could drag
goop the South into di.honorable sub
mission; it is mistaken philosop by to
think that by sword, thumbscrew and
oppression they could command their
love and surveillance, or that either
the mind or heart is to be, changed
by the point of the sword. Fraud, in
justice and intolerance can never be-
get peace, happiness or prosperity,
whether it be done to man or ma
tion, or half of nation, hence the
failure of Republican reconstruction :.
Their liberty was tyranny. That of
their freedman swas licentious to eat
other mems potatoes and chickens;
was not to work but 10 rule. hence
cotton and rice would not grow, and
those great staples of the South, which
before were the mediums of inter.
change and export, and brought into
this country the golden currency; and
hence the dearth that has prevailed in
all that could promote restoration and
prosperity, and the prevalence of all
that could deprcss and blight the pros
poets of the people of this fair land,
H.