National Republican., 1876-09-22
WHY DO NOT SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS
MEET FORCE WITH FORCE?

10 CeIeDu themselves from Ine aJlempLS lC
break up and disturb their political assem-
blies, and especially at the immunity from
interference which the Democratic offend
ers seem TO enjoy, not only in States where
the government is in Democratic hands, bu
where it is controlled by Republicans, as in
South Carolina. 1t is an evidence of an
entire ignorance of the character OF the
mass of Southern Republicans and of the
relative situation of the two parties. 1t is
obvious that if either political party in the
North should organize bands and arm them
for the purposes of intimIdating, breaking
up or otherwise disturbing the meetings Of
their opponents, such an outrage would be
instantly repelled by lawful force, and its
agents made to answer in the courts for the
otfense. Outside Of and superior to, all
passions and prejudices of a partisan char
acter is popular sentiment, which con-
demns and will demand the punishment OF
any interference with the constitutional
right of citizens to assemble and discuss
public questions. No political party in the
North could fail TO lose strength by any
riotous demonstration in opposition to free
discussion.
But in the States lately in rebellion
there exists among the whites little respect
for constitutional or legal rights. The
rule Of slavery and the tendencies of the
whole society of which it was the distin-
guished characteristic were destructive
not only of freedom of discussion, but of
freedom of thought, and absolutely intol-
Grant of all opinions and expressions hostile
or detrimental to the existence of the
servile relation. The will of the masters
and land owners of the vicinage was the
law of the land for the time being, and
judges and juries usually found some ex-
case for DEGREES and verdicts in accordance
Herewith, whatever may have been the
letter of the law written in the statute
books or established as sound precedents
in general. The tyranny of this local
opinion of the oligarchs nodded not only
the character of the oligsrchs themselves,
but also of the slaves and the "poor white
trash" The habits of thought and action
among these men have not essentially
changed, although the institutions on and
by which such habits were formed have
been swept away by the rude hand of war,
and the written statutes of the nation and
the States show so palpable signs of revolu.
tion and progress. The white land owner
is still the despot of his neighborhood, aud
the body of land owners are still the
tyrants of the State. Force was the natu-
raj instrument OF the master in controlling
his slaves in other days, and he resorts as
instinctiyely 10 it now as duck to " 4ter
II is of the men with this education and
these an,ecedents that the Democratic
party of the South is made up.
On the other ba nd, the Republican party
of the South consists mainly of freedmen.
Generation after generation they have been
slaves. Long submission has so ingrained
into their character the habit of obedience
that submission is instructive, and only des-
peration gives them courage to repel armed
violence. Whether it be due to the origi-
nal character of the race or to the influence
of two centuries or more of servitude, the
fact is undeniable that the negro is one of
the most traCtable, unresisting and timid of
the races of men. Among the blacks there
are few who have the nerve, the hardihood,
the discretion or the capacity necessary to
enable them to organize, discipline and con-
troll their fellows in a contest where their
rights as citizens are imperiled. Their pow
erty generally prevents the acquisition by
them of any but the rudest arms, and in
equal numbers in any conflict with the
whites, who have served in the Confede-
rate armies. or who are officered by those
who have so served, they present an oppo-
sition little more formidable than would a
company of counter-iumpers armed with
yard sticks to battalion of veteran artil-
lery.
The rifle clubs, sabre clubs, White
Liners, White Leaguers, &C., &C., are
bands drilled with the precision OF vet
Grams, knowing just their points of attack,
and knowing precisely what they propose
to do. They are provided with better arms
than they had when they met our patriot
soldiers at Bull Run OF Charlottesville.
Fifty such men can overawe and drive
from their posts thousand freedmen, and
SO terrify them that they will not again at
tend Republican gathering. The whites
know this, and use their knowledge of the
negro character in devising their plans.
Little actual violence may be necessary to
strike such terror into whole voting pre-
cinct as to prevent the holding of Republi-
can meetings, and to keep hundreds of
freedmen away from the polls on the day
of election.
Recent accounts from partisan sources
would indicate that the negro citizens of
South Carolina have at last been aroused
to some acts of violence in retaliation for
the thousands of ousrages of which they
have been made the victims. But these
statements must be taken with large allow
ances for exaggeration by Democratic re-
porters, and even, if true, furnish only an
exceptional case.
That the election, under these circum-
stances, will be farce is obvious. Louis
lana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South
Carolina and North Carolina are, undoubt
edly, Republican States whenever an abso-
lutely free vote can be polled. Yet, as
things now are, we believe it to be abso-
lutely hopeless to carry any of them except
North Carolina. In that State we have
probably forty thousand white Republican
voters, and the contest between them and
the Democrats is comparatively an equal
one. In the other States named the record
of the vote will be substantially what the
fraud, force and violence of the Democrats
choose to make it. Let us cease to boast
of our civilization or our freedom while
such outrages are possible.