New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-30
Especial Correspondence of the Republican
NORTHERN POLITICS..

Especial Correspondence of the Republican
NORTHERN POLITICS..
The Confederate Power-The Negro Power
and the Future of tho Union.
Boston, July "a, 1876.
The other day called on the managing
editor of one of the leading papers of Bos-
ton and we fell into the following converse
ton in regard to Southern affairs:
Boston Editor-It is plain that the South
! is political unit once more.
Correspondent Remuneration begin
to see thats
Boston Editor-Yes that is plain.
Correspondent-For what does this unit
stand!
Boston EditOr-It seems to me that it
must control the government if not checked.
You see there are the 1873 votes in the cleo
toral college which the South represents.
1t only needs q few more votes TO make
this the government. This presents a great
peril We must in some way get rid of it.
Correspondent-True, but how do you
propose to get rid of it,
This question brought my editorial friend
to ct and-still. He had no reply to make,
SO l yentured to help him out Of his diff
Guilty as follows:
Correspondent-You must find power
somewhere at the South as the counter
pose of this Confederate power and this
power must be national in it's instincts
aid American in its sympathies.
Boston Editor-That is true.
Correspondent-The negro power pre-
sents such counterpoise.
Boston Editor-The nation must build on
the negro. There is no help for it.
Correspondent-Who else can you build
on at the SOuthl
Another pause.
Correspondent-Didi it ever occur to you
Union9 That he may become, under the ne
cessity of self-protection, an enemy of the
Uniou9 Have you ever thought Of this.
Boston Editor-Yes, / have. 1t is this
contingency which fear in the future of
our politics. If the negro abandon the
cause of the North the Union is gone!
Twas startled at this declaration. The
man uttered it with deep earnestness. Such
an unexpected confirmation OF my own
views made a deep impression on me. l
therefore determined to continue this
feature of our conversation.
Correspondent-Do you not see that you
have gone too far with the emancipated
race to abandon it now! 1t ia impossible to
check the growth of this race or its pro-
gress in culture and intelligence. You can
not trihe with it.
Boston Editor-That is true, and it is
clear to me that the North must put forth
all it's power to build up the negro and at
tach him to the Union. We can not build
On tho Confederate power.
The'balance of the conversation was Of
the same character. Here then we have a
clear conception of the Southern peril in
it's three-fold aspect, entering at last into
the convictions of the men who create and
direct public sentiment at the North. G.,
First, The fact and character of the Con-
tederate power; secondly, The existence
and nature of the negro power: thirdly,
The relation of each of these to the future
stability of the American Union. When
these convictions become fixed in the
Northern mind the Southern Confederates
will find themselves suddenly confronted
with new "diffic ulty," and one which will
prove dangerous to their purposes.
The facts which here give possess Pc
culiar interest for all those who are work
ing for peaceful, just and wise solution of
the Southern problem. 1t shows that so
long as the Confederate power, as such,
continues in existence as political force
in Southern society, that the negro power,
as such, will, by the operation of the color
line policy, exist as political force also.
1t shows that as between these two forces
the North will be forced to side with the
negro power in the certain race conflict
which must sooner or later grow out of this
color line antagonism. Let the Southern
whites bear this in mind. They can not
follow the lead of these Confederates any
further without inauguratiDg another
bloody conflict, into which the race element
will enter, the negro being the armed ally
of the North for the preservation of the
Union.
The solution of the questions which now
convuise Southern society can only be
found through peace, and the policy Of
peace can only "be made effective under
Conservative Republican auspices. Let no
Southern Confederate deceive himself for
one moment on this question. The char
acter of Governor Hayes is guarantee of
peace and prosperity to the South. There
should be no such thing at the South as
either confederate" or "negro' power.
We should be zone people, living in
peace under just laws, under one flag and
having a common destiny. Shall this be
SO, or shall there be another trial of battle
between the North and South more terrible
and bloody than the one which closed with
the surrender of Lee. B.