Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-06-27
CAN THE SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS BE
PROTECTED

10,
President Grant ''makes it really safe for
Southern Republicans to vote, Hayes and
Wheeler will almost certainly carry Louisi-
ana, Mississippi, and Florida, with their
twenty electoral votes and it is by no
means impossible that they will carry Ala
bama." This is just statement, But the
question comes up, at once, whether 1t is
ia the power of the President to afford due
protection to the Southern Republicans, and |
to 80 far free tine elections in the South |
from the outrageous intimidation and vio-
lence by which the ex-Oonfederates have
carried them, that free, fair expression |
can be had. We confess that we had given
up the hope of this in such States as Mis-
sssippi and Louisiana, and proba-
bly, in Alabama. In South Carroll
ma and Florida, the Republicans
retain tiie advantage of having Governors |
who will use the power Of the State, and |
stand ready to invoke that of the general |
government, for their protection, and in |
such States as North Carolina, Tennessee, |
and Kentucky, there is, fortunately, a large
whlte element in the Republican organiza-
tion, Which is able to secure safety to the
colored voters and give degree of fairness
to the election.
That the Confederate expectation of
united Southern vote for the st. Louis can
didate is based upon the presumption that
the same old outrages can be freely used to
break up tie colored vote is perfectly we'll
known and appreciated. The Republicans
have abandoned Mississippi, for instance,
not because majority of the people
are Democratic at all, but because
it pp3ared that the armed vio-
lence Of the other side would wave tri-
umphan1 over the elections, and effectually
deter the peoples liberty of choice. But if
the President shall be able to protect the
elections, ard to strike down the sssassins
who have carried them at the point Of the
bowie-knife and muzzle of the rife then we
may cheerfully look forward to a very diff
ferent result i'll the South. With freedom
Of expression OIL the part OF the colored
men, at fair election where Confederate
violence and outrage were absent, there ie
not a reasonable doubt that Hayes and
Wheeler would carry North Carolina, South
Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana, with AZ electoral votes. This
would greatly change the Confederate pro-
gramme of moving upon the North with
solid column VI Southern States, in the old
fashioned sectional style that prevailed be-
fore the War; and would completely knock
the bottom out of the calculations that are
now made for the St. Louis candidates
How much President Grantc can do we are
not able to see. The work of protecting
elections is delicate, difficult, and sure to
encounter objection. Ii past years the op-
position wss so great that the nation at
last abandoned all effort to protect the
coIored voters OF the South, and left them,
naked and dofsnceless, to the slaughter OF
the Ku Klux and the White Liners" 1t
was policy at once c)wardly, cruel, and
deficient of every principle of justice. Per-
haps something better can be done in this
year Of Centennial enthusiasm for the right
-o--
New York dealer in fire-crackors has
narrowly escaped earning the everlasting
gratitude of large portion of the people.
He had set to work to make " corner in
crackers, and run up the price to some
enormous figure. Unfortunately, he failed,
or we might now be reveling in the blissful
satisfaction Of seeing crackers offered at
ten dollare ii pack, and torpedoes at fifty
cents apiece. The name Of this genuine
philanthropist has not been made public.
The Washington Republican gays "a
casual glance across The plains OF politics
will reveal the fact that the fences are rap
idly unloading, and the straddlers are gem
orally getting down on the Republican
side' This is quite true and it is testimo-
ny to the wisdom of nominating Hayes and
Wheeler. II the Convention at Cincinnati
had not selected so judiciously the strad-
dlers might have got down on the other
side.
Reports from st. Louis, last night, rep
resent Tildon as holding his own, but as
the nominations will probably be made in
time for report in to-day's late editions OF
the COMMERCIAL any speculations en- the
probable action of the Convention would be
thrown away.
Courage.
A great deal of talent is lost in the
world for the want OF little courage
Every day sends to the grave number Of
obscure men, who have only remained il
obsourity because their timditv has pre-
vented them from making first effort anC
who, il they could have been induced t.
begin, would in all probability have gone
great lengths in fame. The fact is, to do
ANYTHING IN thn world .rnrtIA d.i.,.. -. -