New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-10
Especial Corresponds nee 70 the ReIupicahi
NORTHERN POLITICS.
The Bloody SHIT.

The nolit;cal shirt recently saturated IN
human blood at Hamburg, South Carolina
promises to shake its CORY folds before tne
faces of the people at the North, do wnat
nol;.;cians nav to exercise it. It Will not
..down.v Lamar. of Mississippi, who de-
clares on his ..honor" on the floor OF the
American Congress, that he is more an
American than q Confederate, waves tn's
shirt aloft, and seeks by penltenIsi
:ears TO wash away its sts.ns. The nation
looks upon this interesting performance IN
silence, for this Lamar performance means
a great deal or it means nothing. Ihe
United States Senate also calls upon Tie
President for any official facts IN the pcs
session of the government bearing npon
the massacre at Hamburg. The President
responds in a message which rings forth the
clear tone Of eelf.evident truth, SO self
evident chat even party malignlty can not
dispute it's facts. The press sill over the
North is full of the "bloody shirt" business,
and so We have this Issue at last entering
the presidential contest in spite OF all efforts
70 suppress it.
Under these circumstances it is interest
ing to watch the policy OF the leading
Northern organ of the Confederate power.
The New York World, seeing the danger OF
the Issue thus imp,udently raised by its
Southern allies, hastens to contrive means
of escape by which its party will be saved
from the consequences Of this last act OF
Confederate terrorism and folly. In doing
this it becomes necessary to get rid of the
one material witness whose testimony in
the South Carolina affair will be accepted
all over the North. That witness is Gov
ernor Chamberlain. The man whom the
World and all the other Democratic papers
have been landing to the skies as per Sc a
true representative OF Southern conserva-
tism, ie suddenly placed in . position where
his word is called for in order to settle the
question Of responsibility for the recent
Hambur massacre. What Governor
Casmberlain's testimony will be-indeed,
what that testimony isis no longer mat
ter of doubt. He places the responsibility
where it belongs. He calls the Hamburg
butchery q political assassination. He
charges that the "Ccntede1ates" rerpetra-
Ted the crime. He shows that Georgia
Confederates invaded the State Of
South Carolina in order to perpstrate
the crime; that the invasion was uppro-
vnked and revolutionary in character.
Thus the material fact in this ugly
business is proven. The motive which
prompted the crime the witness does not
deal with. He simply deals with facts.
The question Of motive is question for the
Jury which is now trying this case. This
question of motive will be fully discussed
az the North between this and November.
The Republicans charge that the motive for
the Hamburg massacre is the determination
on the part Of the Confederate leaders to
unity the South in the political interest
Of the Northern Democratic party. So the
question stands. As before, stated the
World proposes to meet this dangerous is
sue at once and effectively. 1t proceeds to
attack Governor Chamberlain by a process
of indirection which is exceedingly adroit
In order to show the nature of the attack
l here reproduce the Worlds editorial of
to-day on Southern politics:
THE PROSPECT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
In making up the table of States which
are certain or likely to be carried by the
Democracy in November, South Carolina
has been reckOned as lost to the party be-
yond hope of redemption. This seems to
US as by no means q surety. provided that
the Democratic of the State itself are
neither benumbed by long continued op.
promises made them from the ranks of their
opponents. The prospect Of success IN
South Carolina is certainly not more hope
less in 1876 than that which presented itself
to the Democrats Of Mississippi in 1875. In
both States the cvlored vote was in large
majority over the white, and was believed
70 be unit for whatever ticket was pro-
posed by the Radical leaders. Such was
undoubtedly the result in the fret years
after the war; but, as the negroes began to
feel the effects OF bad government IN pro-
por.ionate degree as they gathered little
property or failed to secure employment,
because OF the ruin of all industrial in
teres.s in the State, there were very many
with each returning year who repudlated
the leadership of the white scoundrels
whose raecality became at last as evident
to the neglO as to the white. and either
voted with their employers or refused to
vote at all. These changes were gradual.
but progressive; and when final deter.
mined effort was made to wrench control
of the State from the hands of those who
had ruled only to rob, thousands of whites
who had not voted since the war, and thou
sands Of negroes of the better class united
in the majority which triumphantly carried
Mississippi into the Democratic ranks, and
has since assured the State of future pros
perity and present good order, peace and
honest government. In Mississippi the Re-
publican majorities at the successive State
elections were as follows:
In 1863, 38 089
IN 4oo
The Democrats thus went into the cam
paign of 1875 with majority of over p 900
against them, and swept the State by clear
majority of 80, l47.
In South Carolina the Republican majori-
ties in successive State elections have been
as follows:
In 1870 % SSl
In l8II..... soo
In SoS
A like reduction of the Radical vote in
to the Democracy by handsome majority.
While it is probable that some OF the causes
which operated in Mississippi are absent in
the Palmetto State, it is evident to the most
casual observer of South Carolina politics
that the Radical leaders are quarreling Bit
terly among themselves, and that there is
now q split between the two wings which it
seems impossible to heal. 1t is the old story
Of the rogues falling out about the spoils.
and it is the part of honest men to profit bv
their disputes. 1t will be seen that change
Of only 5795 votes is necessary to secure a
Democratic success. The misrule Of the
Radical leaders and the wholesale robberies
and consequent high taxes affect the hon.