New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-24
Especial Correspondence Of the Republican ]
NORTHERN POLITICS.
State Rights vs.. State Sovereignty.


Nothing shows more clearly the dan
gerous drift Of Southern politics than the
attack made by the Confederate press upon
the recent military order of the War De-
partment and upon the instructions of the
Attorney General Of tie United States
which accompanied that order. Examined
carefully, this concurrent act of the Judicial
and War Departments OF the executive ad-
uipistration Of the government will be
found to define an important principle, in
which the Southern States are more inter-
ested than any other portion of the Union.
That principle is found in the recognized
concurrent authority and equality of rights
as between the States and the general gov
ernment, which the war order to which
allude, and the accompanying instructions
frcm the Office Of the Attorney General,
define in manner so clear that he who
runs may read. The problem which we are
now to solve in this country is the one so
clearly set forth in Attorney General Tatt's
opinion. That problem consists in harmonic
ing local self government and local lib.
erty with national authority and ma
tional unity. The purpose of the
government in this instance is to
check lawlessness at the South and
to protect citizenship in its constitutional
rights. The effect of this order will be to
throw the best element of Southern society
back upon moral agencies and moral influ-
ences in the solution of the race problem,
which confronts Us as people, and in the
work OF moral reconstruction which lies be-
fore u.s. 1t says to the great body of South
ern whites, "You shall be protected in your
rights fully; you ehall possess all the powers
of local self-government; you shall have
full and equal representation in the na-
tional Congress, but the government will
not permit you to organize revolution and
race conflict; the colored citizen has his
rights also, and these shall be protected
equally with your own" If the spirit of
this policy could be adopted by the South
ern Confederates, we should have peace
and reconciliation in one year. More than
that, we should have natural, and needed,
and healthful change OF administration of
the national government, brought about by
the aid of enlightened Republican at the
North, whe are fully aware of the fact that
the long possession of power by any one
party breeds of necessity corruption and
other evils. On the other hand, the ''shot-
gun" argument, the White League organi-
cations at the South, added to Southern Sec
<Ia xrhy will
not overthrown, force the Union finally
into Capitalization, and military centrAliza-
ton at that, if need be. The one argument
at the North now which is bearing down all
opposing arguments, even as the reaping
machine mows down field after field of
wheat, ia the existence of this Southern
sectionalism as an organized political force
within the Union. '.The united South or
the United States-which shall rule!" This
is the grand battle cry of Northern Repub
lcans to-day, and it sweeps every thing be-
fore it.
In speaking thus l epsak as q Southern
man, as a former elave owner and as q
lover of local liberty, and as believer in
federative system Of government. Per
sonally, have found no trouble in adjust
ing my own relations with my colored fel-
low citizen. treat him as q man and try
to influence him by moral agencies. find
that he responds to my efforts. Nor do
find any difficulty in adjusting my relations
with the government. l simply do what
would do if 1 were in the monarchy of
England or the republics of Switzerland
and France-that is, obey the laws and
social consequence and culture and family
throughout the South would try this ex-
pertinent and add to it the "schoolhouse
and fair wages for work for the colored
people, they would awaken suddenly to the
consciousness that the American 81 stem of
government is good one, and that the
negro loses nothing of his value as a
iaborer because he is free, because he is edu-
Gated, and because he is citizen. l know
two or three planters who have tried the
same experiment in South Carolina, and
the result in every case has been mutual
benefit and mutual good will. One of the
gentlemen is sent regularly to the State
Legislature by the voluntary action of the
colored voters of his district. He told me
with his own lips that he never planted so
proftably; that he experienced no trouble
whatever with his labor, and that he was
very willing to give his people the benefit
of his educ -tion and legislative experience
in the framing of good laws for their mu-
tual benefit. Another planter upon whom
l called gave me the ga me testimony
II understand" 1 said to this South
Carolinian. "that you have solved the
much talked of labor problem"
Eyes, I think have" was the reply.
'Will you let me have your secret" l
asked.
"It is no great secret. My plan is good
wagee. prompt pay and kind treatment
And so it would be all over South Care
lima if the same policy was pursued. And
yet while these sensible men are accumu-
lating wealth, there are hundreds of others
in that State whose lands are going to ruin,
and who seek to counteract the evils of
false industrial system by violence and
party politics.
1 ailude to these considerations in this
simply to show that the labor
question and tha social relations OF the
races at the South would adjust themselves
under national laws, through local self gov.
in each State, if we could be once
freed from the evil influence and evil lead
ership of certain men who have fastened