The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-05-04
How the Rebel South Obtain Control

That the sectional spirit which pro-
duced our civil war in the interests OF
slavery and Democracy 10 not dead, but
that 10 exists in other more dangerous
forms, because more insidious. has been
made evident from the conduct of the
Democratic majority in the present
House of Representatives.
IL In a noteworth y, as well as an alarm
ing fact, to observe that since the ex-reb-
ell States have been readmitted to repre-
sentation in Congress bat two men have
been elected thereto by Southern Demo
cratic votes, who were in any way identi-
fed with the Union cause. These are
Andrew johnson, elected to the United
States Senate by by q Democratic Legis-
lature though in The main opposed by
its ex-rebel members, and Representative
John Hancock, of Texas. who held
Brigadier's Commission in the Union SER
vice.
The manner, too, in which the Confed-
crate Democracy have almost wholly OBJ
tanned control of all the Southern States
10 in keeping with the spirit which inau-
gurated the shareholders rebellion. The
ex-rebel States returned fifty-six Demo
Gratis and seventeen Republicans to the
present House; while in the Senate they
are now represented by eleven Democrats
and ten Republicans Zone seat being va
cant). or the Democratic Senators, six
were rebel army officers, one @ judicial
officer, and one other (Caperton, of West
Virginia. was q Senator in the Confeder-
ate Congress. One Republican Senator
(Alcorn) was in the rebel State service.
and another (Robertson) resided South
during the progress of the civil war In
the House. OF the fifty-six Democrats, for
ty-one held prominent positions in the
Confederacy; thirty-three being military
officers, seven being In the Confederate
Congress, one being its Vice President,
and another q member of the rebel Cabi-
net. Others occupied State positions of
Importance. The remaining ex-Confede-
rates are from Missouri and Kentucky.
The manner in which the South has
been possessed by the counter-rebellion
ought to be well understood by this time
Yet there are those who dispute the
truth of history. OF the sixty-three rep
resentatives now in Congress from the
States that rebelled. nc least twenty two
of them hold such seats in consequence
of organized social ostracism, violence,
and murder. The malfeasance of Mr..
Belknap is q crime committed by one
man, for which when proven a severe
punishment 10 justly due, and will be
surely meted out to the offender But
how much greater is that offense through
which men, three at least, hold seats
from the State of Mississippi in the Ma
tional House of Representatives by rea.
SON of an organized system of intimida-
tion, outrage, and assassination, general
and personal, set in motion for political
purposes, and carried out as a party mea.
sure by the obedient and willing mem
bers of the Southern Democracy. Bel.
knaps act was personal and not partisan
That system Of organized assassination
by which the Confederate Democrats OBJ.
tain seats in Congress, and in SO doing
destroy the rights OF citizens, 10 a nation
nj outrage and atrocious crime against
liberty. The twenty-five seats now frau.
dulently occupied offset the honest rep
resentation from the States of Connects.
cnt, 10y Rhode Island, (2) New Hamp-
shire. (3) Massachusetts, Ul;) in all,
twenty-five members The processes by
which this has been accomplished were
recently reviewed by Senator Morton.
Every statement made by that Senator is
under, not overdrawn. On the authority
of General Sheridan. it has been stated
that in Louisiana alone there were OF
persons killed and wounded for political
reasons, since 1866, and up to February
8. 1875. not less than 1886, OF whom 2.
l4l were killed. This statement is to be
found in the report made to the Forty.
third Congress by q committee of which
the Hon. g. +. Hoar, of Massachusetts
was chairman. Another committee re.
ported from Alabama q list of several
hundred similar outrages. The Joint
Committee on the Ku-Klux, in 1870, re.
turned sickening list of such crimes
lengthening into the thousands. Under
the enforcement act of 1871, $50 persons
were indicted in Mississippi; in North
Carolina, $40; in South Carolina, l.IS6
i'm Florida, "a in Alabama, $50; in Geor
gia, 235; in Tennessee, Is; and in Ken
lucky. 35; in all, 1866. A large number
were convicted but unsentenced; seyera
score were sent to the parliamentary
all have been since pardoned, the obiec
being to break up q shameful and wick
ed conspiracy, for which a considerabl,
proportion OF the Southern community
rather than individuals, were mainly re
sponsible. 1t was and 10 regarded as ,
social and political, rather than as an in
dividual ofense.
Yet by this system OF terrorism South
ern Republican States have been over
thrown, their governments and nationa
representation seized, and the rights O
the majority put in peril. 1t 10 by thil
system that the Shareholders Confedera
cy, once supposed to be destroyed, hal
revived, and 10 now encamped within the
National Capitol. They occupy its Sou
al men, North and South, vote as the,
shot, and rising in their might drive
them out at the ballot box next Novem
n N