Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-06-15
method In Confederate Mad
THE Republic.l


ness.
THE Republic.I
There is a motive in the annarent
malice of the South, as now mani
Testing itself in the violent speeches
made at various points ON Confeder-
ate "Memorial Day." or in the more
infamous acts recently committed
in Northern louisiana and South
ern Mississippi, in South Carolina
and Georgia, and latest at the Pc
tersburg, Va, municipal election.
There is method in all this fury and
outrage. Let us see if it can be
made plain.
There are two purposes sought !:
To "fire the Southern heart, and
to frighten the negro into subiec-
ton, so far as his political rights
are concerned. Hence the violent
speeches: hence the murderous in
timidation. The White Leaguers
are everywhere learning the skill
with which the Georgian Democrats
do their manipulation. As to
speech they are all on par.
wv hats bred in the bone must come
out in the flesh" is an old adace
'Out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh" wrote the in.
spired Hebrew, and when a commu,
nifty like the white South have been
so long indurated by the teachings
of slavery and neutrality-suspicious.
burnt into them by the fierce ordeal
of civil war and the fiery trials of
defeat-it is not to be expected that
speech will not sometimes be fierce
and yindictive even to extreme un-
wisdom. The folly is, on our part,
in not seeing that to defeat man
does not necessarily change his opin-
ions: still less does ii make a COM
munity submissive. The true pol
icy is to be always ''on guard"
tolerant toward the inevitable ex-
preston, but sternly repressiye ofall
embodiments thereof that lead to
mischief, while sedulously cultiya-
ting all forces, ideas, and institutions
which may tend to create other con
ditions in the South. This is our
duty. Would that we pursued it az
steadily as the Confederate Democ-
racy do their mischieyous courses
and purposes.
Just now they are finding that
free institutions have their inevita-
BILE effect, in making more manly
and courageous the mass of the citl-
zens who were cntranchised by the
war. Everywhere, even in Mississ-
ippi, lately overpowered and over
awed, tho Republicans of the South
are showing that they are more and
more determined to assert themselves
and to so act together, and vigorously,
that the present onc.sidod game ofin-
timidation and murder may be check
cd and perhaps suppressed whore
it occurs. 1t is the evident growth
of this feeling which has induced
tho present revival of violence.
The hope of possible triumph at the
November election has lied perhaps
to undue clation. This may account
for the recent outbursts Of rebel
spleen AS well as confidence, but it
is not necessary to account for 1t
on such basis.
The first and chief aim Of the
Southern Democratic leaders is to
extend, preserve, and maintain the
control they have now re-obtaincd
over the Southern States.
The Democratic party, as nat
tional organization, has been and al
ways will be (while the Confederate
leaders rule) sacrificed to this pur-
pose. The South, knit together by
sectional policy, may again be
able to control the Union---0r, is 1t
unjust in the view Of history ~ well
az recent differences, 1" ".te'''i's 40
Ii,;,io "n,I ,l,suoy II. The ann,
then. of the Confederate Democracy
is first to keep what they have got;
next to obtain control where they
have not yet succeeded, and lastly
to unite and crystalline the sectional
and Democratic South, no matter
what becomes Of the party IN other
portions Of the Union.
Under this policy the South is
and will continue to be a menace to
| the stability Of the Union, that for
which three hundred thousand
| Northern lives were given, and to
defend which two million men mus,
tered under arms.
The Union defenders must re-
member this at the ball0tsboX.
They must not fail TO recollect also
that the Southern Republicans are
the advance guard Of that new po
Iitical civilization by the growth ol
| which il is alone possible to~mak'
that homogeneous Union, the exls
tence of which is the best security
for the highest diversity in idea
| and policies.