The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-04-20
The Southern Question.

question out of the canvass But one OF
their most experienced leaders, Mr.. Ho-
ratio Seymour, said in recent interview
something that Democrats may we'll pom
der. 1.-THE Republicans have lost the
confidence of the country, and the Dem
ocrnts have not gained it." Whether the
Republicans have or have not lost that
confidence, nothing is more evident than
that the Democrats have not gained it,
and nothing is clearer than that the Re.
publicans can recover it overwhelmingly.
And why? 1t is not enough to say that
1.-THE Democrats have failed in proposing
any principle or policy upon any subject
rnpon which they can unite, or to which
they can hope to rally the country. That
is true; but the deeper question is why
they have failed And the answer to that
involves the reason why they have not
gained the confidence of the country 1t
is that the party is controlled by its old
traditions and tendencies, and that a
, country which has so recently had so ter
rihle an experience IS that of the rebel.
lion is naturally wary of trusting those
who actually made and who morally sup
ported the war. Moreover, the situation
of the Southern States is entirely differ
cnt from that which usually follows a
civil war. The question in regard to
,thcm is not so much whether they are
S.st . ,n W hpth pr
sthey are so faithful to it that the colorcd
race shall have fair play. This is a point
which Dem 1crats, meaning to be candid,
seem utterly unable to perceive. The
amended Constitution has given certain
rights to the new citizens, and has au-
thorized Congress, by legislation, not
merely the Courts, by decisions, to pro-
, tcct those rights. But the democrats
constantly insist that protection shall be
left to those who have shown that they
have no wish and no intention of pro-
.tccting In plain terms, they contend
,that the amendment shall be technically
'baffled And the country knows perfect
" well that the object is partisan and
not patriotic Mr.. Boutwell, said, with
truth, that if the Northern Democratic
leaders would demand of their Southern
allies justice and fair play for the colorcd
yctzens, the chief cause of trouble would
disappear. But the Northern Democrats,
with their old scrvility, are constantly
denying the oppression and justifying
tho oppressor.
This is the fact which the Democratic
.I,ress and orators carefully conceal, and
insist that the real questions are the cur
rcncy and reform. Real questions in
politics are those which public interest
and feeling make such. Orators may
choose which they will discuss and which
they will avoid, but the questions remain.
If the debates in Congress were generally
rre@d the speech of Mr.. Bruce, the color
ed Senator from Mississippi, would be
seen to be very significant. 1t was a
tcalm and reasonable statement of the sit
.uaGoa in the Southern States, and man
NY plea, founded upon careful statistics,
for his own race, showing that it had
done well under the extraordinary cir
cumstances, and deserved the utmost
sympathy. The speech disposed by facts
of the vague rhetoric of Democrats. Yet
Mr.. Bruce makes no general attack upon
the Southern whites, and sincerely dep
recates the color line in politics. He
acknowledges that there are whites in
his own State who condemn the pcrsecu-
sion of the colorcd citizens, but they are
ruled by 'fcrocious minority" known
as the White League. Stating various
fnstances.of violence against his race, he
answers the question why Republican
State government claiming twenty thous-
and majority did not keep the peace.
His answer is that it was obliged to de-
pend upon a military partially organized
and poorly armed, and when it attempted
To summon them and to use the very
small appropriation that had been made
for them, the courts cnjoined the use Of
the money, and the fcrocity Of the oTpc-
stion frightened the troops, SO that the
Governor forcsaw Il war OF races If he
persisted. lie applied to the national
Executive, which for various reasons
forcbore to interfere. Mr. Bruce says
what all men know, that there can be
peace and good order in the Southern
States only by the fullest recognition OF
the equal rights of all. And all men
know, also, that the constant and sys-
tcmatic outrage of those rights does not
proceed from Republicans.
Democratic organs and orators must
devise sonle other policy upon the South.
ern question than the stale and stupid
cry that the Republicans hope 10 carry
the election by WAXING the bloody sbit
and preaching gospel OF bate. 1t is
not Republican preaching. els the Dem
ocratic practice Of hate. which makes
the trouble The couptrv sees TINT the
Democratic party has made close ALI
ancc with the late rebel element In every
Gt.te aud in Conglcss but it looks in