National Republican., 1876-09-13
SHALL SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS VOTE

We see that General Sherman, according
to some interviewer, ''thinks that there
will be quiet election in the South, and
that the people will see that II is to their
advantage to have it so. He does not
feel that they will object to the presence
of troops, for they will see that it will
"proVe as salutary for one side as the
other to preserve the peace by reign of
law and order. The negroes, who are
ga meek and humble class, will behave
themselves well. He does not look for
"any trouble, and believes that the evi-
dence of the Government being well
prepared and determined to preserve the
"peace will dispel all inclinstlons 10 vio-
"lence"
We have no question General Sherman
thinks all this if he says it; but while we
have profound respect for his opinions
on subjects with which he is conversant,
We must say that he evidently knows very
little of the temper of the Southern Demo
Gratis if these are his ideas of the present
situation. Never since the formation of
the United States Government has there
been more determined and bitter hostility
of sentiment towards those who stand up
for the Union and the Constitution. The
idea ofa fair election in most of the lately
insurrectionary States is an absurdity. The
Southern Democrats have determined that
every one of the late slave States shall re-
turn a Democratic majority, and they have
also determined to use any degree of in
timidation, violence or fraud which may
be necessary to produce this. result. The
only possible bar to their action in this di-
rection will be the presence of sufficient
numbers of United States troops at every
polling precinct to overawe the lawless
bands of armed banditti, into which large
portions, in many cases the majority of
the Democratic, or to speak more properly
rebel voters, are organized.
General Sherman knows whether there
is an army large enough at his command to
protect every Republican meeting in the
coming canvass and every voting precinct
in the coming election. The meetings are
a necessary means Of awakening the voters
to sense Of their danger; the freedom of
speech and press are necessary to make the
meetings effective. Yet the freedom of
speech is denied, and Republicans in many
parts of the South are daily threatened
with murder and violence if they utter the
most palpable truths. White Republicans
who know their rights under the Constitu-
ton and laws naturally hesitate to run the
risk of massacre for the privilege Of utter
ing their political sentiments. = The negro,
bred under system where submission was
his habit and the assertion of his rights
never thought OF, is still less fitted to cope
with the dangers and to oppose the will of
the desperate, passionate, ignorant and
brutal hordes Of Southern whites, all
armed TO the teeth.
The sooner the North awakens to the
situation the better for the country. Let
us expect no Southern State, except, per
haps, NortL Carolina, to give Republican
majority, and we shall not be disappointed.
The better course is to allow the election
to go by default in all the States lately in
rebellion, and elect our President by de-
cided Northern vote. Then if the state of
terrorism, violence and murder continues
in the South, let the loyal American
people erase all State lines in the South,
partition off the territory into convenient
divisions. governed by military governors,
and hold the people in obedience to the
laws which properly affect conquered
provinces and peoples, until the generation
of Hsmptons, Buffers, ct i'd Onne genus,
shall have died out and the hot-headed,
ignorant and brutal spawn of the slave
ocracy shall have learned the habits and
customs of civilization. ..n r..