New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-23

inationA g Nnnld tnfrodnce q, pow
er within the citadel that would
either reverse the oharactsr Of. the consti.
tuition, OF overthrow the Union. The
superior cunning and caution Of the
Northern Democracy is moreover
shown by. = a. further inequality
of contribution. The Southern people
who have accepted amnesty, have for
mally renounced the right Of secession
they have accepted the constitutional
amendments, and have embodied each in
their State constitutions. The Northern
Democracy have made no such conces-
sions. Messrs. Tilden, Salisbury and
Bayard still maintain the separate su-
premscy Of the States. They still assert,
with Mr.. Buchanan, that the President of
the United States has no right to inter-
vene for the maintenance of law within
the States unless requested to do so by
the authority Of the States.
When We reflect, therefore, that an
amnestied Democrat is roughing the con-
ditions of his oath in denying the right Of
suffrage to negro, while the Northern
Democrat was under no such moral obliga-
ton, it will be seen that the contribution
of moral responsibility is very unequal.
There is another peculiar risk on the
part Of the Southern Democracy which
We have alluded to in another COL
umn. It is the forfeiture of repre-.
sentation for denial or abridgment Of
suffrage. From this New York has moth
ing to apprehend, while Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi or Alabama may be deprived of
half of their representation by it.
When it comes to the question of inau-
gurating Mr.. Tilden by force of arms, the
Northern Democracy will be even more
embarrassed. They took the contracts
and commissions of the Union when the
States asserted their rights. Will they az
ray themselves in rebellion when the
spoils of the States are at stake? Some
desperate spoil hunters may endeavor to
impell the Southern Democracy into war,
but, as upon former occasion, the North
ern Democracy would content itself with
the moral aid and pecuniary profit, of
blockade running in cotton and those
luxuries in which qusrtermasters and
commissaries and their favorites, do
most delight.
We have, then, the electoral war of the
Northern Democracy, with the fight and
its consequences to the Southern Democ-
racy. To Mr.. Tilden and his immediate
followers nothing can happen except the
loss of time, temper and election expendi-
lures To. the Southern Democrats the
may be far more serious.
If driven to military decision the Re-
publicans may be exasperated into inflict-
ing as punishment condscation and for
fixture Of representation-which conse-
quences may be regarded as possible.
When We have seen the Southern Democ-
racy SO far abuse its power over helpless
and unresisting Republicans, why should
we anticipate greater forbearance from
Republicans whose military supremacy
is beyond question?
A war is rarely confined to the decision
of the question in original issue. 1t is
rarely fought with the weapons of reason
or justice. If the Northern Democracy
should impel its allies of the South to be-
gin war, the consequences may be ap-
pretended to fall almost entirely upon the
Southern country and people. Such is, at
least, the danger, and We hope it may be
avoided by the prudence of the Southern
people.