New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-26
rHE pRrooRATIo YJeERYE.

Democratic national forces, has sppar
emily cast bis eye along the lines to se'
how the battle is going on. he finds thu
South 80 entirely solid that nothing he Of
anybody else can say is likely to change
single electoral vote. Every Southern
State except South Carolina and Louisf
ana is considered as good as engaged
under bond and seal, and there is little
danger of mutiny. 1t is safe, therefore,
to turn his back upon that part Of the
field and look to the North. He and his
friends have figured it out in this wise.
With New York, success is possible; with.
out it, defeat is inevitable. They affect
to believe there is symptom of wavering
along the embattled line in the Empire
State, and the hope is entertained that a
small thing will turn the scale. Tilden
has, therefore, ordered up his reserve and
thrown it into tho conflict against the
enemy. It consists of letter written to
MIR. Abram Hewitt, in which he pledges
himself as fully to the Republican view
of the fourteenth amendment as Governor
Hayes himself is known to be, but not
more so. BE declares in a hazy, foggy
sort Of way that this famous amend
ment, which Governor Hendricks voted
against, has been repeatedly approved by
| the Democratic State committees Of the
South, and was adopted as part of the
platform OF the last national Democratic
committee. While accepting these declar-
atoms as part Of Tilden's statement, we
note here that We have never seen any
| such action on the part Of any Southern
! State Democratic committee. and fail TO
find anything in the st. Louis platform
that can be called o committal on the
subject. Deferring, however, the exam
ination of this subject to a future occa-
sion, We pass on to an examination of
Marshal Tilden's last charge.
Having cut loose from the almost
chronic position of opposition to the four
teenth amendment, which has been the
backbone of every Democratic platform.
speech or essay since the war, Tilden
trips lightly and gaily along in defense of
his newly found political creed. The
South is SO securely tied that there is no
danger of its getting FESTIVE and breaking
loose while he is turning his attention to
New York. He tells us that this hated
fourteenth amendment must, if he be
elected President, be executed and en-
forced in perfect good faith. No rebel
debt will be paid; no claim allowed for the
loss Of any slave; no claim for any loss or
damage incurred by disloyal persons; the
cotton tax will not be refunded, and to
afford sort of Offset for thus slapping his
friends and supporters in the face, be
adds that he will pursue about the same
course in reference to loyal claims.
Tilden's letter to Hewitt reminds us of
the famous declaration made by Andy |
johnson before he became President and |
surrendered to the Democracy. Said that
man of many words and few deeds, Urea
son must be made odious; traitors must
take back seats" When accident gave
him power, he was unable to discover any
traitors. By that time they all became
''citizens," contending for the right of
ocal self government, and the treason he
lad before so loudly denounced became
into gallant struggle
or cause which those engaged in it,
however mistaken they might be, believed
o be right and holy And that is the
gay Andy made traitors take back seats
nd treason odious.
No man knows better than Tilden the
Inference that exists between the North
nd South in defining the words ''reber'
nd "disloyal." When he tells the New
Iorkers that the rebel debt must not be
aid he winks at Ben Hill and Hamburg
Butler knowingly, as if to say: ''Hush!
on know l hold that the Confederates
rere not rebels. Therefore don't mean
GU, but these New Workers will think 1
10, which will help our reform move
nent." No loss incurred by any disloyal
ersons arising out of the war will be
aid. The New Workers hold that all
Confederate sympathizers were disloyal,
Thile the Democratic doctrine is that the
eople of sovereign Southern State,
Vhen acting together, can not be disloyal,
S there is no higher power to whom they
We allegiance. According to the Con-
sderate Democratic theory of our govern
TENT, the only rebels and traitors in the
outh during the war were those few
'nionists who refused to concur in the
rdinances of secession. Perhaps he
eans to accept this view, and veto all
ills for the relief of these TRAITORS to the
outh."
But it is very evident that, however am
guous he may desire to be SO far as the
outh is concerned, he has addressed the
sople of his own section in this Hewitt I
tier in their own vernacular, and wishes
lem to consider him in full accord with ,
le well ascertained sentiment of the ,
orth upon all the subjects embraced in
10 fourteenth amendment. 1t is new Z
OF political faith, thrown in al !
ost at the last moment in the hope of q
eating diversion in his favor. and :
rning doubtful scale. His letter pre- 6
nts the pitiful spectacle OF an old man, !