National Republican., 1876-09-14
SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS,


To the Editor of the National Republican,:
SIR In your editorial columns of yesterday,
speaking of the political campaign in the
Southern States, you refer to some Mississippi
Republicans Gncluding them with Republicans
from other Southern States) who, as you
say:
"Confine their canvassing during the present
campaign to Streets hotel corridors and depart
ments in Washington. First they canvass ()
Treasury Department and then with such news
paper men as are willing to hear their TRADES"
To which you graciously add that:
"This is patriotic, of course, but IT is the
kind Of patriotism that during the late war was
only apparent in meetings Of sympathy for the
poor boys at the 'front.'"
To all of which beg to say, as Mississippi
Republican, that go far as Mississippi is con-
cerned, there are fewer of her Republican
citizens here, in proportion to her Republican
vote, than from any other State of the Union
not dozen, all told, from State that gave
General Grant forty thousand majority at the
last national election. Mississippi, up to the
overthrow of her loyal Republican citizens by
an armed minority of the Democracy, has been
severely ignored by your executive depart
ments. Our State either never asked for
Federal Office at the capital of the nation, or
else has been refused her quota.
There are now in this city some five or six
nonresident Mississippi Republicans and a
STEW scattering" in the Departments. Those
not in oflice-thanks to the neglect of the Ad-
ministration to observe and carry into effect
the provision of the Constitution of the
United States which guarantees to each State
in this Union q republican form of govern
ment-are men who fought for the preserva-
tion of the Union and of a republican form of
government, not only during the war for the
Union, but who had to continue the battle un-
aided ever since in their States against the
rebel Democracy. And for doing so they are
practically "refugees," }" sir, from Mississippi.
First, they canvass with the Attorney Gen
eral. Well, sir, were they asking office for
themselves! No, sir; as you well know, they
were but asking for the removal of a marshal
who by his weakness was q curse to his dis
trict and an encouragement TO outrage, and
for the appointment Of a marshal who would
have the manhood to uphold the dignity of
his Office and afford to Mississippi Republicans
the protection that is their right.
Altogether, sir, your notice calls to mind the
famous cry of Horace Greeley during the late
easantness"-"Onward to Richmond"
Sir, all the Mississippi Republicans in town at
Horatian cry, and did. Further, sir, after our
flag entered Richmond, in 1865, we did not re-
turn to the peaC eful homes of the North. No:
we remained in the South, where "grim-visaged
war has (not e'en YETI smoothed his wrinkled
'front.'" organized our Republican forces, and
up to this eocu day, sir, have fought for the
principles of our Government against the bull
lets and ostracism of rebel legions without aid
or sympathy from Washington or from the
party in the North. On the contrary, sir,
until recently, while the enemy was in our
front We have had calling fire incur rear from
the National capital. Sore-heads and traitors
have been supported against the party in our
State.
Don't you remember, sir, that short time
ago measure called the "force bill' was be-
fore Congress for the protection of a republi-
can form of government in the South, as guar
anteed by the old Constitution of the United
States, and that late prominent candidate for
the Presidency before the Republican National
convention had such high regard for the
hair splitting distinctions of constitutional
lawyers and such a small consideration for the
lives of the leaders AMI members of the Re-
publican party South, who carried the ma
tional flag in triumph to victory over rebels
such S small consideration for the lives of the
only Union citizens of the South that he
stepped down from his exalted position as
Speaker of the highest Government represent
ative body in the world and killed the billl
Don't you remember, sir, that we have been
stigmatized by the opprobrious term of "car-
Pet-baggers" in States which we and our SOL
dier comrades restored to the Unionl Don't
you remember, sir, how while we were being
vilifed by the rebel press of the South and
Copperhead press Of the North as "thieves"
and ''plunderers," many good gentle Repub-
hcans, Conservative Republicans, good gentle
men, all of the North, who never put foot
south of the Potomac during the rebellion or
crossed it to speak in any Republican cam
paign in our State since then, said, GLOW sad
this carpet-ba evil is,'' and shook hands over
the "bloody chasm" at Bunker Hill and else
where with rebel assassins, whose hands were
reeking, or whose hands since then have
reeked with the life-tlood of many q martyred
defender of the Union in the SouthY Have we
had sympathy from the partyl Have we had
any, even the smallest support from the party
in the North since 1t became so fashionable for
the Northern press, aye Republican" press,
to express their regrets over the condition of
the States under "clrpet-bag or scallawag"
rule, and to clasp to their bosom the Lamars
and Wade Hamptons of the South, and
drivel over their hollow hearted professions of
Unionism and funeral orations over deceased
Abolitionistsl
1t does not become you, sir, to talk to
Southern Republicans, and, least of all, to
Mississippi Republicans, by way of urging
them to their duty. mean not you indi-
vidually, but as Northern Republican editor.
say 1t does not become any Northern Repub-
lcan to point out to us our place in the cam
paign. We in Mississippi have fought 1t out
so far, from the close Of the war till now, with
out the aid of q single camgaign speaker from
any Northern State. Not one of them has
ever opened his mouth for the cause of Re.
publicanism in our State. We never had one.
We hear of innumerable offers of speakers to
campaign for the party in Indiana, Ohio, New |
York, &C., but none so poor as to volunteer
for Mississippi When the Northern Republi- |
cans show that they are willing to help IN our |
campaign, then they will have q right to talk |
of the half dozen Mississippi Republicans who |
are here at present doing their best for their |
brothers at the front, and whom they propose |
tf infn nokt thaa iii otf 10