The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-12-06
GOING WRONG.


sion of the spiritual" The South Western Pres
byterian of last week, for example, discusses the
political situation OF Louisiana with keen interest
which shows how deeply ITS feelings are enlisted IN
the issue Of the election. lt talks o. " anti Grant
ism I" and Radical Governors. charges the Board
of Canyassers with claiming " the right TO count
the vote and doctor it, and generally uses the Ian
guage and msnifests the spirit OF the most ardent
political journals We make q note OF this lncreas-
ing tendency to secusrity in the religious press OF
the Southern Church simply to say that II the
Southern Presbyterlans should feel the need OF re-
hgious journals which refrain from miuglng IN the
political sgitstons Of the times, they can hod some
north Of the Potomse which vii suit them precise
~ and very ty take the place Of the papers which
have lspsed from the high spiritual state into
the dirty pool Of politics. Philadelphia ffeS-
JytsriaR.
The time has gone by in the Southern
States when opposition to "Grantism" and
Radical Governors" is evidence that man
thereby identifies himself with mere party
politics, as that term is commonly understood.
In all the Southern States, beginning first
with Georgia, the enormous rascali,y OF Rad
icsl Governors or other officials has go dis
gustsd large part Of the negro population,
and indeed many Northern people now set
tied among us, as to turn them against 1t.
These frauds have so deeply sunk some OF
these States into many millions of debt upon
each, as to bring them to the verge Of bank
ruptcy, if in fact some of them are not ac-
tuslly and hopelessly fallen into that abyss.
In the late contests in Louisiana, South Car
DINA and Florida, it wss struggle more
with reference to State control, than to the
Presidential election, though both were car,
ried through together. We observe that it
is taken for granted by many Northern pa
pers, religious and secular, that wherever the
negroes are found taking sides with the Con
servstiyes, the only way to account for such
fact is to say they were intimidated. This
idea comes either from gross Ignorance OF the
facts, or from the malice of intense disap-
pointment as to the result Of the vote, It
cannot be doubted that throughout all the
South, the intimidation was mainly from
Radical negroes against those Of their own
color who saw fs to vote the other way
This fact is notorious, and ibis intimidation
often amounted to reign of terror.
AS an illustration of whas We have SAID
about this not being matter Of party poll
tics, take the State of S. Carolina. Here We
have on the one hand the accusations Of Pres
ident Grant and Governor Chamberlain-ac-
cusations of a foul character. Who are they
that come forward to deny them? Are they
men who have heretofore sided with bat one
political party No; they are men in every
walk and profession; ministers of the gospel
of the highest standing and Of every name.
Northern born merchants and other citizens,
nearly all of whom had been ranked among
the Republicans, come forward to contradict
these accusations, as a libel upon their society.
They represent that their action does not
rest upon any mere party basis; that 1t rises
far above such a contest; that the very struc-
ture of society among them is threatened. a
further illustration of this we have in tho re-
markable fact that the Supreme Court Of
that State is composed entirely of those who
have always been recognized as Republicans.
Chief Justice Moses is native of the State,
who was during the war Union man. Judge
Willard is from Pennsylvania, and Judge
Wright is a negro. These men are all Re-
pubhcans. But they cannot support "Grant-
ism, or the Radical Governor in their
usurpatiOn. 1t will soon be seen whether
the country at large can deal with it upon
such q narrow view. In the language of
Generals Gordon and Hampton to General
Ruger, let the issue be made in this Cen
tennial of American Independence whether
we have government of law as construed
by courts, or a centralized despOtism whose
only law is force. Let the American people
behold the spectacle of brigadier general
of the army seated by. the side of Governor
Chamberlain in room in the Ssase,House,
and issuing orders to legislative body peace
ably assembled in one of the original thir-
teen Commonwealtbs of this Union.
Yes, truly, such questions as these Use
high above mere party matters. The South
Western Presbyterian, and the Southern
Presbyterian have made statements, together
with some COMMENSURATE under al the cir
cumstances they have made them cautiously
las to the facts concerning the horrible and
distressing condition of affairs in their re
spective States. As another illustration Of the
remark that toe questions at stake transcend
mere party politics, IS the fact that the
Senate of the U0ited States, the majority be-
iug Republicans, refused to recognize the
present Legislative government Of Louisiana,
as legally established body, and therefore
refused seat to Mr.. Pinchbaok, elected a
Senator by it. Our brethren, above refer
red to, looking upon the condition of things
among them in the same light, have felt it a
duty to the society in which they live to cor
rect as far as they can Injurious misrepresen
tations with which the public ear has been
filed. That is the length and breadth of
their offending which SO di8turbs this fipPant
sneerer in Philadelphia, and because Of this
they are charged with going down into the
''dirty poo" of politics. Such statement
as those made three weeks ago by clsrgymen
of South Carolina of all denominations, and
similar one last week from those 10 New
Orleans, is an objectionable sin; at any rate