Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-05-26
The Importance OF the Next Presi.
Dental Election.

The strength of the two great parties
will shortly be tried No Presidential
election has been more important in its
bearing on the welfare of the country than
| that which will take place next Novem-
Der. 1t is so easy to say to the North for
get and forgive, while the Democratic
South denounces Northern men as thieves
| and rascals. Even in South Carolina,
with large Republican majority, the
Democracy assail every white Republican
with the utmost venom; hold toward him
as much OF threatening attitude as they
dare; and think they destroy his happi-
ness because they ostracise him. Not so
the Northern man with Southern princi-
pies. He falls naturally into the arms of
the Democrats, who receive him as the
noblest form of man.
1t now remains to be decided whether
the cost and suffering of the war shall be
made 10 yield the fruit of National
peace and prosperity; whether the Demo-
cratic States of the South shall continue
defiant in disloyalty and add other South.
ern States to them whether, indeed, the
safety of the Union is assured. The pres
ence OF so many ex-Confederates in the
House of Representatives causes many
evil torebodings. They are there for no
good. If the truth were told of
how many of them got there it
would not rebound to their credit The
sanctity OF the ballot box has little respect
In their eyes; and as to the rights of citi-
zenship, when the citizen is not in ac-
cordance with their political views, it is
short shrift or swift dispersion. 1t
would be interesting to know in many
cases how many Republican votes were
east nv RpnnhliRanQ II, HicfHfnto
whelmingly Republican, and yet Dem
ocrat claims to represent them. But it
never happens the other way. No Demo-
cratic district has a Republican represent
alive; so that it is quite one sided affair,
in which Republicans are made to suffer
by the cheating to exalt that kind of
Southern Democrat whom Republicans
despise, because of his disloyalty. The
backbone of the Democratic party is made
up of the old Bourbon rebel element. The
Southern Democracy have got the North.
ern Democrats nose TO the grindstone aRd
mean to keep il there. AT no time has the
Democratic party been weaker or stood in
worse light before the best citizens of
the country. Under the lead of Southern
ers of tarnished surroundings the Demo
cratic party has been guilty of unuttera-
BILE meanness, and played into the hands
OF disloyal men, who are plotting to re-
verse the reconstruction measures OF Re-
publicans and preventing the education
and prosperity of the colored people.
Here a great qustion arises which ought
to receive settlement that cannot be dis.
turbed. AS one OF the issues of the war
the colored man not only obtained his
freedom but had conferred on him the
rights Of citizen. 1t will not do in a
great republic like this for men, who, by
their rebellion sought to do it irreparable
injury, 10 defy the National Government,
which is the embodiment of the popular
will. Either the rights of citizenship
shall be enjoyed by the colored man, or
the people must understand that the
Democratic party does its best to deprive
him OF those rights and keep him in a
servile condition. And this in the Cen
tennial year Of national freedom and in
depcndencel
But the backbone of the Republican
party is composed of the old fashioned
Free Soil element, which has history of
which the country may be proud, Start
ing out with the recognition Of manhood,
whatever hue the skin might be, freedom
and the rights of citizenship were con-
ferred, which must never be abandoned
until they are secured, II is all very
we'll for the Democracy of the South to
say that slavery is dead, and that the old
Shareholders would moi have il again ii
they could. This is not true, startling as
II may appear. Where Republicans are
in the ascendency cOlored meR have their
rights, and they are protected from the
unscrupulous designs of the Bourbon
Democrats. But in the States which have
been seized by the Democracy the colored
man has few rights they recognize. His
is a condition of serfdOm with as near an
approach TO slavery as possible. lie is
williully kept ignorant, that lie may be
imposed upon. If he hires land il is at a