Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-02

THE political significance of a solid South is
much graver than we yet realize. We would
call attention to every sober minded citizen of
this country-be he Democrat or Republican
to the following significant facts in this con-
necti0n, and ask him to carefully consider
their full meaning. This is the first political
canvass in the history of the government when
there has been united South. Even during
the rebellion there were Southern States that
remained in the Union. For the first time in
the history of this country Southern section
alsm expects to be united and triumphant at
the polls This is to be secured at all hazards
and by the employment of force. In order
that our readers may know that we speak
words of truth and soberness we call their at
tention to the record of the campaigns of 1856
and 1860, when sectionalism was most power
full in our Presidential elections. In 1856 Fill
more carried Maryland, and thus broke the
solid South, which otherwise went for Bu-
chanan. In 1860 even the South seemed to
awake to the danger of extreme sectionalism,
and Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, three
great Southern States, voted for Bell, and
Missouri went for Douglas.
Since the war Seymour, in 1868, carried
only Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisi-
ana and Maryland of the Southern States, and
in 1872 Greeley carried only Georgia, Ken
lucky, Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee and
Texas, Grant receiving the electoral votes of
the Southern States.
The success of the Democratic party in 1874
has revived the hopes of the rebel South, and
to-day they propose by force and intimidation
to give united South for the first time in the
candidate. And for what !? Aye, there's the
rub. For Nothing? Did the South ever for
get its own interests in the political history of
this Nation? Has she not always persistently
pursued that policy which promoted her own
ends. Beaten in her appeal to arms she now
unites in her last effort to secure the control of
the Nation by so-called election and compel
the North to pay her for her losses and give
her the political supremacy in the whole Ma
tion which she failed to secure by her rebel
lion in the South alone.
This is no blcody shirt. We did not sevive
the issues of the war; but the South does.
That scctonalism which was the very cause
and heart of the rebellion, is now to be the
cause and heart of the Democratic success in
this Presidential contest. If it succeeds, then
we pass under rebel rule. Tilden has not the
power, if had the purpose, to control the
united South. He will not even have the pur-
pose. If he succeeds, no man knoweth to
what the disaster will lead.
In the case of Buchanans election it led to
civil war. In the case of Tilden's It will lead
to the total disfranchisement of the Republi-
can party in the South, unless they resist the
tyranny by arms. If they do, it will lead to
results which are frightful to contemplate
Sober minded citizens of the North, you
Republicans who say you want change. Is
this the change you want? You Democrats,
who in the bloody years of the rebellion, stood
by the old flag that we might have whole
and united people, are you ready for this sec
tional despotism This is the issue.-TO. s.
Journal.