The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-11-29

DLI - LII L A41L1-s
The course ofthe South under the
accumulated wrongs which have been
heaped upon it by the corrupt State
Governments Of the past eleven
years has been such az to challenge
the wonder Of all thinking people.
1t has patiently submitted to almost
every conceivable form of oppres-
sion. The Southern landowners
have seen their property deprecated
in the markets, have submitted to
ruinous rate of taxation which in
many States amounted almost to the
confscation Of their estates. They
have seen the money thus wrung
from them, instead of being applied
TO the legitimate and necessary ex-
penses of the Commonwealth, divert
ed into the pockets of a hungry
horde of camp followers left in the
wake of the Withdrawing National
armies, while corrupt schemes we're
hurriedly passed by Legislatures
composed in the main Of ignorant
negroes and white men whose only
object was the enrichment of them
selves at the expense of the tax
PAYERS, and at the expense of every
principle of decency and of honesty.
They have seen State debts piled
up to such a giddy height as might
we'll cause alarm, knowing, as they
did full well, that when the country
was exhausted, when the last dollar
had been extorted from an impover-
ished people, when they had bank
rupted the communities, that these
plunderers of both public and pri-
vate funds would gather the fruits of
their systematic robbery about them
and silently steal away, leaving to
the bona tIde resident to meet this
gigantic obligation of debt. The
Southern people have seen them
selves deprived of their common
rights under the laws-even the
laws enacted by the oppressive State
Governments. They have felt what
it is for intelligence to become sub
ordinate in authority to the grossest
ignorance. They have experienced
a humiliation which should have ex-
cited, and did excite, the sympathy
of hundreds and thousands of the
manly portion of their late armed
enemies in the North.
All this haye the people of the
South seen and suffered; all this
have they submitted to and endured
with a patience which was surely
born of heroism- The only resist
ance made to the encroachmeuts of
their oppressors, as these oppressors
deprived them Of one right after an
other. has been made under the
sanction of law and the guarantees
Of the Constitution. Nowhere has
there been found people so patient,
SO forbearing.
Aud now that the browning act in
the infamous programme TO perpet-
uate Grantism is being developed
now that the country stands in
breathless amazement at the unpar.
alleled audacity of the revolution
airy Radical Republican party; now
that the dearest right of an Ameri
can citizen seems trembling in. the
balance; now that the people are
waiting to see if they are to be de
prived of suffrage and the privilege
of iutimating at the ballot-box their
choice for an executive Office. we
counsel moderation, we urge still
longer the. exercise OF patience.
The industrious fraud upon the
American people which has beer
perpetrated in South Carolina anC
which will extend also to Louisians
and Florida, can hardly succeed il
foisting Gov. Hayes of Ohio upor
The country as its President when Sc
emphatic a majority of the EIectora
College have been rightfully chosen
for Mr.. Tilden. In this trying hour
when the liberties of the people seen
gone indeed, let the people of the
South DE calm, be prudent. be tenn
perate in their utterances, be patient
a majority OF the American people
have chosen Mr.. Tilden as Presiden
Of the United States for the ensuing
four years. In our deliberate opin
ion he will occupy that position
But the question as to whether h'
will or will not be our next Presi
dent, must be left for settlement tx
other hands. Primarily, the Soutl
must do nothing. say nothing.
Samuel J. Tilden is man Of won
derful resources. As a lawyer, h'
stands at the peer Of the leading
legal minds of the world as a poll
tician, he has no superior. and as /
tactician we doubt if his equal cal
be found. There is q power strong
er than the strength Of armies, there
is a sword brighter than the CLEAN 0
bayonets. That power is a right
eous cause and that sword the SWORD
Of justice. III this yillainy Is con
summated; if the voices of the PEG
pie Of South Carolina, of Louisiana
and or Florida are stided, and tn
iniquity seem to prevail for time
rest assured there are remedia
agents sufficient TO right the wronI