Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-11-11
WHAT WE HAVE TO RELY ON.

editorials of weekly journal are pro-
duced under considerable difficulties.
The leading article, at least, is neces-
sarily written in the early part of the
week, and therefore in entire igno-
rance of what may be the state of the
political atmosphere by the time OF
publication. Under the circumstances
we will, at least, abstain from that
function which editors are proverbi-
ally fond of exercising, that of proph-
esy. When we make predictions q
few weeks ahead of the event we are
apt to rely upon the obligingly short
memories of our readers should the
event not correspond with the predic-
ton, but it would be rather ignomin-
ious for an editor to make confident
predictions in his leading editorial
which might be all contradicted by
the events to be announced before the
week was out. We have never in
dulged much in prediction anyway,
and it is not much self-denial in us to
abstain from it now. We are sanguine
of the result with many misgivings,
and we will occupy this article with a
statement of the grounds on which we
anticipate favorable result, if We are
to have it at all.
We anticipate the rise ola feeling In
the North something like that which
brought on the war in 1861. 1t was
not then the abolition of slavery which
men contended for; abolitionism per
Sc furnished small element to pro-
duce the forces which terminated in
that eonvulsion. What really gave
force to the Republican or Free Soil
party was a jealousy of what was
called the slave power, of the FREEDOM
nance which the white people of the
South obtained in the national coun-
ell through their privilege of casting
the negro vote. 1t was this that gave
irresistible force and unfaltering
resolutisn to the free soil party. They
said that they had been ruled for so
years by the slave power, and it should
be so no longer. That was the resolve
which gave popular force to the Free
soil movement.
We must now proceed to a peri
cd after the war. The Republican
party of course was inpower at
this time. The South was crushed,
aud the influence of the dominant
party was Irresistible. They never,
however, lost sight of the possibil-
itythat, since the war had settled
all the issues on which that party had
come into power, the fluctuations of
political feeling might at some period
give predominance in the government
to some other party. They set about
adopting the means for perpetuating
the power they then held. 1t soon
dawned on the minds that, il they
could WELD the slave power which
they had torn from the hands of the
Southern white men, it might
form for them, as it had done for the
Democratic party in former times, an
impregnable fortress Tor resisting all
attacks that might be made upon their
supremacy.
1t would occupy too much space in
this article to describe the insidicus
course by which they effected this
purpose. Their first step was the dis
reimbursement of the whole white race
of the South; their next, the eufran-
chisement of the negro population
then, to preclude all of the Southern
whites exercising by influence any con-
troll of the negro vote, they interpOsed
between the black man and the white
the Freedman's Bureau. Those of
our citizens who are old enough
remember that at first no valid con-
tract for labor could be made between
n black and white man which was not
sanctioned by an officer Of this bu-
reau, Of course the officers of this bu-
reau we're Northern men and Repub-
licans. Il will be easily seen what
opportunities this organization gave
them for breaking down what little
confidence was left between the col
Ored man and his former master. 1t
was seen that a reconciliation between
them might render vain the apparatus
the Republicans had devised, and the
negro was carefully taught that his
former master was using every device
for again enslaviDg him, and that his
only hope for preventing it conferred
in his taking the advice of the North
ern whites exclusively, The inevita-
bic result was soon apparent. The
South was ruled nominally by its col
ored population, virtually by the coun-
ellis of any white man from the North |
who might succeed in gaining their
ear. Now came in the carpet-baggers;
they need not be described at length,
the species is we'll known to all South
nrn men where recollections extend |
back through the last ten years. The
Republican party North secured to
them the unlimited prerogative of
plundering the South, on the eondi-
ton that they would act as their
agents in securing to that party the
eolOred vote by all the manipulations
which the Freedman's Bureau, and
the Loyal Leagues, gave
hem of exercising. 1t is easy to see
how completely this arrangement has
thrown into the hands of the Radical
party the manipulation and welding
# that very slave power against which
he whole North combined in 1860.
nd which they succeeded, not in break
ng down, but in extorting from the
lands which then held it, and by the
process above described, transferring
( to their OVID.
Unlimited, unserupulous aud un-
eIenting despotism over the white peo-
lie of the South was the first result of
his system, but this did not much eff
aet public opinion in the North