The Osceola times., 1876-10-14
THE SOUTH.
WIZ u is Solid rOr Tiidcn and HenarieAs.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"The solid south" is the spectre which
now hovers like death angel over the
future ofthiscountry. Cleveland Leader
Amend the above by striking out the
words "this country and substituting
republican party" and the Leaders 3
proposition will not be wide Of the truth.
A "solid south" opposed eternally to
Grantism and everything that has con-
tributed to produce Grantism, is, indeed,
a spectre for the republican party. And
why should the south not go over bodily
TO the democratic party? 10 there any
thing in the attitude of the republican
party towards the south, or in her treat
ment of the south since 1865, which
should incline that portion OF the coun-
try towards II How can the south help
hating the very name OF radicalism :
Why should not the people Of the south
and their children and their children s
children hate and continue to hate to
the end of time the leaders OF a faction
that sedulously nurtured every spark of
bitterness towards them that existed in
the northern mind, or that could be fan
ned into life where it did not exist be-
fere? There is not a southern man to-
day, of any intelligence or prominence,
unless he has sold himself body and soul
to the enemies Of his people, but that is
stigmatized by them ~ a "rebel" or con-
federate." In 1874, in the great uprising
against the party..of corruption, a numer-
Gus party of southern gentlemen of the
hrst rank, intellectually, were elected to
congress on the democratic ticket. 1t
would trouble even radical ward bum
mer to give any Ineligible reason why
this was wrong, or irregular, or illegiti-
mate The south was in her place in
the union. The gentlemen in question
were nominated in the constitutional
way and elected in the constitutional
way. They were truely representative
men-representatives Of the mind, the
aspirations and the material interests
of the south. They were moderate men.
Their course in congress was marked by
extreme temperateness and good sense in
the face of constant and systematic
course of badgering and abuse at the
hands of the republicans under black
mailer Blaine. Through their own leader,
Mr.. Lamar, they deliberately and elo-
quently put on record their desire TO
live only in peace and amity with the
whole country under the new conditions
produced by the war, which they fully
accepted. And yet the republican press
persistently heralded this congress to the
country as the "rebel congress-" the
Confederate congress, the "rebel
house." etc. Whenever it became neces-
sary to alludc personally to southern
member the term confederate" or
"rebel" was placed opposite his name.
Whenever vote was particularized in
the reports of these republican papers,
every southern man was so designated.
Indeed, during the hottest period of the
war, there was no worse characteriza,
ton of the southern people than there
is to-day. They were all "rebels" and
Confederate" then, and they are all
"rebels" and "confcderates now-ex.
cept such as have been given profitable
positions under the administration, at
the expense Of union generals and colo,
nels, in return for qualification too base
for words to describe.
The idea Of the republican party that any
decent southern man can vote its ticket
now, or ever, is imprudence run mad.
II there he united south" for the
democratic party it will come of the log.
ical and inevitable course Of things. To
ally ones self with ones enemies and de-
tractors and slsnderers is not human
nature. If the republican party really
count on securing any votes in the
"soutbern states" il does we'll to call up
the troops. 1t is only at the point OF
( the bayonet, and at the mouth OF the
Gatlinr gun that there can be any cleo
toral success" in the south for the re.
publican party. The republican party
Is as naturally the enemy Of the "routh
o. the jungle tiger Is the enemy Of ths