New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-28
/ SOLID SOUTH FoR T1LDKs.
The GrnvSty 81 the llama.

xEUm A0O4 10 ANS Cn0 Hap0Oi1C0n ADMIN
istrstion and the Republican party was
engaged Ia the work of reconstruction. In
that work two results were sought. and
sought in good faith:
l. That the slaves should be elevated to
the rank OF civizene, and made secure in all
their rights - citizens.
2. That those who had participated in the
rebellion should be restored to citizenship,
and the States that had seeded should be
In the Union, the equals Of the loyal States,
and oil this without personal penalties Or
permanent political disQualiticstions either
Of States or of men.
=. We granted to l2, 900 900 white people,
Who had forfeited every political right, all
that We claimed for ourselves; and we
granted to 1000 600 black people those
rights, and those only, which they had
earned by their early and constant exhib;-
ton of loyalty to the government, and By
their services and sacrifices in the war
for its preservation.
Was ever victorious power more Just to
its allies or more msgnanimOus to its
enemies9 This, in statement, is the whole of
the policy, the extent Of the plan of recon-
structiOn. But We are now told that our
eystem of reconstruction is q failure. and
that our want of foresight is . sufficient
reason for driving us from power pause,
try wherein our want Of foresight sppears7
surely, only in this: That We conceded to
the vsnqnished foe, suppliants for property,
lite and liberty, those qualities of gratitude
and Justice which, as we then thought,
are universal among them. We vsiply
imagined that gratitude to Q common
benefactor for common benefit would
lead them to guard the rights of
the negro as they would desire and ex.
pect the country to guard theirs. IL it our
crime that in all this we have been disap-
pointed Is it our shame and to the honor
of those who were in the rebellion, and
their allies of the North, that they, who, if
moved by justice and gratitude, would have
been the protectors of the negro, have con-
spired for his ruinf But IT We have erred,
to whom il our apology due : Of whom are
we to ssk forgiveness Perhaps of the ne
gro, who is the victim of confidence by u
misplaced, and to his great harm. Perhaps
of the soldier Of the, Union, who sses the
fruit of his toll wrested from those VINO first
of al should have participated in it's enjoy
ment. But surely no apology can be ten
dered to those, forgiveness csn not be asked
OF thOee whose crimes have contributed TO
the partial failure of the scheme Of recon
structiOa.
Aud if these errors are to be corrected.
III ali the work of reformation be intrusted
to it's friends or to its enemies? The sue
cess of the Democratic party will command
pesce In the south, but it will be peace
secured by the fOrcible suppression Of every
political opinion except its own. 1t will
create . sOlicitude in political affairs and
call it peace. The negroes will be kept
will be murdered, driven out of the cOun-
try, and intiDldated into silence. and We
shall then be told that every where there is
order in the South. These are not dreams or
prophecies, but . plain narrative OF exist.
ing facts in the South, and perms-
nent in the policy and government
OF this country in case the present
political campaign ends in Democratic
Alabama and Georgia have been taken by
fraud and force, and by fraud and force
| they are now held. II men differ as to the
| extent Of the wrongs, if there are qnes.
| tiOns of responsibility, Of motives which we
| can not now answer, the fact remains that
great outrages have been perpetrated. that
Republicans have been the sufferers. and
| that the consequences have Injured TO the
benefit, and to the bene6r only, of the D-m-
ocratic party. In ordinary affairs u person
| convicted Of . crime from which he has de-
rived special advantages 10 not only de-
prived OF the mercy of the law in the SEN
| tence pronounced upon him, but he fails to
| secure from his fellow men the barren sym
| patty which is often accorded to common
criminals. This is the position of the DEM
| Ocrstic party. Nor can it now plead that
| these wrongs. in some alarming degree Ut
vigor, do not exist.
The resolution npon the subject passed
| by the Honse OF Representatives. upon the
motion of Mr.. Scott Lord, a Democrat, the
resolution adopted by the Democratic con-
| vertion of New York, are alike confession
| that these Outrages have assumed national
1 NJ
| the Democratic party has more power than
others to prevent a repetition OF them.
II the leaders of the Democratic party
| were sincere something might DO gained;
| but they we're mere prompt 10 denounce the
| President for the only measure possible for
| preventing the Outrdgee OF Which the resO-
| lutiOns complained shan they were IN de-
nOuncing the Outrages themselves, and. ap-
| psrently, they were much more in earnest
| Moreover, we can not he otherwise than
deeply impressed by the fact that theee out
RACES in their political consequences In the
States contribute to the success OF tbs Dem
| Ocratic party in the country, and that an
| era of real peace in the South would be
| ruin, utter and complete ruin, to thell
hopes.
| Nor should we delude ourselves with the
idea that these Outrages viii neither be re-
peated in the States where they have &C
Cured, nor initiated in States that are ye'
under Republican rule. The motive f0l
these outra ges not only continues. but it,
force increases each day as we approach the
Pr sdential election. A largo part OF the
abb. bodied white men of the Gulf States
are completely armed and enrolled in mill
tary org anizations, whose design are ag,
gr.s.ive and purely political. Ga tn
twelfth OF August last, less than one
month ago, Governor Chamberlain, o
South Carolina, WAS announced to speak q
Edgefield Courthouse, in that ate. Tut
meeting was called by Republicans. thu
speakers announced were Republicans ex.
ciusively, and yet at the hour y body Of 90.
armed men appeared and demanded one
half the time for Democratic orators. Thu
demand could not be refused.
Governor Chamberlain spoke, but under
great constraint He was followed by Gen
eral Butler, of Hamburg fame. The meet
fore the day closed, Governor Chamberlain
and the Republicans, chiefly Degroes, LEI
the grounds, followed by D-mOcr"'i
mob engaged in jeeripg and insulting the
Governor and his supporters. Is there any
one who does not discern tho slgDlaca"c
of such day and such scene! Is fhTr'
| any one who does mt realIz, what u u
store for South Caroiaa. the ti'mest Ut tn
Republican States! And with stronger rea
son we can foresee the fate OF every > al
in which the negroes are either maj 'rit5
| or. biued with whites. can secure IL
uuL lican victory. If rne s ale OF the elevel
ia permitted to vote for Governor Hayes,
viii he for the purpose Of furpi hidg ev
dc nce that the suffrages of the other te
are not the fruit OF fraud or force.
Bat, gentlemen, there is not a more sui
gestive and alarming circumstance than TN
. concession which Republicans daily max
. to each other and TO the country that b
. South will give q united electoral vote Il
, Mr.: Titden, although we know that ia fou
States our msj ,rities are overwhelming