New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-14
Tho south Its Own Enemy.

If the Southern journals fairly reflect tho
opinions and feelings of their readers, IL 10
evident that the great majority OF them
labor under an unhappy delusion. insy
of infamous and invidiOus misrule. Ihey
are 'throttled," "trampled under foot
''robhed of their rights" they are the "vio-
Tins Of venomous hatred" Q Ong-snfering,
meek and patient people, whom "brutal
rulers at Washington" are fast driving to
desperation. These are some of the phrases
culled from our Southern exchanges within
the last three days. They might be multi
add to them, by way Of variety, the
menaces and predictions with which the
expOnents Of Southern intelligence
and patriotism interlard their groans
and complaints. "The time has come when
we must meet force with force" exclaims
one who has apparently forgotten that q
rebellion YVES suppressed not very long ago.
ITO the bayOnet we must oppose the bay
onet," is the axiOmatio utterance OF q hero
who is belligerent only in his own sanctum.
Then there are the prophets. They quote
Caius Lucius and other lmmortals, and ap..
ply poetic imaginings to the realities OF
American politics. They discern at NO great
distance military usurper, with his heels
upon the necks of Americans, aud his min
ions riding rOughshod over the ruins OF the
republic. One, more dismal than the rest,
sees imperial power close at hanG-the am-
bilious Grant clothed in purple, welding
sceptre, with "half q million of men all
through the country, his generals, field
marshals and dukes" extorting huge rev.
enues by oppressive taxes, and furnishing
with swift and ignOminious death" all who
resist.
And what. think you, is the immediate
occasion of this strange mixture OF curses
Il Ia rtot IA Of tnJ md
wickedness, which tor a week past has been
served daily to the readers of Southern
newspapers! Simply the appearance of
Attorney General Taft's circular of instruc-
ton to the United States marshals. That
sensible, temperate and eminently proper
document has developed an incredible
amount of nonsense and eXaggeratiOn,
which under some circumstances might be
ludicrous, under others pitiful, but which
in the present condition Of the country muet
be set down as malignant and mendacious.
Because the Attorney General recites prOvis-
ions law designed to secure peace, order
and freedom at the polls, he has practically
uprooted the foundation of our government
and turned Democracy into despOtism. Be-
cause he informs United States marshals
that they are responsible for the enforce.
ment of the law, and are invested with all
the authority that may be requisite to en-
force it, he has converted our government
into o grand consolidated system, ruled
and controlled at and from Washington"
Because he points out that military force
may be employed to prevent disturbance at
election meetings, and intimidation
and violence at the election, he has
taken mot the first, but the last, step to-
ward empire" What effect all this mis-
chievous stuff will have upon the Southern
whites. it is difficult to imagine. If they
are sufficiently ldiotic to accept it as gospel
it may breed trouble. We must believe, in
deed, that this is its object. What else is
the meaning of the suggestion for tie or
ganization of the minute men of 76s" OF
the proposal to meet force with force" OF
the declaration that the exercise of author
ity indicated by the Attorney General shall
be resisted. or circumvented, or in some
other way overcome!
There is, too, an idea which the rebel edi
tors of Baltimore and Richmond-who seem
to have taken the lead in this race of fools
promulgated when the first issue OF the At.
torney Generals letter was talked of. They
stated the case alphabetically. Suppose,
they said, the effect of the Federal enforce
ment of Federal law be to carry for the Re-
publicsDs States which the armed and or
ganized Democracy would secure if allowed
to play their game unmolested. And sup
pose that the votes of these States deter
| mine the election as between Hayes and
| Tilden. What then9 The rebel proposition
| is that the House shall refuse to count the
| votes of these States, and that conflict of
| authority shall thus be precipitated upon
the country. 1t is not necessary to argue
the suppositiOus case, or to trace its posi-
BILE consequences. The mere statement is
enough for our present purpose.
Can the South be blind to the effect which
these manifestations of temper produce at
the North9 Can it reasonably complain
if the Northern people regard with dis
| IL ust its determined effort to regain power
in the government and to shape the policy
of the Union 1t complains that it il
nified; that its professions of loyalty are re
jected a. worthless. The fault is its own
There was q strong disposition to accept
it's pr0testations as made in good faith, and
by all possible methods to cultivate recon
ciliation. The Republicans who have cher
ished this disposition were in the ascend
ency at Cincinnati. The Republican
nominee for the presidency is in hearty
accord with them. as his letter of accept
whites responded! BY nominating fo
the highest State Offices men who wer,
fierce, malignant rebels as long as the re
bellion lasted, and who have since dom
nothing to attest their allegiance to tn
Union. BY openly boasting that the.
mean to carry the South for the Democrats
and by organizing as openly the means o
intimidating colOred voters and frightening
them away from the polls. BY systemati
outrages in South Carolina, Mississippi ant
Louisiana, perpetrated with the view o
Furnishing troublesome opponents and max
ing their own sway absolute. All this i
notorious and not new. And as if all thi
were not enough to rouse the country to
sense of its danger, these men give vent t
their latent hostility to the authorities Q
the Union. and talk as wildly and threate
defiantly as in the winter of 1860. Unit
these things are corrected, they have n
right to complain that they are misjudge
and misrepresented. Judge them by thei
organized coercion. by the insane fur
which the bare avowai of determinatio
to enforce liberty and order at the polls ha
; called forth, and the verdict of the Mort
must be against them. They are the wors
if not the only, enemies of the States
. whose interests they profess to be devoted
: Neu York Times.
Governor Antofne's Letter.
A communication addressed by Lieutel
> ant Governor Antoine to the Louisiar
. central Democratic committee sheds foo
of light upon the manner in which the cou
! mittee's suggestions are carried out in man
of the parishes in that State. "We," sa
8 the committee in Q circular, "hAve Il
1 HE ala ND int