Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-09
The True Way with the South.

There has been going 0D tnere SINCE 1000 al
experiment the like Of which no civilized na
ton ever made 10 the world. What was meant
by conferriog the Suffrage upon four millions
of persons Just emancipated, without educa
tion, without property, without training 10 the
exercise of citizenship, without c'rrect mora
sense and with 10 sense Of public responsibility
at all-what this meant MIR. Lamar, in hi
slugular.y able and philosophical speech OF
Wednesday, brought vividIy before the sense!
OF his hearers aud readers. To help him be
had the foremost friend of the negroes 10 al
the land, Senator Morton HIMSELF for We must
confess that the language Of Mr.. Morton, cited
by MIR. Lamar, describes in even more vivid
detail than that of the Mississipplan the perils,
the evil results and the iucouveDiencos OF thus
gift of citizenship 10 the freedmen h: two
speeches-Mr. Lamar's and MIR. Mor,ou's-
deserve the careful attention of all thoug htiul
citizens, not as arguments for Withdrawing this
Gift from the Southern blacks-that Is out OF
the question-but in order that the Northern
voters may realize the true nature OF the
Southern troubles, 10 order that they may see
that the questions there Involving the whole OF
society n turmoil are not to be settled by a
military order, few companies OF cavalry or a
Force bill. Mr.. Lamar spoke truly; time was
needed, and 10 some of those States tlme Is
still needed. And besides time they need Wig
orous, courageous local governments, ready 10
assert the laws, to punish eyildoers aod to hold
society together In peace unll time shall solve
the still remaining difficulties.
One of the phrases oftenest used about the
Southern States is that they must become
like the North" 1--WE want to make Louis.
lana like the North, said very prominent
republican of that State the other day. I'VE
want to make Mississippi like de Nori,' said
cOored Sheriff Of thas State not long ago to
Northern traveller, who replied to him,
gravely, You are Sheriff Of this county, my
friend; you cannot write sentence correctly;
you can barely read; you owo less than i've
hundred dollars worth of property in the
world; yet you are Sheriff of great county
aud you want to have your State like the North.
Believe me when | tell you that there is not o
State nor county 10 all the North where ten
men could be found to nominate you for Sheriff,
or. in fact, for any Office whatever. do not
speak it to offend you, but to inform you. Ii
you lived anywhere 10 the North, even in Mas
saohusetts or the Western Reserv. OF OHIO, no
soul would ever for 9 moment lhiuk of noml.
uating you even for constable, much less Sheriff.
You would be patient and conteotei day la
borer or farmer, and your widest dreams would
not lead you to think of office" ls not this
rue2 And if so, when we ECHO the Southern
republican, 8 or the Southern negros cry that
the South shall be like the North, > ought
We not to think what that means? Louisiana
has negro Lieutenant Governor; Mississippi
had one until he was impeached for bribery.
Almost every Southern State has ooored State
officers, oolored shsriffs, oolored tax collectors
coloTed judges, colored school officers. ln this
are they not unlike, very unlike, ''the North?'
Frederick Douglass is. cultivated man, an
eloquent speaker, forcible writer, man OF
property, good citizen. What party in New
lork has ever thought OF nominating him Tor
Lieutenant Governor?
We, too, would like to see the South like
the North. /" and like the best part of the North
We should like to see, for instance, the rude,
uue,tcred colored men OF the South warned
and guided by the repub lean leaders to give up
their greed for public office, and taught to se-
lec their governors. their sheriffs, their legis.
lstors, their judges and county supervisors from
among the educated ard property owning white
residents. We should like to see them calling
upon these, aud not upon the tar of and to a
great extent poweress federal government, for
justice and protection against the lawless part
OF the community. We should like to see So
cety in the South reorganized with the brains
at the top, aud that is what the republican rule
down there with it's constant cry tor federal ln-
reference and it's fatal habit of teaching the
ignorant negro that Office is one Of his rights.
no matter how he abuses it, aud that the federal
power ls his only protector, has CONTINUALLY oD
structed. Among the documents sent 10 By the
President with his recent Southern message are
some letters from the U. S. District Attorney
of northern Mississippi. He relates that the
grand jury which has just been discharged con-
sisted Of eleven republicans and seven demo
Gratis; that before this body was brought evl.
dence of intimidation at an election; that he-a
native Mississippan-in vain pressed upon
them the necessity Of indicting the guilty par.
ties; that they absolutely refused to do so, aod
be socloses their report to the Judge. Now
having just refused to ind indictments on which
the guilty might have been brought to justice.
what d. these republican grand jurymen do !
They uuite in wild general indictment OF the
whole State as revolutionary and full OF vlo.
ence, and demand the immediate interference
OF the federal force What is the use OF that
Senator Boutwell, cannot be accused OF luke
"srmness toward the Southern blacks nor o
an smlable weakness toward the Ooutnerc
whites, as his partisan report on the Mississippi
uoVeroorship abuudaotIy proves. When re-
e'utly 10 Mississippi what he there saw led him
as he Was leaving the State, to call around him
a.number Of the leading oolored men and to ad
wise them to select this fall for all the offices,
o'a1e and local, not negroes, not even Northern
men, but prominent, iuhu ntia intelligent meu
Sl the old white residents. the natives OF the
o'ate, aud to vote for these. The advice va,
souod and statesmsulike; but it Will not bt
.akeu. Even if the mass of the ooloree
ueo we're willing the vagabond carpet-bag ele
ueot would not let them That class live
apoo Office; it divides with the niggers;" i
nas taught the black that his voting strength
soitles him to share of the public pIunder
ala 1t lives upon his fears aud his greed TO
1t Is often asked-"W by should not North
o'a man run for office in the South ?" and th
S0s''1on Is thought to demonstrate "Southsr