New-York tribune., 1876-12-18

THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS-.
The discreet behavior of the majority of
Southern Democrats in Congress, as contI9Sted
with the intemperate language held by some
of their Northern allies, has already attracted
public attention and received the c0mmrnda-
ton of all law-abiding and peaec-loying citi-
2cns. The Southern Democrats have preserved
their couani1nity during the discussion, TO this
point at least Indeed, they seem to be look
ing on the exhibition of passionate zeal by
their Northern associates in Il wondering way,
with something between curiosity and con-
tempt. There was a timc-say sixteen years
AGO this Wnter-whcn Southern Democrats
might have been impressed with such talk as
they have been listening 10 il caucuses and
committees for "A few weeks from the emiI cnt
persons who say, with clinCbed fists and set
teeth. that they will not submit to the III
auouTation Of. Gov. Hayes, but will rise mp
and rally and swoOp down and ali that. Eut
among the things they have learned at the
South since 1860 is this: that when the
Northern Democracy takes fighting attitude
il il merely for the purpose OF photography.
MIR. Fernando Wood, even, is not 20 impressive
now az he was when he Offered the South llssym-
pathy and cooperation in 1861, and talked some
what largely about setting up an independent
government for the City of Ncw-I Ork, of which
be was then Mayor. Talk is very cheap. The
Southern Democrats have found that out; and
it is no less crcditable TO their discenment
that Il ey take it for what it is worth than
honorable to their patriotism that they put
aside all suggo ations oi violence and reyoIu-
tion and counsel moderation, patience, and
peace The bluster of the bathcrskitcs they
very wisely pass mheeded They have seen
the same mouths in n state OF eruption before,
and found to their cost what little meaning 1t
had and how little came of it. The situation
to-day i'll it, essential features differs but little
from that Of sixteen years ago. Then as now
the fights Of Southern citizens had been
abridged by the failure to secure the control
of Kansas by the same means that have been
employed to redeem the reconstructed States.
Violence and intimidation aud terrorism had
been defeated then as they have been now.
And the same earnest patriots who then
kindled with Indignation at the mjus-
tice done the Southern States, and did every
thing III their power to provoke violence and
inCitc rebellion, are full Of the same theme to-
day and jIst rs violent and miIammatOry iii
their discourse. The calmncss with which the
Southern DemOcrats look on and take no part
except to counsel peace, is the best indication
that the game viii not work second time.
IL indicates another fact which seems 10 us
of great Importance. That is that the Southern
Democratic leaders are beginning to see and
appreciate the terrible bundcr they have been
guilty Of in falling back into the old party
affiliations ard joining hands with the organ
izatiOn with which they acted before the war.
There are Of course iii the Democratic party
many honest, conscientious, and patriotic cih-
zens During the past four Oriive years, too, many
voters have supported its candidates who do
not by any means count themselves Democrats.
But these do not affect the spirit and purpose
OF the party. II il an organization whose gov
crning principle Is success and whose single
aim is power It's faithessness and treach-
cry, its corrupt practices aud mischievOus
tendencies, are matters of record. Its charac-
ter is established. Except for the fatal blum
dering and the miserable incompetency and
worse, shown by the Republicans III the past
eight years, which drove so many to vote the
Democratic ticket AS desperate choice Of evils,
il would not have been trusted III any North
ern State. Still it was not unnatural that
Southern Democrats even after their expert
eDce of the faithlessness of their allies, should
after the war take up the old association.
There were the tie of common name, the
traditions of battles and victories won together,
the memories of old struggles, the intimaces
of leaders, and what was perhaps more, COM
mon hostility to an Administration whose ap-
pointees and representatives, were sedulously
cultivating the jealousies of race, and promot-
ing political differences between the white and
black citizens of the South for mean and selfish