Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-05-31

believe that they or majority of them
nave been soundiy converted, and are
honest advocates of the equal rights of
men? II Is my opinion that the body
Df the Southern Democracy have not
changed in regard 70 the civil and pO-
itical rights of the negro, snd that if
Tilden had been elected President,
within his term of four years the Four.
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments
would have been substantially over
thrown. In most of tha Southern
States this would have been accompa
MED by the methods recently illustra
ted in Mississippi and other State, and
is altogether possible for tine exquisite-
~ potential genius which can extract
Democratic majority Of 0.0OO from a
Republican majority of $4,000. No one
prays for conciliatjon and fraternity
between North and South more earn
estly than myself, but cOnciliation ami
be honorable and endura-
equal civil aud political rights, peace
and protection to men of all races and
creeds. II the men who held the col
ored people in bondage, and VINO at
every step since the war and until
yesterdag fought against equal rights
and the Constitutional Amendments
are to-day reg enerated and will admin
lister the great principles asserted by
the Republican party, and placed ~ 1t
in the Constitution and laws, it is con-
devoutly to be wished.
Such frame of mind on the part OF
the Southern people l should regard
as the most important and desirable
of all political conditions-the grand
result which every patriot has at heart.
But ii do not believe in this sudden
/ ought not to be consider
ed inereduiOus auiI pre- p.,sstsssed; and
if about this | am wrong, and if the
Republican party have, by their efforts
and disci pline, ,subdued the very hearts
of the Democracy OF the South, how
can we sufficiently comprehend and
magnify the achievement? In Geor-
gia, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Ar
kansas, q part of Missouri and Middle
and Western Tennessee, free suffrage
exists chiefly in name. Georgia, In
which there is not difference Of eight
thousand votes between the parties,
gave Tilden a majority of eighty-One
thousand. In six counties not Repub-
lican vote was pclled. Mississippi, with
a Republican majority of thirty thou
sand, was made to return Democratic
majority of sixty thousand. In four
containing fifty Thousand Re-
publican votes, seven Republican votes
were polled, which were admitted just
to show that Republicans could vote.
Alabama, with clear Republican ma.
jority of ten thousand, was made to re-
turn a Democratic majority of 81, 900
In Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas ap-
proximate results were produced by
like processes. 1t Is folly to allege thai
in these States there were liberty, pro
lection and equal rights. The volumi
nous testimony taken by the Senate
committee establishes the fact that the
liberty enjoyed by the Republicans
both black and white, was but nomi
nal. They were outcasts from society
oppressed in business, hunted like
criminals, and denied protection By
the laws. Peace and commercial pros
perity based upon such conditions ar'
hollow and worthless, and are but an
other form of barter of rights for gold
The quiet was that of strangulatior
and paralysis, and audacious falsehoOt
at last grows weary of telling US tina
such results were anything but crimes
| If South Carolina, with Republican
majority of 25 900, and Louisiana, witt
like majority of 15, 900, are to be con
ciliated and pacified in the same way
the hope and promises held out e
President Hayes will have been broker
| In every part. If, ON the contrary
Republicans in these States, white ant
blacks, shall be protected in person
property and freedom of speech, action
and occupation, 1 shall be the first t
acknowledge the grant result. vii
ignore the past, let by cones be by
J cones, accept the new condition witt
10y, and believe the rebellion was no
Suppressed in vain. 1t is to this happ.
condition that President Hayes aspires
and all should earnestly pray for tn
full realization of his hopes. The Re
publican party South, with all its Ell
\ rurs, waged a noble contest for right
!and the courage aud self-sacrifice dis
played by its members are embalne
lin history. The warmest sympathie
of the Republicans ofthe North atten'
those of the South in their desolatiO
and undone condition, with the earnes
hope that the dark oyerhanging clou
may have silver lining, and that ther
may be day of speedy resurrection
By the voluntary withdrawal of tn
army the South has been placed on he
good behaviour. Following the
bloody campaigns for political powel