National Republican., 1877-10-15
Hamburg aud Fort Pillow.

whose names are destined to descend to our
children's children in company with the de-
tested names Of CAMPBELL of Glenlyon and
the Duke of Alva. These men are Gen. But
LER of South Carolina, and Gen. CHALMERS
of Mississippi. Gen. BUTLER was the leader
of the rifle clubs and of the mob who COM
mitted the cowardly massacre of Hamburg.
Gen. CHALMERS was the Confederate COM
mander who put to the sword the Federal
garrison of Fort Pillow after its surrender.
These two massacres unhappily are not un-
paralleled in Southern and Indian history,
but they are unsurpassed in every circum-
stance that makes cold-blooded slaughter
revolving to civilized man.
Gen. CHALMERS owes his certificate to n
series of frauds that would have brought the
blush Of shame to the toughencd cheek of
TWEED. The evidence that proves these
enormous frauds is to be found in the report
of the subcommittee of the Senate that in
vestigated the election of 1876 in Missis-
sippi Gen. CHALMERS will demand admis-
sion to the House. He will be received and
retained. The Democracy which owes its
political supremacy to kindred polutions of
the ballot-box will not dare to reject their
Boss in this political Black Art They are
welcome to him. It is idle to ask them to
relieve themselves of the dead weight-the
dead weight of unarmed Federal soldiers
slain-which their Endorsement of his mill
tary and political career will compel them
to carry in the next campaign. 1t will be
their funeral, not ours; and we turn our faces
in horror from the corpse.
But, if Gen. BUTLER is admitted to seat
in the Senate, the Republican party alone
will be responsible for it. 1t has the power
to cast him out into the outer darkness that
he has earned. There is no reason why he
should be received and there are the great
est reasons why he should he repclled
His admission would be an official rccog-
milton by the Republican party that assas-
sination is lawful political expedicnt in
close elections; that the leader in
slaughter of American citizens for opn-
ions sake" as President GRANT aptly
styled the Hamburg massacre, is not there
by disqualified to FIJI the loftiest lcgisla-
tive position that the American Republic
has created. 1t would he an official dccla-
ration that an ambitious Democratic poll
tician may lead rifle clubs with impunity
to disturb Republican meetings to overawe
them and to take possession of them; that
he may threaten to drive his farm laborers
from their homes if they refuse to
obey their conscience, rather than his
warning, and vote for the Republican candi-
dates; that he may without Odium or dam
ger boldly announce to Congressional
committee that he intended to carry out
these measures, and that on the day of the
greatest national election, when the Repub-
lie chooses its President, he may openly, in
public and safely, dare to say that he would
visit with vengeance the race whom the Re-
publican party set free if they should be
bold enough to vote for its chosen standard
bearer.
1t would do more. Itwould encourage an
armed and organized rebellion within u
State-a rebellion rs well armed and as well
organized as the legions who followed LEE
to battle-in their defiance of the laws and
Constitution of the nation, and it would
teach them that the most fragrant irrcgu-
larities in the subsequent revolutionary leg
islative proceedings would not necessarily
endanger the success Of their rebellion.
Gen. BUTLER brings the Republican
party face to face with the most solemn
problem it has ever been called on to solve
1t is the old struggle of the Sphynx-whoso
fails to unriddle il must die the death. The
anti-slavery element of the Republican party
is its most vital organ. If it is wounded
to-day by the admission of Gen. BrTLER
to seat in the Senate, the old cry "1o your
tents, o, Israeli will be heard Us the death,
rattle of the Republican party. 1t ought tC
die if ii does this deed and il will die un,
honored, unwept unsung For it is mad
ness to disguise the fact that, whatever man
milliners and tradcsmen may say, the earn
est rank and file of the Republican party
have far more reverence for men than dol
lars-for tho right Of American citizens t'
free speech and free ballot than for ciri
service reform or the relative value of silvc
and gold The Ohio election proves that i
is not safe to incur our ACHILLES wrath
that when he retires in sullen anger or will
sad reproaches to his tent, the fate OF tn,
battle is decided.
That Gen. BUTLER was the recognized ant
promptly obeyed leader at Hamburg; tina
he commanded armed rife clubs who over
awed Republican meetings more than once
and that he insulted in their presence tn
Republican orators; that he threatened hi
laborers before the election and threat
ened Republican voters at the electiOn-th
evidence of the Senate committee, of whic
Mr. ANGUS CAMERON was the chairman
proves beyond cavil or chance of contra
diCtiOn.
But we waive these considerations to-da
in order to call attention TO the fact that h
was not legally elected on any theory o
the South Carolina problem.
Before doing 50, it should be stated tina
the rejection of Gen. BUTLER would be M
rcbuke 10 the Presidents Southern policy
Those who claim that the President desire
Gen. BUTLER's admission are guilty of dc
libcrate misrepresentation. The President