The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-02
.Do Mine Eyes Deceive Me y

DO Milne EIy 90 DSScAFo A'AS .sst.st'
The Washington Republicans, which mas
been the organ OF the GRANT Atlminisflr1si.
t;on. and which has justified all the Federal
outragcs in the South, and never failed 70
defend the bogus and BLACKBOARD State gov
ernments composed Of sconndrels and bar.
barians, has performed somersaht the
most extraordinary We have ever KNOWN: W
the history Of Journalism. From having
claimed that the abominable governments
we sneak OF were rightfut and 1aW1ui' az"
that the southern people were unreasona"
bic rebels for being unwilling TO saemit ~
them, the Republican has wheeled ABOUT anu :,
nroclaimed that such rule is "tdespotlc'
and at war with republicanism. we feao
= with amazement The following para
.,raph might be supposed by tue re'ioo't "
be cnpped from the Dispatch, but we as
sure him it is the beginning OF a douhle-
loaded editorial in the Republican OF the
esth February: i
1.-THE source OF free government Is the
neon,e. and when a government OF the peo-
nIe, in form, ceases to be such IN TACT IL mas
No longer richtiul sway, and rules, ii at all,
oS 6espotism. 1t is not the prlncaple Dut
the practice OF government that constitutes
opnression, and the best government on
earth, erected and operated over the heaas
0! an unwilling people, Is, in pracrce, tlle
yeriest tyranny. What can be more at VIZ
rance with the principle OF repuoii-
can government than system OF taxation
and police regulation sustained by men VINO
neither own the property TO De taAeu NOR
safx RI nttprfPU
the laws enacted and enforced! ana "hat
imaginable creation can be more repugnant
toa nroud people than government man,
tained by persons foreign to their soil ana
strangers to them? Let any citizen OF
free state answer. Ireland, Hungary. ana
Poland are familiar instances OF such gov
ernmen,s. and their people have the SYM
na,hv Of the world And yet these govern
mentS are rendered tolerablc to the pnlio-
sophic mind by being the creatures OF
conauerors, whose powers are rlShtlul
bv common consent. In such instances
OF oppression men bear their necks to the
woke as q dispensation OF fate, without even
asserting the right to question its justice.
But where people are nominaliy free, In
hsb!ting a State controlled by their fathers
for generations. and belonging to a conIeae--
rarion OF States known and recognized as
the freest among men, but who are never
theless governed by aliens, supported by a
seryile race in their midst, what shall De
said Of them? Let those enjoying true no.
erty reply"
Is it not triumph for true republican
ism that after nearly twelve years OF bitter
party war the Administration organ OF the
Republican party makes the confession that
the governments it had supported were the
veriest tyranny, sat variance with the prin.
ciple OF republicanism Words cannot
be more clear. and if they are meant in SIM
cerity and speak authoritatively for the
President-elect, the triumph is complete.
The article from which the above quota
the dual State governments in South Caro-
lima and Louisiana. 1t purports to be q
foreshadowingo OF the policy of the incoming
Administration with regard to the southern
State governments.
The Republican assumes that the troubles
OF the southern States proceeded
from sort OF military deposit lett
in those States" by the war, which
for a time as nucleus" "drew to
it native element recently released from
hondage." (which supposed itself the
natural enemy OF its former owner" The
words quoted are from the Republican. 1t
is bridging the chasm from the military
Deposit to- the present time, when it
claims the right OF seif-government for the
southern people. 49,
Contrasting that for more than decade
this "fusion military negroes and car
pet-baggers-kept the southern States in
tbraldom," it proceeds: Fortunately,
cleaning wisdom by sad experience, the
property-holders OF the South have dis
" covered way out of the tolls. 1t is no
" other than to enlist the sympathy OF the
{. former slave in their behalf, thus making
"the freedman the fundamentally OF their
1.own liberation"
Exactly! And this is the solution Of the
astonishing change in the views OF the Re
publican, as it is in the altered policy and
foreshadowed policy Of the Radical Admin
istration. Asilong as the recent slaves could
be controlled by Federal agencies, the
southern people were kept under the bayo-
net; but now that even President GRANT is
satisfied that this control cannot be pro-
longed, the southern people are to govern
themselves! To the patience and imper-
turbable fortitude and manhood OF the
southern people this important confession
and change OF policy are due.
The South has been so often deceived that
we can hardly venture to say that we may
not be again, even IN the promises now held
out to US. But General GRANT, the most
obstinate and persistent man in tue land,
has thoroughly tested the deSpotie system
and the rule of the South through ignorance
and dishonesty. He has at last confessed
that it is failure, and we can hardly sup
pose the new President will attempt to con-
tinue policy which has failed under the
direction OF GRANT.
The Republican continues asserting that
the southern States have hit upon the means
OF hberating themselves, and the authors OF
the "hated governments '.must give
way" "but for the aid OF the General Gov.
eminent" Upon this point it says: ~
"And the question is, Shall they have
such aid, or shall they be left to themselves
to be sustained or starved, as the people al.
fected by them shall elect? There can be
no doubt but that the great majority Of the
party which viii administer the Govern
ment for the coming four years is convinced
that whatever reasons have heretofore ex-
listed for sustaining these governments they
exist no longer and that the peoDle OF those