The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-03-22
What 1t Means.

.
idea of the Southern situation. 1t is
an advertisement. of the falsehood on
which the Republicans conducted the
canvass. 1t is begging the question.
liz is an abandonment of the stock in
trade OF the Republican party for the
last ten years. 1t is an announcement
that the the party that stole The Prcsi-
dency is indebted for what votes il did
,eceivclto an UNANIMOUSLY false pretensc
Ii sdvertiscs the Republican party as
party led by liars who are followed
by bigots. Above all, if there is any
virtue, mixed with intelligence in the
American people, it is the annihilatiOn
of the Republican party.
II will be remembered that the Re-
publicans in the last Presidential can
yass had really but one cry-.hat of
sectionaiism. The sSolid South" was
the battIe-cry. The war was fought
ice again. 1t was TO defeat the s'Sol-
III Sou,h.' to shut out every man
ssuih of Mason's line from power in
the Federal Government, that the Re-
publicans of the North were asked to
vote for Mr.. Hayes. There were the
..rebel claims" There was Anderson
Vile. There was the ''unextingnished
iiostility" of the white people of the
South TO the black race. There was
The enmity Of every Southern Demo-
crat to the Union. 1t was not yet safe
TO intrust power to any of them -
These were the proposiiions ON which
the Republican party wen; before the
people, and on these they were beaten.
Being beaten, and being compelled to
steal the Presidency. they abandoned
them, confessing themselves, TO be
I. M rccv n
pubiicams attempted 10 raise in the
last canvass which their de Jdcfo Pres
ident has not ackno wtedged to be
ialse, which the present policy of the
/ Republican, party has not pronounced
y SANDER upon the South and upon the
Democratic party OF the country. Mr..
| Hayes says that he is bound to accept
the professions of the Democrats OF
Louisians as sincere, when they give
/ assurances OF ir1endliness aud far
treatment toward the coiored people
OF that State, and this is done under
The direction OF abler men who have
become his advisers. There is no
complaint OF maltreatmeut or oi upe-
qual treatment OF the negroes save in
these States. When Hayes heard that
these States had given Democratic ma
jorities, had elected their own Demo-
cratic State Governments, and had by
the same token defeated Mr.. Hayes,
he is reported to have said that he did
not care for himself, but lie icds sorry
TOR the poor. blacks of those States.
! since, by the aid of Returning Boards
aad van eight.to.sevea Commission.
Hayes has been inaugurated President
de .fdctO, he has announced that he
shall pursue a policy of complete nom
Intervention in those States. He will
leave the people 10 take care OF them
/ selves, and he has now implicit conf
deuce in the conscientious desire OF
the Democrats of Louisiana, and, o!
course of all other Southern States, TO
do justice 10 the colored people of the
South.
This is the change of base. The
flank movement, the abondnumcnt oi
the party shiboleth, the confession OF
dishonor. The Republican party ho W
goes before the country with no win.
ning issue it has not borrowed from
the Democratic party. 1t gives up the
ghost and becomes Democratic in the
South, still hoping to remain Republi
can in the North. The abandonment
of the Republican policy in the South
by an Administration that stole It's
power, will be fatal TO its power in
the North. 1t has held the North to-
gether, almost, by that accursed yell
since the wsr- The party, with lnde
cent and impoitic haste, ell reaching
power, spurns that war-cry, and de.
uUuuCes II rs heresy. w hat, tirefi, does
this Abandonment mean? Lit the quar-.
rel it creates does not promptly dis.
rupt the Republican party. and that is
l H. g., tln
power of the public spoi!s, of the
questions it expels from public notice
aud political harrangue, il means lit
ing into prominence the ful1kamental
. question OF tree government. Then
Massachusetts herself is Democratic
State. Massachusetts is the home o.
the town-meeiing, and when the or.
; ganic law of flee government Is con
sidered and voted ON all New England
is Democratic. Upon all The public
questions that can arise outside of the
bigoiry touching The Southern ques
ton, the Democratic party has the
confidence and the votes OF the country
il is the party OF the people. AS tn.
Republican party has admitted the
rottenness Of the foundation Oh which
it has been resting for several years
this means that the Democratic party
ia The party OF The future, as it was for
the most part, the dominant party in
the country for three score years
This strange Republican comp.imeu,
TO its policy, TO its honesty, to ills pat
rioiisin, this ackno wlensment that all
the essential things the Democratic
party said in the recent campaign
| were true, can not weaken il in the
respect OF the "A merican people. The
meaning is that when the Republican
party threw away the bloody shirt il
threw away its ALL Enquirer.