The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-12
Chamberlain's Retirement.


Chamberlain's Retirement.
The political complications in Louisiana
and South Carolina throw flood OF hght
upon the iniquities Of the reconstruction
measures adopted by the Republican party
for the purpose Of perpetuating ITS own
power at Washington. This light was not
needed by the southern people. We nave
known from the beginning that the govern
menss maintained in the southern STATES
under the operation Of these measures were
mere governments of straw--stuneo cn'
gies-not founded upon the baSisupon whlch
oil real governments arc founded nut up
held By the bayonets OF the fresioeu' y.
The United States. Nothing else imam SUCH
wrongs-wrongs against n whote co'i'ii''-
nitr-wrongs which every patriot was conf
,,elled To denounce and resiSt-couid nave
ken, the true people of the South band
cd together as one man. against the party
in mower. But the people OF the hortnern
States have all along had sort OF conVic-
tion that THAp. STEVENS, BEAST BuTLsR,
.JoyS suERMAN, CHARLES SUMNER. and the
rest OF those distinguished statesmen q
who inflicted these measures upon the South,
had performed an act OF craftsmanship lor
which the world would yet give them
credit; that they had discovered panacea
for all the evils OF war, ignorance, ana pow
erty,-namely, the making OF voters out OF
,ln}ettered negroes who had no property.
no pride, and no patriotism. The light now
shines upon this act OF craftsmanship. anG
STEVENS, BUTLER. SUMNER. SHERMAN ana
their allies, stand forth as legislative
ouacks. Their patent remedy has proved
to be no remedy at all, but poi
son so deadly that its injurious effects
are felt throughout the body politic-from
Maine to Texas, and from Virginia to Cali
fornia. Those so-caIled statesmen have
mer;ted such a fame as ERoSTRATUs earned
for himself.
In retiring from the scene OF action in
South Carolina. Sir. CHAMBERLAIN sheds
light upon the character OF the conStitu-
encles which Republican craftsmanship has
created in that State. Whilst claiming that
he represents q majority Of the people OF
South Carolina, he confeSscS that that ma
iority is totally unequal to the task Of con-
tinuins him in Office, and that the United
States army is the only foundation upon
which he could base q hope OF being able to
hold the governorship OF that State. "No
court OF the State,' he says, has !url>dlc-
ton to pass upon my title" "My rights
are unaffected by the action OF the Prcsi-
dent" mo lawful Legislature can he con-
yened except upon my call" 1t is cause,
lie thinks, in which man might well lay
down his life, so we'll assured is he that 4
majority OF the voters OF South Carolina
elected him Governor and desire him TO fill
the Office. And yet-oh, lame and .impo-
tent concluSion-he has "no effective
means OF resistance to the contamination
OF the wrong" (:l which WADE HAMPTON
is about to pcrpetrate upon him and his
sheepish (woolly) supporters. To cap the
climax OF inconsistency he expresses his
" profound admiration - Of the " matchless
fidelity of his cowardly clans, who have
no heart to see that the man OF their choice
has his rights Why, it is as good as a
farce. Nay, it is farce. CHAMBERLAIS
exposes the hollowneSS OF the reconstruc-
ton tree. ....,.... ...
Mr.. CHAMBERLAlN's officers also bear tes-
tinony to the "matchless unfitneSs OF
themselves and their constituencies for car
rying on a goyernment. They are "Solemnly
impressed with the validity Of his title" but
advise him to abandon it. Why? Not because
they have not a majority of the voters on
their side, but because they have no army
TO hold them up while they play the part OF
statesmen, or, rs they phrase it, because
they have not the "moral aid" they claim
from the -" National Administration" They
(the majority decline to assert their rights
because the contest could have "but one
result; that is, the minority would whip
them before they could turn around twice.
They speak OF the "disastrous Odds"
And finally they conclude that his retire
ment will involve no surrender Of principle.
In this last ave, ment all good men will con-
cur. A set Of unprinciped villains do not
surrender any "principle when they are
forced to take their hands of the people
whom they have long been plundering.
The reconstruction measures were soon
ceiSed in sin and born in iniquity." They
were an outrage upon the real people OF the
South; in fact. upon all the people Of the
United States. They were crime against
civilization. They can never produce any
good effects The world m,lst soon soc
this. And as soon as all the world Shall see
it as clearly as majority Of the people OF
this country now DO, look out for a decision
OF the Supreme Court OF the United States
/, declaring that the 14th and 18th articles OF
amendment to the Federal Constitution
have never been ratified in the manner pre-
scribed in the Constitution itself. But this
is looking too far ahead. Let us pause
where we are.
The st. Louis Fire. a.