Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-07-19
Repeating q Fatal Blunder.

He must be very dull student oil
political history who cannot read in the
progress of events in Mississippi and
the other States Of the South in which
the opposition to Democracy is gradu-
ally disappearing, leaving to that party
the unObstructed possession of power,
eventually disastrous results to the Or
ganization whose affairs seem to be
going on so swimmingly. The South
was never 80 weak as when it seemed
strongest and most united; the end OF
Slavery never so near and 80 sure as
when its defenders and advocates, in
the arrogance of power, and with the
assurance of certain success, began to
demand, not merely non-interference,
but the extension and spread over new
territory of their peculiar institutiol L.
The North was never unit until the
continued encroachments of United
South and the increasing demands OF
southern statesmen forced her into a
position of defense; nor even then was
the North 80 thoroughly united as the
opposing section, for the party which
carried q Solid South divided the
Northern States with an oppone mt
which could not poll, and was not per-
mitted to poll, hundred votes south
of Mason and DixOn's Line. Never
were the prospects OF party fairer for
uninterrupted power than when the
Democracy held all the South beyond
dispute and without opposition, and
made an eqal fight for ascendancy in
nearly all the Northern States. 1t will
be we'll for those who to-day are count
ing upon the return OF the Democratic
party to power through the means OF
South 30 solid and united that through
out its whole extent, as now In Mis-.
sissippi, no organized opposition can
he found, to remember what came OF
precisely such condition of affairs in
1856, when the new party to which 1t
gave rise first took shape.
History on such lines as this does re-
peat itself. 1t is no less sure than that
effect follows cause. 1t is the absolute
ly certain logic of events. No element
of chance enters into it, for it is the
{ peratiOn of natural laws which cannot
be overcome or turned aside.
Leaving out of the question the consid
GRAFTON of differing climates, produc-
tions, forms of industry, elements OF
growth, material resources and popular
habits and customs, which might enter
into philOsophic analysis of the pOlit
ical problem, the relative population
of the two sections is the conclusive
factor ia sectional contest which gives
to such an issue the certainty of a
mathematical demonstration. The po-
litical action which, ia Mississippi and
other Southern States, abolishes oppO-
sition and sways the whole voting pop
ulation with one OF the two great par
ties which divided the North, is simply
suicidal madness. 1t has been tried
once already, with the most disastrous
results. 1t cannot be undertaken now,
Or ever again hereafter, with anything
ike the chances for success it had from
1856 to 1861. For then the South had
like pretext for its action
n the defense of its peculiar institution,
ind the need OF union in a common
'ause. To-day they are forming
purely sectional party upon purely
ectiOnal basis, with none, not even the
limsiest, pretense of a pretext. The
,arty they unite against is the same
hey fought before, but they were soon
'eaten on the issue; and upon their
'retense of having accepted 10 good
aith the results OF the var, they have
zen treated with magnanimity, and
ave accepted at the hsnds of the vic {
srs favOrs for which common decency,
q say nothing of gratitude, should die [
ate some other return than sullen and
Malignant hate. That they have no
ground of hostility to TIE /
arty in power, certainly none such as
7ould justify this solid sectional array |
gainst 1t, ID attested by the very fact 1