The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-05-10
THE PHESIOYST, FRIENDS
.ss.a,1..-. ANXIOUS.


THE PHESTOVST's FRIENDS
$1,000 ANXIOUS.
That horrible riot in Eastern Missls-
sippi, in which an old feud, generated
In the selhshness of local party leaders,
and IN their eagerness TO govern an i'm
poverished country, eliminated in
bloody deeds, excites genuine uneasi-
ness, among honest members of the
Republican party. Men of the North,
who sincerely desire the reproduction
of that Unionism which pervaded the
country when none were suspected OF
possible hostility to the government,
really fear that there can be no safety
for life or property or liberty, and,
least Of all, for Northern men or no.
groes in the South. They believe the
terrorism OF Grant and the bayonet in
dlspensable to the repression of the
spirit Of the rebellion" The base
lessness Of this apprehension will be
confessed when it is remembered how
the rebellion itself was instantly and
everywhere, at the same moment, at an
end. The end was q sudden, instanta-
neous collapse. The people were
ready for it and its consequences whenIt
came. There was never blow struck
or gun fred or guerrilla in swamps or
mountains after Appomattox. The
absurdlty OF the war as waged for t'ro
hostile Unions ON one continent was
comprehended and confessed by every
man, woman and child, except dozen
or two flying leaders Of the rebellion,
IN tho South. 1t was the moral con-
quest OF the South that was achieved
before Lee surrendered that caused Dir.
Davis to proclaim it in saddest senten-
ces at Macon, Georgia, IN the spring
OF 1854, that half or two-thirds of his
soldiers had abandoned their stan-
uhfuSs uc Gnu Hao SOLhS SFSh bhSHj
but mighty ponderous machine was
in motion, and 1t could only stop when
the revolution" was complete. Moth
ing, therefore, can be more absurd
than this constantly reiterated outcry
significant OF the dread OF another
Southern revolt against the Union.
On the contrary, there is not sane
citizen OF the South who does not de-
sire the Redistribution of the old order
of things-less slavery-more ardently
than any Southerner ever sought
TO destroy the Union. Northern
enthusiasts, having destroyed the Con
federacY by force, would reproduce the
Union by force, as il laws of creation
and OF destruction were identical in
purpose and results. Agencies en-
ployed by Grant, when he RACED Rich
mond to the ground, are not those
which Grant would have employed in
rebuilding the old capital. And yet
honest, good people Of tho North trem-
BILE lest Hayes have acted rashly and
unwisely IN hberating Louisiana and in
withdrawing armies and satraps and
"loreign" o1iceholders from these
States. We respect tue virtues and
patriotism and confess the honesty of
many Republicans who question the
wisdom of IIayes's policy and discover
in this deplorable, murderous affair
In Mississippi state of facts which
may make patriots shudder. They
cannot see how it Is that the greater
number OF sufferers are Radicals or
blacks, and that the terrible deeds
done have no public significance and
30 reference whatever to the rights oil
6Nty of Northern people in the South.
--r-aast of all does the death by violence
model ''carpet-bagger" signify
lity to Northern people or to tho
lion. Here and there a knave who
has used the innocent negro to secure
office that the adVenturer might rot
and wrong and plumber the people may
be made to suffer, but whenever the
pressure of despotism of Verres and Of
the System Of satrapies is no more the
native aversion of the races will bt
illustrated in race-segregation alone,
md the kindliness that subsisted be
tween them, when war ragged and be
fore, will supervene everywhere as il
Austin and in Georgia, Arkansas, Ala
bama and Tennessee. Here and there
in recently bull-dczed communities
and States, as happens in this instance
In Mississippi, there are old feuds tC
be fought aid deep wrongs to bC
washed out in blood, but the negro nc
longer acts as an agent and dupe OF
strangers and thieves. He is freed
when the whites are liberated, and
prospcrs most, as We have seen in Ar.
kansas, in Tennessee and in Georgia,
where the whites are freest and most
prosperous. -
Honest and just and sincerely
patriotic people Of the North need en-
terrain no spprehensions of danger
President Hayes pursues the only
policy that can make the ne
gro M absolute freeman. Ask
Northern men IN Austin, or in any
State CT the South in which the inter
position of foreign" force has ceased
20 operate, whether the two races O.
South are not thoroughly reconciled tC
one another, and to the civil condi-
ATOMS superinduced by the war. In fact,
for thirty years before the war, though
statute books Of States did not show
1t, because party leaders were riding
the negroes into and out of Offices
and laws were unchanged, yet Afrcar
slavery had become African servitude
and though Southern codes remained
.harsh, they were imperative, and ne
groes, despite the law, were taught t
read, and in Sunday schools anC
churches were prepared for that con
edition which was only unfortunate t
siths extent that il was sudden and VIC
LIANT and IN tha axtank that tha fri