The Portland daily press., 1878-10-23

Whoever speaks with condemnation of the
political murder of negroes by white men
is at once accused of ''shaking the bloody
Shirt" the accusers frequently being men who
took precious care there should be no stain of
blood upon their garments during the late civil
war. However those who speak out in defense
of the oppressed expect to be jeered at by up
holders of the oppressors, and are not
minded to make complaint.
If denunciation of men who deny the use
of the ballot to American voters, who carry
elections by intimidation, who murder men
for chershing opinions contrary to their own,
who hold membership in the Republican par.
ty, crime punishable.by death, If dennnci.
alton of these be shaking the bloody shirt it
is full time for the shaking to begin. No one
who believes in the freedom of the franchise
in the right Of all voters to cast their ballots
as they please and to peacefully meet and dis
cuss public affairs without let or hindrance,
can help feeling indignant at the conduct of
the political campaign by the Democrats OF
South Carolina and other Southern States.
In South Carolina Republican meetings have
been broken up, and Republican speakers
driven from the stand by bands of armed
men. No one has yet been shot-the cam
paign has hardly opened. In Louisiana,
however, matters hasten more quickly. Al
ready an "affray" has taken place in which
one white man and thirty four negroes have
been killed-the usual proportion of dead.
The negroes are said to have begun the trou-
bic. They probably wanted to hold meet
ing and objected because it was broken up.
They have surely been terribly punished for
their wicked conduct.
The truth is the South have utterly mis-
taken the temper OF the Nortn II Jney rnrnk
crimes like these eau pass Without condem-
nation. They thought, apparently, that be-
cause we desired reconciliation we would ap-
prove their lawless and bloody methods of
carrying elections. There they are at fault.
The conduct of the South Carolina campaign
has provoked the indignation and wrath of
the Northern people. This feeling is not con-
fined to those whom it is the fashion to call
''stalwart Republicans" It is shared by the
warmest supporters of the policy of President
Hayes, and finds voice in independent jour-
nails like the New York Herald, the Boston
Herald, and the Springfield Republican.
Those who entertained the highest hopes of
the new South are the most grievously disap-
pointed. The result must be reaction in
the minds of the Northern people, convic-
ton that those who are unable to govern their
own States without violence are unfit to be
entrusted with the direction Of national af-
fairs. Even the warmest apologists of the
South must admit that there is no excuse for
the conduct Of the South Carolina Democrats.
No State officers are to be elected and so no
pretext can be advanced that the object of in
timidation is to keep the control of the State
from the hands of an ignorant and rapacious
majority. The only object of the lawlessness
and murder is to add two or three Congress-
men to the already assured Democratic ma
jority in the House. and as the crime is COM
mitted solely ior the benefit of the Democrat
ic party that party must be held responsible
for it, for the continuance of despotism in
the South not tempered but aggravated by as
sassination.