Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-12-10
From the New York Times.
The Blame Resolution.

The Blame RESOLUTION.
Any doubt Mr.. Blaine may have enter.
tanned as to the appositeness OF the inquiry
he proposes has probably been removed
by the criticism which the announcement
Of his resolution has called forth. 1t is
not often that so much stir is made by the
intimation that on certain day a speech
will be delivered and Il proposition sub
miticd to the judgment of the Senate. Or
dInarily critics wal. until speech is be-
fore them. Their praise or censure rests
upon knowledge. In the present instance
this rule is departed from. Repub-
licans who would have the Maine
Senator stultify himself by divestipg
his proposition Of all significance sug-
gest what should be said and what should
be avoided. II they had their way, they
would render the speech as harmless as
the Presidents Message. Democrats, on
the other hand, are not quite agreed as to
the course which they should pursue on
the occasion. At first. they seemed dis
posed to treat the speech with silent dis
dain, and to evince their Indifference to in
quiry by destroying its specific character.
Next, the discovery was made that, after
all, it may not be possible to restrain the
impetuous Southern nature under the goad
ings with which such speech as Mr.
Blaine can make would abound. Senator
Hill Is spoken Of as waiting imp .liently
for some one to give him chance. The
latest rumor is, that the democrats will
not affect an Indifference they cannot feel,
and will therefore follow Mr.. Blaine in
the usual style. All, of course. is fatter-
ing to Mr.. Blaine. 1t shows that he has
hit the right nail on the head.
The resolution Is not only eminently
proper. but comes so,naturally in the prog
ress OF events that the excitement IL pro-
duces is inexplicable. The sincerity of the
republican party might we'll be questioned
II It allowed its accusations against the
South to end with the elections. Judging
ofothers by their own standard, the demo-
Gratis assume that the current statements
with reference TO the canvass and the vot-
ing in South Carolina and Louisiana, and
in some districts In other Southern States,
were concocted for the purposes of the
moment. Whether true or false, from this
point Of view they would be immaterial.
The republican method is essentially dill.
ferent. The campaign at the North had
been planned with the financial question
in the foreground and the Southern aues
ton almost out of sight. There was a
consciousness of the fact that the South
was on its trial, and that whether the
Southern question should in some form be
reopsned or not depended on the South
Itself. But, pending the trial, sectional
issues were discouraged Gradually they
made themselves heard The tidings
from South Carolina and Louisiana re.
vealed condition of affairs which North
ern republicans could not overlook.
They cav that 10 these States the canvass
was not free. They saw that intimlda
Ton and violence were the agencies relied
upon TO secure democratic success. The
subsequent frauds at the polls, esp scially
In South Carolina, realized their worst
expectations. As a general result, they
found that States known to have large re-
publican majoritics had been captured by
the democracy. and to this exten, ,bev
consider the elections an outrage.
These being the conclusions at which
the great body of republicans have ar.
rived, it is evident that the present session
could not be allowed to pass without an
attempt TO verify them in manner calcu.
lated to convince the country OF their
truth. Mr.. Blaine's resolution defines the
scope OF the inquiry and provides the
machinery for its prosecution. The
terms be employs are temperate and the
range is 50 wide that partisan unfairne,s
will be impsssible. II the republicans
who ''cry peace when there is no peace
object that The inquiry will necessarily ir.
ritats the South and retard the con
ciliatory process Of which blind op,im.
ism dreams, the obvious answer is that
be South Is responsible for the ir-