New-York tribune., 1878-11-21

appear to exist. The South Is In tne uhioh auu
has its representation IN Congress, and VIII take
care that questions of the election OF southern
representatives are settled in accordance Win
the will of "the people of the South WHO,
be it understood, are white Democrats oo
reason the defenders of what Is called seif-
government at the South, and they end
by asking, "What are you going to do about
"t7"
First we propOse to attempt the faithful
enforcement of those laws of the United
States which were designed to prevent the
success of force or fraud in the election OF
REPRESENTATIVES and Presidential electors.
limited States Supervisors and United States
District-Attorneys will be called upon to do
their duty faithfully, precisely the same as they
would in any Northern State Where eiectohS
had not been free or fair. But IL Is
evident that their task will be very dllfcuIt'
if public opinion at the South suStaihs OF
shields violations of law. In that case, IL VIII
be very hard to find witnesses who VIII ven
ture to testify to facts within their knowledge
Perhaps it will be fOund impossible to get I'liles
70 act fearlessly and impartially; possibly
the fear of witnesses, or their persecution
urdor State laws. NAV block the wheels of
Justice possibly, in other cases, the OFFICIALS
NAV he Iukewarm. II is plain that, In any
district where the dominant pubic OPINION
stubbornly defends fraud and shields crime,
fail judicial exposure and punishment may DE
rendered impossible. This may possibly prove
70 be the case throughout large part OF the
Southern States If so, the question will again
arise. "What are you going to do about itf
When that condition of things Is proved to
exist, it will be time to consider what other
steps the Government can take. Az present,
il is enough to say that there may he found
remedies where the state of things Is such that
enforcement of the civil laws is rendered impos-
sible. But there is a tribunal to which an
appeal can be made without long delay-to
which, indeed, appeal has been made already
IL is tribunal which the South is too apt To
disregard which, indeed, it hardly recognizes
the existence Of, perhaps because at the South
it hardly exists. Appeal will be made to the
tribunal of public opinion.
After all. public opinion Ia the supreme power
in this country. Constitutions, and laws, and
elections, aud votes in Congress, and judicial
proceedings are, in the long run, subject To
public opinion in fact, ihcy are little more
than the regulated and formal ascertain
ment and expression of it. To the ballot
box s,ufler of South Carolina, or the
buldozcr of Louisiana, it may seem
that public opinion is impotcnt, and its
expression little better than an amusing farce
and so Tweed thought. Long familiarity with
the tricks and crimes by which the expression
Of public opinion may be prevented
or perverted, or falsiicd, often makes
men bind to the fact that there is
any such force at ali behind the ma
chincry which they manipulate. But 1t
rules, in the end. 1t sent Tweed to Jail. II
has made it impossible for Mr.. Iilncn ever To
be the Presidential candidate of any party.
And 1t will finally reach a very iu-t aud zig
orous settlement with the Solid South.
The trial at that bar has begun a'ready.
As fast as the south has become solid, by
means which public opinion begins TO under
stand, the North has become united. That
means that voters by the hundred thousand
have decided not to support a party
which countcnances corruption and fraud
and systematic assassination and massacre.
IL means that great many voters
who were disposed. not long ago, TO reject the
Republican party for either of several reasons
nave once more uttfIUlItu 10 stdhu 10 lndt
party until they have stamped ont of existence
a Democracy which seeks TO obtain power by
such means as have produced Il Solid South.
There is no excitement about this change of
purpose. No cap-trap has produced il. Shall
low falsehOOds about the "pcrfect free
"dom" and "absOlute quiet" at the
South have not concealed, and will not con-
ceal, evidence Of the methods by which enor-
nous Republican maiOrlties have been trampled
out or disfraDchiscd in the count. Every day,
at that bar OF public opinion, the trial Of this
case goes on, and every day the free North
becomes more and more determined to stand
together at the polls until there shall be
a free South. II the Southern people them
selves take active measures to expose. selze
and punish their own criminals. and to prevent
crime against free government IN future,
they will do something TO c0uutcmct the work
done hitherto. Ii they so defend fraud and
sustain crime that punishment of the
guilty is rendered impossible, let them
take warning that no man for whom the South
votes will ever be chosen President or ENJOY
in any future Congress the position of leader
of a majority. The Solid South is virtually
DISTINGUISHING itself by its frauds and crimes
,v1f1B