New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-29

boned. the South would be induced to
obey the Constitution, to respect Its guaran-
tees of equal rights, to enforce the laws taith-
fully and impartially, and, in short, 10 put an
end to that shotgun and "tOo-chest' TYR
amy by which real freedom and seh-goV-
ernment at the South had been pre-
vented. In recent interview, Mr.. Lamar
shows, little more clearly than be
intended perhaps, what is the measure OF the
patriotism of those most conservative South
ern men from whom so much was expected.
The South is still solid, he says, and
viii remain solid, not for the Constitu-
ton, not for the Union, not for the laws, not
for the pubic faith, not for honest money,
bnt for the Democratic party, no matter
what doctrines of initiation and Reputation IL
may adopt because "the right OF. the people
"of the South to selfgovernment is made an
tissue in National politics" Was that an
issue in the last election. Mr. LAMAR Was
there any party, or any fragment OF any,party,
which manifested any disposition whatever
TO deny or abrIdge that right of selt-gOyern-
mentl Has there been, at any time since the
reliance of the President upon Southern
honor brought about changes in the selection
of Federal officials at the South, any
excuse Whatever in the action of the
Administration, or the party in power,
for the assertion that the right OF the
people of the South to self-gOvenment was
still denied or restricted! Mr. Lamar knows
that there has not. He knows that the asser-
ton is utterly false. 1t IS a plain duty to tell
him that he has stopped to assign reason
which he knows does not exist. The South
is solid rs the history of Mr.. Lamars
own State proves only too cOncluSively, because
Democratic assassins have driven Republican
leaders ont of politics or into their graves.
II is solid because armed bands OF Democrats
defy the laws and the Constitution, while
leading men whose honor has been trusted
promise to stop such crimes but lift not
voice nor a little finger to prevent them. Yet
Mr.. Lamar, who has hitherto protested to he
sincere haId-mOney Democrat and de-
fender of public faith, now says
As long as the right Of the people Of the South to
sclfgovcrnmcnt Is made issue in National politics.
the people OF the south will not, and. in my Opinion
ought not allow question to currency 10 divide
them. The South solid in favor Of selpreseiva
ton than diyded : to National politics
Then he goes on to say that the Democratic
party twill not need Southern man on the
that if the Republicans should put Southern
man upon their ticket it would not bring
them the least support. Also he says,
though protesting TO care for honest
money and public faith. that " the
"South would support with enthusiasm
and confidence" either Mr.. Hendricks
or Mr.. Thurman. Surely it is not pos
sible to state more buutly that the South
is ready to vote for imitation, for fiat money,
for population, or for anything else that may
be requisite in order to secure its end, the
control of the Federal Government by party
ruled by the South.
"The right of the Southern people to self
government" in Mr.. Lamar's dialect means
the rght of Il small minority of law-breakers
to rule this Union. "The people means, not
the four millions of coored men, but those
who once owned them; not the whites
of the South, but those whites who
sympathized with rebellion, and still
stand together in solid phalanx to bid de-
fance to the Constitution OF the Union. This
force a minority in several of the Southern
States, has robbed the majority of the people
of all their political rights by force and
fraud. 1t has stolen at least thirty
representatives in Congress, and at least
forty electoral votes, to which those
were entitled who did not sympathize
with rebellion. BY career of law breaking,
violence and bloodshcd, which casts infamy
upon every public man at the South who has
not resisted it, having thus secured about 100
Representatives in the House and 1873 electoral
votes, this band of constitution breakers
buntly confesscs it's intention to keep the
South solid so long as the rightfulness
of its political thcfts and murders is
questioned. 1t avows its readiness to vote for
hard money or soft-money, Bayard, Thurman
or Hendricks, public faith or rank repudia-
ton, in order to gain the mastery in these
United States. Mr.. Lamar did not mean to
be quite so frank as he was. But the people
of the North will thank him for telling them
what they have to expect.