Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-12-26
The Southern Temper.

Il is recorded that there was much indigna-
ton when the hoarse voice OF Hook.wa heard
bawling "Beef Beof!" through the camp in
revolutionary days. Patriotic feeling In
these DAYS, too, has some excuse for wrath
when professedly ''independent" Journals
foster the most narrow and vindictiye sec
tionalism at the South by their apologies. A
few extra copies sold, few more dollars
made, and some political nobodies and monde
scripts pleased; such il the high reward. Ana
the cost is more mischief, more sectional IN
science, possibly more bloodshed. II ID in
the last degree important that the South
should know, right soon and right well, what
il is that Justly offends Northern sentiment.
Crawling sycophants are not in order; they
we're hissed off the stage in 1861, and have
never been called back. The country sim
cerely wants that sort of Union which can
only come from frank and hearty recogni-
ton Of the Constitution as the common law
for all, to be alike respected and obeyed by
all. When the Constitution is disregarded at
the South, he is the only real friend OF that
section, as OF the Union, who manfully gives
utterance to the judgment Of loyal men. The
Northern men who go about in such case
with false excuses, denying that much wrong
was done, or setting up pettifogging pleas OF
prcvocstion, can have little idea of the con-
tempt which their toad-eating arouses with
sincere men of either section.
A distinguished Southern Senator, not long
ago, startled company Of Democrats. He
was asked: "What do you think has greatest
influence with the people of the South Z" And
he promptly answered : 'Senator Bialne, OF
course. He tells us face to face what Ne
thinks and means" 1t did not seem to the
Southern extremist at all necessary TO add
that the Northern toadies, whose haste to ex-
tenuate or hide any fault at the South is SO
conspicuous, are simply despised. Men IKE
Blaine state what the Northern people really
intend and feel The North does not intend
to have constitutional restraint for Maine, Dut
none for South Carolina. 1t does not intend
10 have &C, 900 votes at the South made equa'
in power to 132, 900 votes at the North, oy
the United States. But, whines an apologist'
''these Southern people never would have
done this, had not the Republican party op-
posed the conciliatory policy OF the Presl-
dent Is there anybody, North or South,
who does not know that this is untrue; that
troops and Federal interference were wholly
withdrawn from the Southern States; that
they had no shadow Of pretext in any hostili-
ty then existing or meditated at the North 2
Indeed, if there were any danger or threat of
renewed hostility, the only sensible course for
Southern men was to avoid putting new
weapons into the hands OF all enemies by new
frauds. Notoriously, it was the opposite feel
ing which prevailed. Day after day, The
Charleston News and Courier was defying
the Government to help itself. "We have
things our own way at last, said the South
ern bloods, ''and can do just as we like, and
heuceforth can be meddled with no more than
people of Massachusetts or Maine, and there
fore we will stamp out Republicanism utter
ly." Every man who, reads has knowledge
that this was the temper of the ruling faction
in South Carolina. And every man who has
too much self-respect to tell lie will take
care not to say that any fear Of Northern ami
mostly prompted Carolina Democrats to carry
by palpable fraud a dozen counties which
they had no need to carry. -.
The pith of the business is that Southern
temper and Southern behavior have grown
worse, thus far, every time the Forthern peo-
pele have seemed disposed to relax their vigi-
lance. In eveay instance, if peaceable and
honest elections have been secured, it has
been by the immediate presence pf Federal
foice, the certainty that it would be exerted,
or the fear that public temper might be arous-
ed to overwhelm the Democratic party at the
Norlh. In every cVse, without exception,
where Southern people have been unrestrain-
ed by military power, and have felt sure of
victory in the elections, the old temper has
broken oul in frauds and chimes. 1t was
hoped that there would be no more Of this,
when military interposition finally ceased.
But South Carolina was swift to teach the
contrary Tribune.