Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-12-14
WILL 1T WIN ?

We have taken some pains in orr
recent issues to render clear to our
readers the programme of the Rad
ical party for the campaign of 1879
so; we now propose attempting
some estimate of its chances for sue
cess.
Their purpose, as we have shown,
Is TO cut down the Southern repre-
sentatiOn in Congress to the rate of
the white population alone, on the
pretext that the negro vote is made
null by the intimidation exercised
by the whites at elections. The
question now is, Can they do it?
With the present Congress of
course it is impossible, they have no
majority in either House, let alone
the impossibility of carrying any
constitutional amendment between
now and next November. But this
is the President-making Congress,
and they want to go before the peo-
pie with the question in the ensuing
Presidential election in the hope of
making that their policy after they
have elected their Radical Presi-
dent and recovered, as they hope,
their majority III the next Congress.
In estimating the possibility OF their
carrying such a measure, we have
to cons. der two questions
How far do facts supply pretext
for such action and, What is appa-
rently the feeling of the people on
this subject throughout the country?
How are the facts, then? 1t is
evident that the negroes are now
under the influence of the Southern
whites, az they were under that Of
the Northern Radical politicians,
and this is sufficient reason for the
latter to wish the negro vote abol-
ished, and with it the present basis
of representation in the South, but
is it sufficient to give them the
power to do so? That is a question
which depends upon the facts which
they have to present TO Northern
voters; and what are they? To
take their representations the negro
vote is entirely set aside in the
South, or rather entirely absorbed
by the Democratic politicians, who
drive then to the polls like sheep
with Democratic tickets in their
hands, or else surround the voting
places with Gordon of fire and
slaughter to prevent their getting
there. At present the sole evidence
for this allegation is the admitted
fact that the negro no longer votes
the Radical ticket; but they are
going to have an investigation, and
it will go hard with them but what
they will do something with the
outrage mill, rusty a. the old ma
chine has become. Investigation
will not, however, stop with the
proceedings in the Southern States
it will go north, and it is our firm
conviction that il will find more
there a. a preteXt for Congressional
Intervention in the way of Radical
intimidation than in the South as
charged against the Democracy.
Our opinion in the premises prior
TO investigation may be stated as
follows. ut is based upon careful
inquiries wherever we could get in
formation.)
In LouiSio1tG the terrible pressure
of the epidemic along its whole
river and marine coast prevented a
very efficient canvass on either side,
and the vote, white and black, was
short. Disturbances did take place
in two parishes, the colored voters
being the aggressors.
The following in reference to
these disturbances is from the Lou
isiana correspondent of the New
York Herald, a paper which favors
the election of Gen. Grant:
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 80, ls7s.--I have used
oX-erv effort to get at the perfect and exact
frnt6 of the late reported outrages IN differ
ent parts of the State, but SO Tar only with
Y,erffaf success. There seems, however, no
doubt as to one point in both the IensaS and
Caddo difficulties; that in both OF theSe the
fiyht was opened by the negroes anu was
,13t hegnn on the part of the whites until
ss..eyerSf Of their number had fallen. In
Caddo a mob of negroes had aSSeilDie1
svifnin radius OF a mile OF the poils, Mlth
s,-rls in their hands, threatening 70 break
m the election. The commissioners y
Election called upon the Sherln 20 ulspts ..se
ths Iav-. snd prevent the Threatened OUT
lie IN, attempting to do this several q the
Sheris posse We're shot cow aliy foI6sSed
49, al armed. In Tensas PARISH AesF94s
" - - T5ersnblIcan sources, that the dln-
-.,itinS rripinafad first betWeen mounlte1