Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-07-10
wsas n.sA. H.v. n....


~ considerable import in the
4nnals Of the worlds affairs which
has not had its moments Of energy
and public virtue and its other
moments Of enervation and loss of
prsstige, founded upon both moral
and physical dege neracy, 1t has
escaped our cognizance. The
United States made q grievous
mistake In plunging into civil
war. 1t was q mistake on both
sides. It is usual to allot the
whele measure Of blame to the
South, on the principle Of "woe to
the conquered" But the truth is
that the arrogance Of the North
matched that of the South during
The decade preceding the war; and,
In the decade and q half which has
succeeded it, the former free States
have yielded to lust of domini on
and . robust disregard Of right
oounssls that are absolutely in
credible, when we indulge in q
dispassionate retros pect.
Granted that the great rebellion n
was lamentable mistaks-grant-
Cd that 1t was that worse than q
Sfims-s blanaes. How sadly the
North has blundered since the war
Il 10 hardly possible to compute.
We went at the South as il our
only object was to gouge its people
out Of all semblance to humanity.
We sent malicious and intriguing
carpet-baggers down there to incits
the former slaves to dissen sion
with their late masters. Our whole
object was to nulIify the rightful
Intelligence aud neighborly kind
ness in that section. No Northern
cAmpaign was complete unless
. chapter of Southern hor-
rors could be dished up,
to fire the Northern heart"
Republican newspapers and
stump speakers kept discreet
sllenes as to the incitations and
the intriguss, which owed their in
spiration to Republicans, to pro-
duce these outrages. The Repub-
llcan party acted on the South as
gaugrsns acts upon the sound flesh,
. sore was desired in order that the
sloughing of the wound might dis.
gust the fastidious Northerner.
How differently we might have
acted? The one salient, patent
fact that confronted US in the wal
OF the rebellion was a gallantry
that was never surpassed. The
Republican party, as the ae ins oI
victory arose over the prostration
Of the South, looked at nothing
but its continued political ascend
ancy. 1t took the narrowest view
Of the conditions of success. II
never seemed to reflect that In
msYnanimity lin hailing the de-
feated as a brother-lay the rea
keynote to permanent political
power.
Having missed the true magnan'
Unity, the Republican party has
often pointed to its failure te
slaughter the people of the South
as an instance of the possession Of
that noble virtue. In making this
i'm this curious people have ut
terly ignored the fact that the days
of slaughter, pure and simple, for
slaughter's sake, have been releg-
atsd to tho era of Genghis Khan
and Tamerlane. Even Spain to.
day tenders amnesty to the gallant
fellows who have borne aloft the
banner of revolt for nine years in
Cuba.
If the Republican party had COM
pretended its opportunity it would
not find itself confronted to day by
q "solid South" 1t is now in the
habit of pointing to the negro vote
ofthet section aud claiming 1t as its
own. What pretence could be
more absurd than this? Republi-
cans claim to have emancipated he
negre and yet they are unwilling
to concede to him the citizens
right OF voting as he pleases. The
Democrats have never been accused
OF exaggerating the intelligence of
the "American citizen of African
dsscent.u Yet his Republican
friends tender him q far more ia
grant insult than 1t ever occurred
to Democrats to suggest. They as
sumo that the negro can't see
through the hypocrisy aud double
dealing of which he has been made
the victim by the carpet-baggers Of
the South. They assume that the
negro is ignorant Of the history of
the Freedman's Bank and Of other
salient episodes OF canting selfish
ness which have opened his eyes.
Never was presented to any po.
litical party clearer or smoother
road than lay before the Republi-
cans. They could have dominated
the South as absolutely as, for 9
long time, they ruled the North, !
they could only have had iittl'
broad statesmanship. II they hsd
made the law of genuine kindness
without calculation and withou
dissi stimulation, the rule OF their in