The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-11-27
The Solid South.

upon their own party, but upon the
whole American people. Besides
they strike a blow at the union and
do more to dismember ii than did
the south in 1860. There is justifi-
cation in a "solid SOUTH" but none
in "solid north" The government
fought for q union of the American
people, not for a union of territory.
The one must be maintained by the
sword, the other by the consent Of
the governed. To obtain this con-
sent, it is necessary that the form of
government should be acceptable
and that the commercial interests of
all are advanced by the union. II
the sword is to maintain the bond,
while oppressive laws are enforced
only in sections and the people of
those sections constantly maligned,
misrepresented and insulted, then
the oppressed sections will grow cold
in their love and esteem for the gov
eminent; they will build up sectional
commerce, and their intercourse will
be between each other. In all but
the name, New York, Philadelphia
and Boston will be foreign ports,
while their own cities will open up
commercial relations with Europe,
and eventually disruption of the
union will follow, with sectional
power sufficient to maintain the di-
vision.
Let us see if we have such thing
as a solid south. At the close of the
war, when the south laid down her
arms and pledged herself to submit
to the laws of the land, were her
pledges received with credit? Did
not the cry come up that the rebels
could not be trusted, and that the
strong arm of the government must
be held over them? And to more ef-
fectually crush, degrade and debase
the southern people, and at the same
time maintain the supremacy of the
republican party, they gave against
the advice of Senator Morton) the
ballot into the hands of four millions
of negroes, more ignorant than any
class of people on the civilized globe,
more numerous than their former
masters, and whose votes were cast
under the dictation of the military
and the direction of men from the
north, without character at home and
who were villains abroad. If the
republican party were actually de-
sirous of uniting the country in the
bonds of love and common interest,
why not send men of honor and
standing at home into the South to
help direct its rehabilitation? Why
did they not establish honest gov
ernments in the southern states,
with honest men at their heads,
ready to surrender them to the MI
tiyes MS they should show a willing.
ness to renew their old positions in
the union, in love and good will?-
The reason they did not do it was be-
cause the supremacy of the republi.
can party was desirable above the
unity Of the country. Had their
leaders dared, the south would have
been kept under provincial restraint
and the nation would have been a
party government to-day.
All parties concede if this estrange-
ment continues between the two sec.
lions, we will become union in
name only, without any reverence
for the government, or a desire for
its stability, To incite and main
tain q love for our institutions, it is
necessary that all sections encourage
intercourse, and that words of crimi-
nation and recrimination be laid
aside, The people of the north see
this, and hence the strength of the
democratic party to-day, after all the
odium and obloquy cast upon it for
sixteen years. 1t is the party OF
peace and good will, while its oppo.
nent carries deep in its heart all the
spite, malice and hate of former
years! Just so long as it brings ia
the surface those humanity jealousies
and hatrcds against the southern
people, that long will the south re-
main solid, for she remembers that
the republican party crushed down
the virtue, the wisdom, the refine,
mont of that section, and built up
local governments of vice, corruption