New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-09-21


kuk, Iowa, on the tenth of September.
After short introduction, expressing |
his pleasure at meeting his old friends,
and brief review Of the Republican
record, the Secretary said:
Complete Reconciliation and a Hearty |
/. Union with the People Of the South.
General Grant uttered the sentiment Of |
the country when he said, "Let us have
peace" and he was rightly applauded
when he adopted, as one of the measures
for securing peace, the recognition of, and
hearty cooperation with, such of the late
Confederates as were willing to accept in
good faith the legitimate results Of the
war, and to stand with him and with the
Republican party upon the principles en-
bodied in the amendments to the Consti-
tntion. While standing firmly by the
great principles for the establishment of
which the war of the rebellion was fought
and won; while firmly demanding always
and everywhere all the fruits Of our sue
cess in that struggle, sound policy re-
quires that We welcome to political friend
ship all who are now heartily and honestly
with us upon the great and essential prin-
ciples of our political faith. Such be-
lieve to be the spirit of the Republican
party to-day toward the people Of the
South.
Peace and Protection.
The Republican party desires peace
/ throughout all our borders, but holds
| that peace that is worth having and that
| will last, must be based upon and spring
from the enforcement of equal justice and
| equal protection to all We seek recon-
| citation upon this basis; we will have it
upon no other. Sooner or later it will
| come upon our terms. When we armed
the freedman with the ballot, we gave him
| a weapon with which he will in time learn
| to defend his rights. Time will demon
/ strate that we made no mistake in con-
ferring suffrage upon the emancipated
| race. II is not in the nature of things
that million of American fresmen with
ballots in their hands can be permanently
ignored and trodden down. The govern
| ment of the United States, in my iudg-
ment, possesses ample power to provide
for the protection Of its citizens in the en-
ioyment of all rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. Congress is expressly au-
thorized to provide by appropriate legis-
lation for the enforcement of the three
great amendments TO the Constitution,
and is by necessary Implication empow-
cred to provide for carrying into execution
all the provisions of that instrument The
Republican party is in favor of exercising
this power Just 80 far as may be necessary
to secure to all citizens alike the benefit
of every provision Of our national charter.
The people of the States can, if they will,
by respecting the rightsHof each other, and
by enacting and enforcing appropriate
State laws, amply protect the citizens of
the United States within their borders,
and thus render it unnecessary for the
Federal government, except in rare cases,
to intervene for that purpose.
Iowa does this to the entire satisfaction
of everybody. But if any State fails OF
refuses to afford such protection, is the
national government powerless and the
citizen defenseless2 l say, no Whatever
is crime against the United States, or a
violation of the national Constitution,
may be provided against by national law.
!. When the States of the South shall OF
their own accord, protect all citizens,
without discrimination, as the States OF
the North do, we may expect to see and
J welcome the return of peace and frater-
nifty; but without this the only peace we
can have is the peace Of slavery-the
peace which the oppressed can always
[ secure by submission. The South is now
on trial. There is surely no excuse now,
even by their own confession, for con.
J tinuation of the process by which, prior tC
March 4, 1877, all the Southern States but
three, and nearly all the congressional
districts, many Of them having confessed
} | ~ large Republican msjorities, were car
I ried over to the Democratic party. When
! another election comes we shall see
whether, when left to themselves, The
Southern Democrats will allow q free bal
, lot to guarantee fair and honest coQni
of the votes cast If the process of 'bull
dczing" is continued, or if the plan Of
. systematic fraud be adopted in lieu o.
that of systematic outrage, the Who'll,
country will understand that it is becaus,
the white Democrats of the South do no
intend to respect and obey the amended
e Constitution, and are resolved that they
whether in the majority or in the minor
: ity, will rule in all that section. II, un
happily, this purpose should be mad
Q manifest by the logic Of events, you ma,
I rest assured that the people of this coun
. try will lind peaceable and constitu
tional remedy. OF course, we are bount
to recognize certain constitutional limita
: lions upon the power Of the Unitel
States We know that we can, in time 0
1 peace, exercise no strictly war powers
: ana " 10 u 4ACU WHICH VIC are BOm6UmG
Q inclined to admit with regret, that Their
4 are many crimes which the United State
. can not punish. 1t is not long since tn
G country looked with horror upon the aw
2 ful massacre of the Chisholm family il
( Mississippi, and the public indignation
s was vastly increased because the Unite
States could not, and Mississippi woul
. not, punish the guilty Wretches who pei
petrated it. Ordinarily the crime Of mul
G der is not within the Jurisdiction Of I'll
Federal courts.
: But the right Of Congress to provide
o fair election of Federal officers and 70
" the due enforcement of those provision
y of the Constitution which guarantee tn
q right Of suffrage and civil rights to th
Z freed people is beyond dispute. Tn
. great, important, and fundamental differ
y ence between the two parties is this undo
q Republican rule this jurisdiction viii,
% necessary, be exercised; under Democrat
% rule it would not be. That the freedme
: in the South have in the past been ma
% treated and prosecuted, and to a larg
extent denied their rights as free Amer
can citizens under the Constitution,
Z matter of history. The South itself ha
suffered tie heavy penalty which follow
y lawlessness, outrage, and the oppressio
of the innocent and helpless. The Sout
will continue 10 suffer in all her mateEil
interests until the Constitution and u