New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-24
"LET Us ALO.NE.D

There's something that sounds very much
like an echo in the protestaions which all the
Democratic and semi-DemOcratic news
papers have put un against Senator Blalnes
proposed investigation. 1t seems to have
come over from the days before the
war. at il a mistake--a great mistake"
those journals unite i'll saying. Ito interrupt
"the progress of reconciliation between the
"sections by action which indicates suspicion
land distrust of our Southern brethren. why
"nOt, since they arc becoming more and more
reconciled to the new order OF things, ana
"more attached to the old Union and the nag,
"and so forth, let them alone from interference
with their local and State affairs, and leave
"them to work out, as they must,
" their own salvatiOnf" And how IA
miar it sounds to those whose memo
ries run back to the UniOn-saving days
when all that the South-the same South
and Southern statesmen-many OF these the
samc-asked was Just "tO be let alone" Ii
is the same request to-day and the same per-
sons who echoed the request-no, 1t was
demand-the at the North are tiptoeing
about now with "S-h-hm and fin
gers on their lips. deprecating any
reference to the condition of affairs Mt
the South that isn't utterly sweet. Said the
"Old Cove" OF the poet BrOwuell: "Al !
axed yos let me alone" It's the same " Old
Cove to-day, and with the same old de-
mand. To be let alone" then meant to
be allowed the privilege of extending
slavery into the Territories of making
slavery national and freedom sectional. To he
"let alone little later meant to permit
them TO break up the Union and destroy the
Government. To be "let alone" now means
pretty much the same in the end it means
Immediately practical subversiOn OF free IN
situations and the establishment of the rule of
violence and fraud OF the two it would have
been much wiser and safer to have complied
with their demand to be let alone when
they seeded and undertook TO set mp
n government of their own, than
to do it now and permit them by such means
as they are using to put themselves in pos
sessionfof the Government, and compass in the
forum what they failed to achieve in the field.
So long as there seemed the faintest
shadow of justice or right in their
claims to be freed from Federal inter
ference in their local and State affairs,
THE TRIBUNE gave them its cordial and
earnest support. and warmly seconded their
demand But since it has appeared that
their real meaning and intent is to be so
let alone that in defiance of the Con-
stitut1onal Amendments they have pre-
tended to assent to, and of the laws
in pursuance thereof, they can use the
political power given them by the en-
reimbursement of the blacks 10 effect
dangerous alliance with the enemies of good
government. at the same time that they de-
priye the blacks, by force and fraud,
of their legal and constitutional rights.
THE TRIBUNE and thousands of Northern
citizens, who have heretofore followed its
counsels, recognize the necessity for "Thus
"far, no farther" in the direction of non-inter-
ference The inquiry about TO be set on
foot is a proper and legitimate one. II
violates no rights, wrongs no individual, COM
muuity or State, infringes no Constitutional
prerogative, is in no sense either Federal
usurpatiOn or interference. 1t aims at an
exposure, such as truth and justice de-
mand, of the methods by which thou
sands of citizens and voters are deprived
of voice and vote in the Congress of the Ma
ton and this is due to all the citizens of the
Union, as well as to those Immediately wronged
and defrauded. For, as Senator Blaine 80
clearly demonstrated by figures and facts in
his speech in the Senate, the effect of this
vast system of disfranchisement il to give over
the Government of the country to mis-
chieyous minority. No more reasonable or
proper inquiry could be ordered than this. No
more imperative duty could deyolye upon Con-
gress than to order it. They are unreasonable
who oppose it on the ground that it is I'M
called for and unnecessary they are silly
and weak who would refrain from 1t for fear
of disturbing the friendly relations between the
sections, or exciting the hostility of the South.
Ii may be that, after all the facts are brought
TO light, no remedy at law shall be found for
those great wrongs, as with the present con-
stitutiOn of Congress no curative lcgisa-
ton can be hoped for. Whether that be 40 or
not, it is a proper demand that the cir
cumstances be exposed to the light, the history
of the election uncovered, and the people of
the North-the majority of the voters of the
countIy-made acquainted with the methods
by which the Southern Democracy propose TO
regain control If we are to have this constant
demand to be "let alone" let us at least
know the full meaning of it. We know
already that they do not mean to be let alone
in the sense of taking care of themselves indie
pendently of Government aid and Govern
ment subsidies, for with the same breath
in which they protest against inter
ference, they ask the Government to build
for them railroads aud canals, furnish educa-
tional facilities, protect them against cpl
denies, improve their rivers and harbors,
and do a hundred other things which they
are not too proud to ask for. They want
to be "let alOnen In every respect apparently
but the payment of their bills. This is ono
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