New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-13

| manifest toward the defeated party III
the great war. And it is proof OF the
strength of his position and the power
of lis eloquence-perhaps some might say
proof also Of the sentimental weakness Of
the Northern people.that as much in response
! to his utterances as from any other
cause, the North was 50 far won over
as not only to give back to Southern men
the rights and privileges and Official positions
they had forfeited, but to supplement 1t all
with the election of a Congress OF their
own party allies, so that they are TO-
day virtually the dominant party in the
! Government they undertook to Overturn.
! Mr.. Lamar, honest and sincere as we
believe him to be, has been the strong st
! card of the men vino, with the worst purposes
| in view, aim to secure absolute control OF
the Government. lie has most ably and elO-
oucntIy presented side of the question
which we at the North have been anxious to be-
heve was true, but which unfortunately does not
exist. He has no backing. When he turns
graceful period III euOgy OF the Union and
The old flag, OF pays glowing tribute to the
memory of the dead Sumner, the people OF
the North rise up to him and gush reSpon-
siyely. for they think he speaks for his
people. Unfortunately he speaks only
for Mr.. Lamar. Behind him is
constituency which, at the first opportunity,
| reveals itself as seeking only to renew It's old
alliance with the Northern Democracy to over
throw the party which by magnanimous treat
ment after their defeat has earned their I'M
dying hatred.
Still the glamour of Mr.. LamaTs record
hangs over him, the memory of his elo-
quent appeals for reconciliation fingers, and
be is always listened to with earnest
interest and attention. No one on the floor
of the Senate commands more cordial
sympathy when he addresses that body
than Mr.. Lamar. But he will pardon
ia for saying that in his speech on
Wednesday his zeal Outran his knowledge,
when he made the broad, general assertion
that there was not "a single right of free
&" dom or OF citizenship belonging TO the black
:" race in the South that was not as secure
"and as well enjoyed as that OF the
"proudest and lrcest white man in
1.-THE land" and that ono negro vote
"has been suppressed in the South For
TIE TRIBUNE Il very well advised to the con-
trary. However other people may be IN
tcrostcd in supDressIng facts, The TRIBUNE
has no interest in invcntn- them; and unless
the letters of our correspondent IN South
Carolina are absolutely false, and his
narrative OF the facts connected with
the late election pure fiction, there were
many such cases; and Mr.. Lamar will find,
when he comes TO think matters over a lttIe
more calmly, that he has made altogether too
rash and positive an assertion. No doubt Alr'
Lamar's wish was father To Tie thought. The
Northern people have too high an opinion
of his honor and his honesty to suppose that
hc would personally give countcnance or
announcement to the frauds and crimes
by which it can be proved that his
party carried the election In many
parts of the South. Aud the Senator
will pardon us further for saying that
ms words. eloquent and graceful as they
olwavs are, do not carry so much weight as
formerly. And tins without disputing for a
moment the sincerity of his intention, He
tried to believe on former occasions, and no
doubt did believe. that the Southern white
Democrats were at one with him
in a desire to take to heart the lesson and
profit Ivy the experience of the past; that they
wanted, as he did and dos, n fully restored
Union, with the establishment of justice and
equal rights, and the honest rule OF the ma
iority. The North took his word for it-vir-
tually accepted his bond for the good
behavior of his people. That the bond has
been forfeited the truthful story of the late
elections tells only too well. And now, with no
lack of admiration for HIM or OF sym
patty with his manifest desire to be-
ieve IN his friends and his party
they feel constrained TO accept his
positive assertions on the subject OF mtlmIda-
ton with many degrees of allowance for his
sang1lue temperament AMI active Imagination.
The real sentiments of Southern Democrats.
their ultimate aims and purposes, are not
rrprescntcd by Mr. Lamar, much "A he and
we would like to think 80, but by the con-
sutucnts behind him who notwithstanding his
broad denials, do bulldoze aud intimidate
the c0orcd voters and carry elections
by fraudulent and dishonest methods.
Tie acts of the people themselves are much
better test OF their disposition than the mere
assertion of any representative who under
takes to speak for them. In his anxiety to
believe that his political associates have done
no wrong, Mr.. Lamar shuts his eyes to
facts and his ears to the testimony. We
were Young and gushing when, under
the inspiration of his elOqucnCc, We
imagined he spoke for the Southern DcmOc-
racy, aud gave th,m our confidence and trust.
Since then We nave grown older and many
things have happened. Against his asser-
ton that "nO negro vote bias been
" suppressed in the South" we have
100 large an accumulation of testi-
mony ami 700 formidable an array of facts.
What has been promised we know; what we
4
country now wants to know, is what has ac-