Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-07-26
A Ponnlar Theory.

In commenting recently upon the te-
nacity of party organizations, after
party union upon great questions had
disappeared, we mentioned, rs an eX-
PLANTATION theory of the political situ-
alton and probabilities which is widely
held. Those who hold it assert that
absolute Democratic control of the Gov
ornment involves, first, payment for the
slaves, and second, reputation of the
public debt. We have heen assailed in
many quarters as il we had advanced it
as our own view, and have been assured
that it was imbecile, silly, wild, hyster-
ical absurd and monstrous. Mean
while we have not denied that it may
be all this, and, as we said at the end
of the article, the trouble with the view
is that the very persons who are to be
convinced by it cannot see it to be so
reasonable as its holders assert, and
consequently that the Republicans can
not hope to win upon such II cry. 1t is,
nevertheless, view which is firmly
held by many intelligent persons, and
it is susceptible of most effective use by
adroit politicians. 1t is, therefore,
worth while for Democrats to meet it
by still more powerful arguments than
"pishr' and "pshawp' conclusive as
they are.
The grounds upon which this view
rests are obvious. 1t is not surprising
that there should be deep and general
distrust of the restoration to power of
party under Southern leadership, which,
when it was last in control of the Gov
ernment. sought national ruin, and
- II
of Representative has inspired conf
dence neither in its political sagacity
nor capacity. 1t is natural, also. that
the fierce sectional alienation of many
years, ending in tremendous and obsti-
nate and prolonged war, should be sup
posed to have left in the minds of the
unsuccessful side the most angry and
revengeful feelings, which wait only an
opportunity of qualification. Students
and thoughtful men may know how
soon the wounds of civil war are healed,
but this view is not necessarily that of
thoughtful persons. People argue from
themselves, and thinking that if the re-
suit of the war had been different they
would have awaited the chance of re-
dress, they suppose that others would
do likewise. Men. generalize broadly
and hastily in politics, and when a
view seems to them reasonable, those
who wish their votes must really have
other resources of reply than "stuf' and
nonsense.
But those who hold this view find it
confirmed not only by their impressions
of human nature and by the situation,
but by open declarations. These, in
Ceed, are not uniform, and this should
be gladly acknowledged. Moreover,
this want of uniformity of opinion and
expression is one of the most persuasive
arguments against the justice of the
view. Thus the Chronicle, of Augusta,
Georgia, truly says:
sin 1860 the cry was that the South was
aiming at the life of the nation; in 1877, when
the currency question was sprung, the song
was burdened with the warning that we had
| designs upon the honor of the nation; now we
are accused of craving to pick the national
| pocket. The policy OF Senator Hill during
the darkest hours of the electoral gloom
| proved that some of the real patriots of the
| country were Southerners; the conservatism
| of Mr.. Stephens in the investigation scheme
shows that the revolutionists do not dwell in
the South; and the manly utterances fLamar
| on the Silver bill convince the North that
with us national credit and national honor
are sacred things indeed"
1t adds:
"Rebel claims need strike no terror to our
| Government, and Southern subsidy schemes
need not fire the Northern heart 1t must
| suggest another and wiser issue. E. Our peo-
| pie are more tolerant and more Independent
then when the issues of the war were yet
| fresh upon them in past campaigns"
The Macon Telegraph and Messenger,
in the same State, says, still guardedly:
ave can not but indulge the hope that
when we have helped to eXtinguish the pub
| lie debt, and time has healed the gaping
| wounds OF the past when reason and broth
erly love shall have fully regained the as
tendency over prejudice and hate, even though
it shall be the next generation, a brave and
| honorable people of the same blood and
| lineage will see to it that the value of our
property in slaves shall be returned to those
| from whom it was wrongfully wrested. 1t
| will do no harm to keep this question before
| the people, that they may preserve the records
| and proper memoranda OF their former slaves,
in the event that returning sense of justice
| on the part of the Federal Government may
| compensate them, at least in part, for the
loss this portion of their rightful property"
But the expression that is felt to be
more characteristic and significant is in
another strain. The OkOlono States, in
Mississippi, says:
|
we propose to undo what has been done by
| the radicals since 1861. We propose to tear
| the negro amendments out of the Constitu-
tion. We propose to restore the Planter Re-
public of our fathers in all its purity and sim
plicity."
And the COrinthian, at Corinth, in the
same State, says:
"Iet the solid South meet the united North
with bold, undaunted courage, for we are just
I 4 Al Il
that division of States will be attempted
again in the future, Just as sure as it was in
! 1861, when the tocsin of war was first sounded
at Fort Sumter. The North is too aggressive,
too jealous, too vindictiye, too suspicious
the South too lofty, too naughty, too ambi-
tious, too proud. union of States is and
always will be galling.n
1t is because such talk, however To-
cal the journals, is believed to repre-
sent the natural and sincere feelings of
those who control the Democratic par
ty, that the view of which we speak is
so widely and firmly held. 1t is urged
that to hold such view is to suppose
that the Democratic party is hostile to
the Government itself, and is substan-
TALLY still engaged in civil war. That
may be, and the position may be ri
diculous. But the question for prac-
teal politicians is the extent of the
view and the means of preventing its
consequences. Messrs. Lamar and Hill
and the Southern journals which speak
for them cannot expect that their opin-
ions will be accepted as those of the
Southern Democracy until the regular
party action adopts them. If the DEM
Ocrats are wise, they will as promptly
and fully disavow all the purposes
which this view attributes to them as
they disclaimed all intention to ques-
ton the title of the President. While
they leave these points obscure they
will find solid partisan array against
them, which the most contemptuous
sneers will not pierce. Harper $
Weekly.
Sand Bathing at Ocean Grove.