Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-01-16
Garrison and the . Bloody Shirt.

The Tribune prints the following
letter, recently written by William
Lloyd Garrison upon the President
southern policy and the stand which,
in the writer's opinion, the Republi.
can party should take in order to
succeed in 1880:
BosroS, Dec. Is, 1878.
DEAR SIR: Iagree with
you that marked change for the
better is taking place in public senti-
ment at the North in relation 10 the
intellectually disastrous policy OF Pres
ident Hayes, and the practical dis
reimbursement of the entire colored
population at the South, by shameless
fraud, brutal intimidation and re-
morseless slaughter. Still, am not
sanguIne as to a Republican triumph
at the next Presidential struggle, see-
ing that, with a well-assured "Solid
South" for the Democratic nominee,
less than fifty votes will be needed
from all the North to carry HIM into
the White House.
The only feasible way to prevent
such catastrophe-and this is de-
handed by every consideration of
truth, justice and rights for the
Republican party, its organs and
leaders, to meet this Issue in an I'M
compromising and inflexible spirit.
There is nothing which strikes such
terror or causes such foamihg at the
mouth in the ranks of the armed con-
spirators at the South, or elicits such
responsive howIngs from their SCI vile
minions at the North. as "waving the
bloody shirt"-a term of their own
devlsIng in order to make a Jest of
the most sanguinary outrages, but
which Complementary symbolizes a
long extended "reign of terror" DUR
ing which thousands OF innocent VIC.
Tins have been. murdered with impu.
city tor daring to assert their political
rights as free American citizens. Yes.
let "the bloody shirt" continue to be
waved until an end be put to the
shedding Of blood by the organized
assassins vino are boldly and success.
fully setting the Federal Government
at defiance, and trampling the consti.
tuition and laws of the country under
their feet. Let it be shown by "con.
hrmation strong as proofs from Holy
Writ" that the South (using that
designation as of old) is still full of
the habitations of cruelty that her
hands are stained and her garments
saturated with blood that her feet
run to evil, and there IS no Judgment
In her goings; that she is as disloyal
IN spirit as she was when she fred her
first shot at Fort Sumter; that she
only lacks the power to re. enslaye the
millions who have been emancipated
on her soil, in order TO save the Union
and battle her reasonable designs:
that in nothing does she so much Clio.
~ as in her attempts to destroy the
Republic, and In the successes of her
Confederate leaders on the battle.
held that she has repented Of moth.
ing, and is ashamed of nothing that
she has done, but exactly the reverse
that she despises the North (barbar.
ism sneering at civilizatioh) as she
always has done, and counts as "mud-
silis" the Northern working classes.
while endeavoring to use them for her
own evil ends; that she is gloating
over the prospect of soon having the
reins OF government over the whole
country IN her own hands /; that as for
her leading mon in Church and State.
IN Congress and out of it, "the best of
them are sharper than thorn.hedge."
ana the most deeply responsible for
the numberless atrocities that have
been perpetrated upon the Southern
loyal population, white and black ::
and that nothing but perfect unity of
spirit and action at the North. to the
extent, at least, of out-votinc athe |
Solid South" at the approaching Pres.
dental election, can avert the most |
disastrous consequences to the coun- |
Try. "ihe bloody shirt |" In hoe
''gno asnces Yours very truly,
VIM. LLOYD GARRISON.