New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-05-01
TIE CONFEDERATE 1PPEAL.


discussing the situation in which the party Is
placed by the Presidential veto. there are
wide differences of opinion as to the policy to
be pursued. Ii is a minority, we should judge
from current reports. and apparently II very
emall minority, of the dominant party who
have the good sense to see that they must
back down III the end; that the longer 1t Is
put off the more harm will be done the party !;
that the very wisest thing possible is to
find at once some loOphole for grace
fu retreat, and failing that, to get
ont of the difficulty by a square and
unconditional baclldown. This minority
Comprises the coolest-headed and most saga
cious Of the leaders, and of these there are
not more than a handful, at the best They
may succeed in carrying out their views
against the Iattle-headed ranters who Will
OnpOse them in the caucus, or not succeeding
in that, they may give them practical effect
by voting with the Republicans upon the
simple score of eXpediency on some OF the
questions raised. when the votes of four or
five, or perhaps less, will be enough to COM
pel backdown from their present
untenable position, whether the caucus wills
ii or not. 1t is quite clear, whatever happens,
bers are in favor of stubborn insistance upon
the position already assumed Some OF them
are pigheadej enough to do it regardless of
consequence, and for no other reason than
that they have once committed themselves
upon the question. But there are others, most
of them Southern Democrats, who sincerely
believe it to be wise policy for the party !;
one upon which they can well afford TO take
IN appeal to the country.
These gentlemen express great confidence
that the people will sustain the Democratic
party by an overwhelming majority upon the
issue of free elections; and that Is the issue
winch they say will be presented in the event
Under consideration. The President and his
party, accOrdil to their notions, will be placed
il the attitude of insisting upon the right of
the Executive to interfere to the extent of
calling on the military arm in local elections,
and the Democracy will 90 to the people
DENYING that right The ground of their con-
fdence IN a favorable popular verdict
on such presentation, is presumably
that the people of the North have
heretofore passed upon the question as
an issue in current politics, III an indirect
way at least, when upon grievances complained
OF bv the South-chief Of which was military
supervision and interference--a Republican
majority in both branches Of Congress was
retired by the popular vote and the legislative
department of the Government made Demo-
cratic. The argument is that the Democratic
party came into power in Congress upon that
issue that the present veto upholds the right
of Federal interference which has been dis
approved by the popular vote, and that it is
a perfectly safe experiment to make another
fight on that ground But they err, and are
constantly erring, as to the opinions and the tenn
per of the North. They continually mistake the
charitable forbearapce and innate love of JUS
tice of the Northern people for fickleness and
Inconsistency and take proffers of friendship
as approaches to surrender. There is no
doubt that public sentiment at the North did
strongly favor the withdrawal OF everything
that looked like Federal interference with the
Southern States that it was as ready, nay,
rs eager, to put the Southern whites in full
possession Of their State Governments as it
had been to forgive them their treason and
grant universal amnesty. But il was not sup
posed that this was to be received as q sur
render of all the wars results and conces-
sion that the South was right in it's theory of
the relations of the States and the Federal
Government.
The North has since learned that this was
the view actually taken by Southern Demo-
Gratis. And the Northern people have also
learned somewhat of the real spirit and pur-
pose of the Southern Democracy. They have
observed that for every inch of concession
there have come increased demands. They have
remarked the old impatience and intolerance,
the old grasping disposition, and determina-
ton to rule or ruin, the old arrogance and
wilfulness, and what is worse, the obstinate
adherence to old political doctrines which
emasculate the Federal Government and set
I'd The States rs absolutely sovereign and In
dependent. And when the dominant party go
to the people, on this issue-if that policy shall
finally be decided upon-the people will not
view il in the light these Oyer-cOnfdcnt
Democratic leaders desire and expect 1t
will be taken as an appeal to the people by
party which, by its record in history, is
guilty of "a REASONABLE conspiracy to over
throw the Union; which through the war
consistently and constantly Obstructed the
Government which never failed to do mis-
{, :ef when 1t had opportunity which sig
naliz i its return to power, after being in a
minority twenty years, by attempting to re-
peat the revolution in which il had pre-
viously failed and which never, under
any circumstances, omitted TO aggrandize