National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-09-23
THE DUTY OF THE SOUTH.


THE DUTY OF THE SOUTH.
A leading editorial in the Democratic
organ at the National Capital yesterday
morning, entitled "What Do They Want ?"
bears almost as strongly as the imprint
would imply the typical and moral stamp
Of the Okolona Southern States. 1t is chopped
into paragraphs, composed of senseless and
hypocrtical intcTogations, which are pre-
sented with an air of innocence such rs is
usually assumed by n shirt-thief who has
his plunder on his back covered with an
overcoat to evade discovery. In referring
to the almost universal demand of the
North for "more emphatic guarantees from
the people of the South as TO their accept
ancc of the results of the war, their devo-
ton TO the Union and their abandonment
" of the theory or doctrine of the right ol
secession" it meekly and blandly re-
marks
"What do these gentlemen want? They
certainly do not ask any additional privi-
leges for the Southern white man. 1t is
" only the negro they care for Yet, the
negro can vote in Mississippi who would
" be DISTINGUISHED in Rhode Island"
The negro may be allowed TO vote in
Mississippi if he will vote the Democratic
ticket, and not without, us history af1irms.
Then some additional guarantees would
seem TO be in order from State wherein a
murderer cannot be convicted of the crime
! if the victim is Republican. Then, again
in State where IL costs n citizen his life to
seek the suffrages of his fellow citizens fol
the Office of sheriff as an Independent
Democrat, there are no guarantees that the
rights, or even the life, of n Republican
white or black, are in any degree re-
spected
Then it volunteers the assertion, which
is contradicted by history and truth, That
"section is peaceable and orderly" when
the record of oppression, wrong and blood J
crime is daily swelled by the atrocities
there committed. Then it ejaculates--
Now, what do these Northern howlers 70
more emphatic guarantees wantP
What sort of guarantees will satisfy ex
Governor BULLOCK or the colossal thiei
HAYES?
w NndU ~ Ine OOulH 10 uO InHt III mas no
done, and what shall it leave undone that !
has done?
These last interrogatories the Post coult
answer for itself, if it would only consul
with an honest purpose the Constitution o
the United States and the laws of recon
struction, which guarantee to every citizel
of the Union in all its States certain specifl
| riarl,ta Nyhipl, in Iaayraa or
1t would there find all the guarantees whic
the President, Governor BULLOCK and til
Republican party demand, and with which
when fully and honestly respected by tn
South, they would be entirely satisfied
The reply to the interrogatory, what is tn
South to do that it has not done, and wha
shall IL leave undone that it has done?
is easy and simple. The South should &C
cept the situation as it exists under tn
guarantees of the Constitution and til
laws, and secure to every legal vote
in every Southern State the full an
free exercise of the rights of citizen
ship in all that belongs to them. Tn
right of political opinion and the righ
of voting in accordance Herewith attache
to every citizen in the South rs much as II
the North, and these rights the South ha
despoiled Southern Republicans of ire
spective of birth or color 1t should leRv
undOne its armed organizations to interfer
with Republican meetings and voting.
should cease its persecution and slaughtC
of citizens for opinions sake, 1t should al
ford free and fair elections without intimi
dation, outrage or tissue ballots. 1t shoulC
respect personal and political right, anC
cease its murder of men on account of thei
politics. When it leaves undone thes
things that it has done, great cause
complaint will be removed. Aud what
more, until the South bears some respeC
for the Constitution, the laws and III
equal rights guaranteed to citizens thereil
Northern public opinion will array itso
against it in solid and effective form.