American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-15
A Feeling Born of Desperation.

a Feeling Born OF Desperation.
We hear some we'll defined run.
Ois of a movement to make Grant
the nominee of the South The
movement, it is said. is not po!iti
cal one. Its object is, by nominal
ing Grant and offering him support
in the assumption of extraordinary
powers, to utterly break down all
the, barriers, of Seetionalism and
leave no room for prejudice and
Islander. In other words, there are
those at the South, who, hopeless of
any contest based or constitutional
grounds, are ready and anxious to
forestall and reap. the political re-
suits of the centralism toward
which Republicanism is hurrying
the country; and it may be said
that there is more of hope than of
bOpelessness in the idea. One
thug il certain whatever happens
OF fails to happen, the business and
commercial interests of the South
are determined to have peace
atlanta Constitution.
The Fumors referred to by the
Constitution are based upon a fever>
ish feeling at the South that this
section is being made the football
of Northern politicians, and that We
can escape persecution only by rem
dering it no longer necessary for
the Republican party to abuse US or
for the Northern Democracy to
charge us with being indirectly the
author Of their defeat. In familiar
conversation with each other, and
without rejecting seriously ui,On
the Interior result, it is sometimes
said that If the worst comes to the
worst, the South cln secure prOtec>
ton from interference with her local
governments by voting for electors
who will cast the solid vote of the
South for Grant that the Republi-
cans have directed all their artillery
against US and have DETAINED US in
the eyes of the world, not because
they believe the falsehOOds they
utter but because security for their
party power depends upon keeping
the North alarmed and in an. atti
tude OF hostility towards the South.
1t is argued that the cry against
the South being simply party cry,
in behalf of the spoils of office, it
will cease SO soon as the public
offices are permitted to remain in
the hands of the Republicans, and
that should the South cast her solid
vote for Grant, instead Of being
10 aligned and oppressed she would
at once be fattered, caressed and
do f~or,~ l,lio ronrnonI,
While feeling of desperation
might su ggest such u view of the
question, 1t would be absurd to
yield to it for a moment SO long as
the Democratic party is not in
articulo mortis, and so long as it ia
impossible for the Republican party
to- reduce the South once more 20
the condition OF conquered prov>
lnces.
Even should tire Republican party
succeed at the next Presidential
election. the United States Senate
will still remain Democratic until
1888. For four years, therefore, land
until another Presidential election,
it is impossible for the Republicans
to reconstruct the South by force
They can pass no laws looking in
that direction. They cannot even
raise and equip an army to dragon
US into acquIescence to their part
fsan views. The South, therefore,
with her State governments secure,
can afford to wait four ears longer
for justice from the public senti-
ment of the North. There is no
pressing necessity for desperate
remedy. howe, err desperate the dis
ease just nov may appear. The
President of the United States, and
the Collector of Customs aud post
master at Mobile are nothing 10 us
so long as we can retain the liberty
of local self government. Our
friends of the North may enjoy the
emOluments of those offices without
arousing in our breasts q single
pang OF envy or covetousness. so
long as we can 1--we under our own
State Government in perfect happi
ness and content.
While it is impossible for the Re-
publican party 70 harm us by ops
pressive legislation before 1883, aud
while before that day the North
may overthrow the Republican party
once more as it did in 1874 and
1S7G, we must bear in mind that it
is not cer tain that the enemy will
carry the country next year. It il
not certain they can elect the Press
nlent; and unless they carry the
Legislatures of New York, COnnec-
ticut and New Jersey next month
ne United States Senate will re-
main Democratic for ten years to
come. The Republican party will
he more effectuailY scntcneu by u