Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-09-11
Democratic sectionalism.

IF there is one thing in the Democratic /
Journals of the day more ridiculous than |
any other, it is their hypoeritical eensnre |
of the Republican party for what they |
call ttstirring up and keeping alive see
tional hate" Every intelligent man, |
woman and child in this country knows |
that the one thing which has always dis /
tinguished Republican policy has been
to allay, if possible, the hostile feeling |
that followed the great rebellion, and to |
inaugurate peace, in reality as well as in
name, in all sections of our common
country; and every one knows how its
efforts have been met at all points with
renewed contumacy, defiance, resistance
and hostility.
When the war closed even the South
ern rebels themselves never dreamed that
they would ever again be permitted to
hold office, to approach the ballot-bOx,
or in any way whatever to participate in
the exercise of political power. They
well understood that they had forfeited
not only political and civil rights, but
life, liberty and prosperity as we'll. All
they asked was that they should not be
prosecuted for treason, the penalty of
which is death, and that their property
should not be cOnfiscated. But in its
wonderful and perhaps mistaken magma
nimity. the Republican party not only
/ spared life and property but actually re-
| clothed the traitors with the full measure
of civil and political power.
The first response to this was the Vicks-
burg and Memphis masacres, the organf-
/ zatiOn of the Kuklux Klan and the num-
| berless outrages upon and murders of
the black and white Republicans, which
were perpetrated all over the South from
1865 to 1868.
Then came the fierce demand for the
abrogatiOn of the Constitutional amend
ments, with threats of renewed rebellion,
and declarations that these amendments
were null and void.
Republican concessions followed in un-
| interrupted succession. Rebel violence
made open war against the peaceful and
Ioyal citizens of the United States from
Kentucky down to Texas. Armed bands
of traitors, still clad in the rebel gray,
seized by force upon the Governments of
Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and Ala
bama, and ruthlessly trampled under
foot the rights of the people. Republi-
can majOrities were suppressed with the
bludgeOn and the shotgun; and the Re
publican party, which held all the
branches of the National Government.
and would have been fully justified in
letting loose the power of the Republic
and sweeping the murderOus miscreants
into the Gulf, exhibited its wonderful and
unparalleled forbearance. But forbear-
ance was deemed cOwardice; patience
was met by insult; peaceful prOtestations
were but the signal for renewed violence.
and each fresh concession was followed
by fresh and more dangerous demands.
Wisdom and duty, well understood,
would have stopped here, and, sterniy
facing the enemies of the Republic, would
have compelled them at all hazards to
stay their bloody and traitorous hands
But the path of cOnciliatiOn was still pur-
sued by the Republican party, long after
it became a hopeless path; and South
, Carolina, Louisiana and Florida, the last
: remaining Republican States in the South
were abandoned by the national authori-
ties, and the legal State Governments
therein were overthroWn and suppressed
by armed rebel mobs. As 4 consequence
of this, both branches of the National
, Congress fell into the hands of the very
men who only Il few years ago were
, Waging bloody war against the Republic
The South Carolina authorities imme
diately Dade defiance to the nation; hel
, courts were closed against any appeal fol
justice by citizens of the United States
the revenue officers of the government
were openly resisted, and South Carolin.
I has been practically in rebellion from
= that day to this.
In Congress a caucus, the majority o
which were officers in the rebel army
dominated the Democratic party; AM
the astOunded nation listened while, il
both houses, Senators and Representa-
tives eulogiZed JEFF. Davis; extoiled tn
n rebellion; Haunted their hatred of tn
y nation before the world; defiantly pro
= claimed that they would wipe the las
traces of war legislation from the statut
books; threatened to starve the govern
!. ment to death if all its powers and instru
- mentalities were not laid humbly at thei
= feet. Only the Patriotism of Presiden
Hayes, who had awakened at last to til
!. true nature of the enemy whom he ha
= vainly sought to conciliate-only hi
patriotism and firmness prevented til
Rebel Confederacy from riding bOote
and spurred over the PROSTATE form {
= the Republic, and inaugurating itsel
. completely in the National Capital.
Since Congress has adjourned the ir1tIl
~ -tIeI. of the Poole brothers in Georgia, tn
election of yellow Fever Blackburn i
Kentucky, the Infamous outrage uDo
i H. H. Dixon in Mississippi, and a hur
= dred similar circumstances, prove that i
: the rebel States neither the rights of cit
. zens, the authority of the National Coz
- ernment nor the claims of common dc
" cency and humanity are treated with til
= slightest respect. And yet the Democrat
y Journals censure the Republican part
= for reviving sectional issues and stirrin
up sectional hatred and strife