New-York tribune., 1879-05-28

the Government which was not mace
necessary by the conduct Of the very men
who come up now with such bitter complaints
Of the treatment they have received. In the
entire history of the long controversy which
was supposed to have been settled with the
conclusion of the war, but has been reopehcu
with the first reappearance oil Demo
cratic majority in Congress. every aggression
has been on the side of the Southern Dem0c-
racy. Every threat against the Government,
every violent demons tratiOD, all the Bullying
and all the bloodshed, have had their origin
there. while the North was in every case the
passive spectator of Their passionate outbreaks
or the victim Of their lawless violence. This
was true of the whole period Of the contro-
yersy, from tho time the first victim OF slave
holding intolerance was maltrcated or Killed
for expressing his honest opinion, down to
the last case of bulldozing. If they have sui
fered hardships from the political condition
they brought upon themselves they have only
themselves to thank for ii.
The people of the North, and the Republ!-
can party, have treated them, from the hrst
and always, with kindness and tolerance
and magnanimity for which history furnishes
no parallel. They were not merely treated with
leniency, but were fully and frankly forgiven
for their treason against the Government; non
merely forgiven, but restored to full rights
of citizenship and equality under the law (;
and not that alone, but actually brought back
to The places of power in the Nation, ana
given the political control, the loss OF
which they had resented to the point
of setting on foot bloody and destruc-
tive war. What is more. the people OF the
North have been, and are now, so cOnsldeTaie
of the feelings Of those who were lately their
enemies in the field. and whom they con-
dnered, that an intelligent public OPINION
frowns down any ill-naturcd or NAH
ciOus reference to the past which seems
intended to wound the seDsibilities OF
the defeated party, or act as an unpleasant
reminder. But in the face, and III spite OF
all this, the Democratic majority IN Com
gress, OF which the Southern Democrats,
lately in rebellion, are the controlling
element have raised an issue, not SIM
ply with the present Administration, bus
with the party and the people who
supported the Government during the Rebel
lion, and who ere responsible for the legisla-
ton of the war period, upon which it is i'm
ing the painful circumstances which
made certain legislation necessary. And
while they and their Northern allies
cry out against the cruelty and III
Justice Of TcviyIng the past, they revive 1t
themselves. Ii is this situation OF affairs that
forces the Republican parry and the loyal
yes, loyal is the word though North
ern Democrats do hate the sound of it, and
would like to drive it out of the vOcab-
ulary-the loyal people Of the North, to
recall the past, AMI justify IT. If 1t Il the
old fight IT is none OF our relieving. When
the Southern Democracy cried quits we were
willing to hold OF, to forgive all, and forget
all. But it should be understood that
we are not ashamed Of our past, and
that we are not ready to sit by and see our
lately defeated adyersaries come W TO Con-
gres5 with wholesale denunciatiOns Of the
work we did in suppressnc Them, and the
insolent demand that it should all be swept
away.
We are not ready for that. And when, after
the generous treatment which has been
corded to them they deliberately formulate. as
an issue upon which to 20 10 the people OF
the whole Union, the proposition that the
legislation OF the war or Of the period OF
reconstruction was harsh and unjust toward
them, or that under il they have been nduly
interfered with. restrained OF thclr liberty or
deprived of their rights, we can do no
less than meet them squarely on the ground
OF their own choosing, and for the justice
of our cause appeal to history and to the
record they seem so anxious 10 suppress. Let
us then call things 10y their right names, and
not hesitate to cite the record. They
come forward with a grievance. Let us
not from any foolish fear of reviying
the old controversy shrink from full
inquiry into ITS merits. The Democratic party
comes charging down upon us with the
accusation that III the suppression of
Democratic rebellion and the maintenance
of the Union we have trampled down
the rights of the States, violated the
Constitution, and endangered, if not
destroyed, the freedom Of elections. And they
say, too. that we have perpetrated great
wrongs and injustice in or efforts TO
prevent Democratic frauds upon the ballot
box. These are vital questions. They take
hold upon the past rs well as reach
forward to the future. They involve an
appeal to history, and the resuscltation of
bygOnes that will not be profitable TO the
gentlemen who have forced them on. But
our Democratic friends have chosen thcir
own ground and it shall not be our fault if
they are not met fully and frankly at every
point in The controversy.