The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-09-10
The Paramount Issue of the Canvass
---I,et Mississippians Pause
and Think

There are other issues involved IN the
coming election more important and
more lasting in their consequences to
the people, particularly the Southern
people, than the financial questions. 1t
Is whether the constitution Of co-equal
States shall be overthrow and the
Federal Government converted into a
centralized despotism with State lines
and State laws obliterated and the
minority placed at the mercy of a
sectional majority without the safeguards
which that instrument was intended to
afford. Mr.. John Sherman is the fore
most leader Of the Republican party
and its financial oracle. Accommodating
upon a salary of a few thousand dollars
year, fortune Of millions by his
faithful service of the money power
whose supple and serviceable tool he
has been, he is presumed above all 9TH
ers to be devoted to its interest and to
subordinate to it every other political
consideration and yet the following
remarkable position is taken in his
speech delivered at Steubenville, Ohio,
on the goth of August:
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
| have thus fellow citizens, confined myself
| to financial topics, most OF them OF tempo
rary character, which will be settled in the or
binary course of administration, and which
ever way settled, will not affect the peace and
order Of society But there is question in
1 I'LL IL
or property, or silver, or gold. Several of the
Southern States rebellion, aided and encour-
aged by the Democratic party, have nullifed
Tor the time, in whole or in part, the consti
tutional amendments passed since the civil
war, and intended to secure its results.
Then follows a series of atrocious
charges against the Democracy (mean-
ing the white people, of the South.
They are charged with notification of
the constitutional amendments They
are charged with violating their pledges
eminent; with vice, with lawlessness,
with driving the freedmen from their
homes and occupations to the swamps !;
with putting in control of their local
governments, the most corrupt and law
! less elements of society; and from this
slanderous assumption, the inference is
drawn that nothing but vile laws and
worse deeds can come, as bitter waters
emanate from foul springs. These false
accusations are made the pretext for
continuing in force the proscriptive
measures devised by the Republican
leaders at the close Of the war for hui
initiating, furnishing and harrassing
the people Of the South in every
way fendish ingenuity could sug-
gest; continuing the plan of sur
rounding the baIlot-box with federal
troops to control the elections, and
of employing party supervisors and
deputies to overawe, arrest, imprison,
indict and try before partisan tribunals
political opponents for exercising the
right of suffrage in such manner as they
may deem expedient. Mr.. Sherman
says that call other issues are secondary
compared to this" If this be the
opinion of the aggressor in this contest,
what can be the conclusion of the
Southern people against whom this
vindictive policy is aimed? Can they
afford to divide among themselves with
issues of such transcendant Importance
impending over them? Though you
may not pass upon it this fall" said
TO
/ follows, "yet your election this fall will
affect the issue to be made in 1880"
| So it will and we thank him for teach
ing us that word. We are on the edge
of the great contest of 1880, when the
issue Of free government and the CO.
| equal existence of the Southern States
submitted to the arbitrament of the
ballot-box. In the presence of such
crisis, with the lovers of freedom, with
/ true Democrats, or Conservatives, or
patriOts-the terms are all synonymous
there can be no playing fast and loose.
/ The issue must be met squarely. For
| the present at least, ambition must
sleep. 1t will be an utter shame upon
our State, if through the Vaccinations
of malcontents and selfish aspirants, a
single county should be lost. We in
woke every man to reflect upon the
situation, and for this one time, if
never again, to sacrifice passion and
prejudice and love of self upon the altar
of his country's liberties.