Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-11

now. Did John {. Calhoun ana the huliln-
ers whom Jackson baffled and crushed ever
dare. in the name of State rights, to strange
the Government by refusing the legislation
which the Constitution commands! 1hey
tried TO hinder the collection of the revenue
in South Carolina. but did they ever by eau
ems decree attempt to take the national Gov
eminent bv the throat and compel 1t to make
terms TO save its life? There is much talk
about revving the issues of the war. who
has revived them? When the war was over the
nation displayed the most marvellous. the
| grandest magnanimity in history. No man
was punished for treason. No estate was con-
fiscatcd After the seeding States were re-
stored to relations with the Union, no man
was ever, by national authority, deprived OF
the right to vote.
The only exclusion ever imposed was from
the right to hold office, and no man was ever
refused who asked to have this disability re
moved-not one. By constitional amend
ment the nation did say that the ringleaders
of the rebellion, those who had taken an oath
| to support the Government and had held
official trust, and then engaged in rebelllon
| thus adding perjury to treason, should not
again come back to Congress or hold office
till their disabilities were removed by Il two
thirds vote of both houses. 1t was thought
that those who had so tlagrantly assalled the
Government ought not again to take part IN
itr control until they at least asked pardon
and received it. This was the sole penalty
ever inflicted for treason. Nearly all were
long ago relieved Jefferson Davis, Eobert
Toombs, and few others refused to ask that
their disabilities might be removed, and, |
repeat, no man who did ask ever was refused
| The tendency throughout has been toward
extreme clemency land generosity. The real
son is obvious. The republican party and
the Northern people wanted peace and pros
perity IN the South. They wanted the South
ern people. white and black, to heal and
mend, and sow and reap, and build up their
waste places. OF course they wanted this
| Ii was for their selfish interest in every way
How could they want anything different! If
the South prospercd, it could bear its share
of the public burdens. If prospered, 1t
| could furnish market for Northern commodl-
ties. If tn. South suffered from lawlessness
and commotion, every part of the country
must feel the evil effects. Millions have
BEEN and millions more will be, voted by
republicans in Congress to deepen the mouth
of the Mississippi River, to improve the har-
| bors of New Orleans, Galveston and Mobile,
! to remove Instructions to navigation in Ten
nessee, Georgia Virginia, and North Caro-
| lima, and to clear the harbor of Charleston OF
the snags and contrivances of destruction
! pnrposely planted there during the war To
strand and wreck Northern vessels. Rcpub-
licans have refused to vote money TO dredge
streams which could not be found on the map,
streams on which engineers reported that II
money were spent and the work done two
feet of water might be obtained. But never
since the war have republican votes defeated
a proposed Improvement because It's location
was in Southern State. When pestiencc
...It IA. has
out aid with no niggard hand. At the last
session nearly 81 900, 900 was voted to be
used to combat sickness in the South, AMI I'M
der powers and discretion such as no at of
Congress ever conferred before. The North
does not want the South to repe !mmigra-
ton nor to drive out its labor, nor to harvest
weeds and mildew-far, far from it. l. was
not good for Egypt that Pharaoh prosecuted
and drove out the children Of Israel, nor is
the repetition of that history in our day good
for the South or for us. What act has the
North done since the war of which the South
can justly complain? Loud camor has been
made against carpet-baggers, as they are
called. Men who carried knapsacks into
Southern States tarried and made homes
there-some good men and some adventures.
What of it! Was it the fault Of the Govern
ment or of the nation: If there was fault in
are you, are the Northern people, are the Ma
tional Administrations since the war, guilty
of itf 1t is lawful for all men of all races
to come to the State of New York, and stay
here. If they are democrats they sometimes
run for office, but for men of Northern SEN
timents to go to the South is an intrusion,
and the blade, the bullet, and the torch too
often resent it. But in any view how can
the Government of the United States be the
jailer to arrest men in this land, and prevent
their going North, South East or West:
The INTIMIDATION Howl.
There is, or there was another complaint.
In distributing and detailing our scanty Army,
handfuls of soldiers were stationed in South
ern States as they were in Northern States.
This was made cause of ceaseless cutlery.
National soldiers never, that | have heard,
interfered with the public peace, nor with an
election. The election of 1876 shows how
false is the pretense that national bayoncts
have influenced the elections In 1876 troops
were stationed here and there in the South.
Ii they CONTROL elections how shall we cx-
plain the result? Who does not know that
mobs and violence had free course! Who
does not know that in four States in which
democratic victories were claimed, but for
shameless intimidation and fraud the results
would have been overwhelmingly the other
way! But the sight and presence of the ma
tional uniform was irritating to Southern SEN
sibilities When the present Administration
came in, the national garrisons were ordered
away from the South. Many other marked
acts of Cancellation were done. Two State
Governments were oveathrown, or at least
suffered to fall. Democrats, selected by
democrats, were put in places Of high public
trust Was not all this enough Was it not
enough to placate even an unreasonable spr-
it? How was this extraordinary confidence
and concession received-how has it been re-
paid? Murder has gone unpublished and I'M
abated Oppression has eclpsed the barbar-
ity and ferocity of slave-holding days. Flee
tiOns have been sorry farce, suffocated in
violence and wrong. Life and property have
been the spoil Of night-riders and unpunishcd
desperadoes. Tissue ballots and force have
decided, when democratic majority could
not otherwise be obtained. The blacks by
thousands have fled in terror from the homes
of their childhood, and from the graves of
their murdered dead. This wicked, horrid
policy has not been pursued from mere cruel
ty or love of wrong. There has been a meth
Cd in it all. BY such means the South has
been made solid. BY these iniquities polit-
ical party has gained possession Of both
houses Of Congress, first of the House of
1 p.at. .tatuf ill., L..