Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-03-06
pugr1sHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY BY
HpGAR SNOwDENs
THURSDAY EVENING. MARCH 6, 1875

THURSDAY EVENING. MARCH 6, 1879.
The great importance of the spcakershlp
question compels as to alIude to it sgalp, aIo
ibis timo for the purpose of urgiog upon the
press CT tho South the immediate use of all the
iu.tGabe means at its disposal to i1fueIce
southern congressman against taking any part
10 the effort now 10 progress to elect man
from tie South 90 Speaker Of the House.
Since the close Of the war if the South has had
one abidiog purpose it has been to secure once
more national instead of sectional president.
That the achievement of that purpose would DO
hindercd 10 20 slight degree by the election OF
southern man as Speaker none can doubt
Many of the members Of the next House were
members of the last, and the oounry's expert
otc, With that does not warrant bright hopes OF
the strength It's successor will add to the democ'
racy, even if 10 the hands of such a cool, Vigi-
liant, long. headed and efficient speaker as MIR.
Randall. Under the control of such a youth
fol, warm and impetus, though brilliant and
orato1ical man as Mr.. Blackburn, or If some ct
the other gentlemen from the South spoken OF
in connection With the spcakership, opportu.
mites for the radicals to make capital could
hardly be avoided. There are bat two or three
northern States that are democratic, and those
by such small msiorities that tho least indls'
cretion Cd the part Of the representatives OF
the democracy in Congress may be sufficient to
turn the scale. The democrats in those States
are all that have stood between the South aud
the fate to which it would have been subjected
by the tender mercy of Messrs. Blaine. Ed
muuds, Chandler. and the other ultra radicals.
They have bad to fight against heavy odds all
the time, and it would neither be right nor
reasonable to increase those Odds Their OPP
pouens are already making party capital BY
asserting that the war has been failure and
that the rebels have possession of the govern
meut. and to give them more ammunition by
electing a southern man as Speaker would be
political error, which, in all countries, has ever
been considered as equivalent TO crime.
The mistake would be the greater 10 this case,
and those making it the more censurable, be.
cause no man who represents southern cou-
stitueDcy could be more friendly to the interests
Of the South than hr. Randall. We trust
that for these aud other reasons that will readily
suggest themselves to any ono who mey devote
an instant's consideration to tho matter, the
press of the South will OF oroe let such south.
ern congressman as are so absorbed with per
soual affairs as to be entirely obivious to the
interests Of the country, and who, to crafty
private feelings would not hesitate to sacrifice
the public good or who are go obtuse as to be un-
able to determine what will best rebound to the
general Interest, and too blind to see what is
apparent to everybody else. know that the veal
of the whole country, and 90 part oft more than
the South, depends upon tho discretion Of the
next Congress, land that that discretion will be the
best secured by having an able, experienced,
accomplished and unobeotionable man as
Speaker, and that no member OF tho body
10 which they belong possesses these quail
iostions-in greater degree than MIR. Ran.
dali. The war has been over fourteen years, and
though tho animo.ities it engendered should
long since have been buried 80 deep that to
rssurrect them would be impossible, that such
is not the case is too sadly apparent to need as
sertion. The fault is not with the South, but as
wee always was and always will be tho fate Of
the conquered, sho has to bear tho resulting
burden. Her hand il not yet out Of tho lion 3
mouth. and will no. be uutil the country shall
have democratic president, and, 10 the light
ofexistipg circumstances, nothing would mill
tate moro against the contamination Of that
desirable end than southern man 10 the
Speakers chair of the 46th Congress; aud for
southern men to put ono there, when such
tried friend of the South as Mr.. Randall can
be found 10 the North, would evince degree
of reckless disregard of repre- sentative RESPONSE
biIity of which men less esteemed even than some
congressman would be incapable. 1t will be
tima enough for southern Speaker after a
democratic president shall have not only been
elected, but inaugurated.
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Philadelphia was once the acknowledged
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