The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-08-28
cARPET-BAG aOYaRkMENT.
An Independents View of General Eu-
tng's, keeoFd tou Th.s .~sc0re-The Pre-.
v,xtOa Of statesman on the Recon:
atrucfi0n Era. 65
NeW York Herald.ll

fng's, keeoFd lou Th.s .~ScOFe-TtIe Pre-.
VISION of q statesman ON the Recon:
.strucfi0n FRA. = tSd
New York Herald -45W .t
The opponents of General Ewingfn Ohio
are constrained to admit that he WAS q gal
liant and able soldier in the War for the
Union; also that he,is a man of honor and
probity and much more than average ability.
That is a good deal; but they have been in
the habit lately uf adding that he used to be
a Republican and why did he turn Demo-
craft" the suggestion being that he became
a Democrat TO get Office.
~9Thereupon Ewing's friends publish q let
ter of his, which appeared SO long ago as No
vember, 1867, and which tells precisely why
he left the Republican party 1t was be-
cause he WIS opposed TO the ezsrer.e
reconstruction laws, and what be then
foresaw as to the effect of those laws
seem to show that General Ewing had the
provision OF, a statesman. He had fought
the rebels and had helped beat down the
rebellion and restore the Union; but
when he saw his party establishing State
Governments in the South of the earpet-bag
and negro kind, of which we have all come
to know since, he was not willing; and in
this letter he gives very good reasons for his
opposition. He declared himself ready TO
vote for General Grant, but he wanted, to
know first how he stood on the recopstruc-
sion laws; and in what follows. as it hap
pened, foretold very accurately what re-
suited from these laws, which Republicans
now see to have been a mistake. He wrote:
81 want first to know whether Grant ap-
proves the reconstruction measures; for If he
does | can not support him. regard them
as nIischievous-brgot< OF revenge, misdi-
rected p%hilanthrophy and lust of power. l
would as soon expect q house to stand on the
Crater of q living volcano, as a State. where
whites and blacks being nearly equal in
numbers, the whites are prescribed int the
blacks made rulers Such a Government
any large body Of white men anywhere.
Blood is thicker than water, and Northern
whites will ~sympathize with Southern
whites in their struggle to shake off the in
cubus OF negro rule. To punish the South
ern whites for their treason the Northern
people might possibly for a time be willing
to afiict-them with such Governments; but
self-interest forbids il. It were like the
tabled war of the belly and the members.
The North already groans under the punish
ment now being inflicted on the South, and
must besides pay for the whip. The negro
Governments, when formed, must be propped
by Northern bayonets, and the North must
pay Tor the bayonets; and however costly,
they can never safely be withdrawn"
General Grant did approve of these laws;
the carpet-bag and negro governments we're
established by him, and, as Ewing foresaw,
he had to UNFOLD them with bayonets for
eight long years; and when President Hayes
removed the bayonets they at once fell t.
pieces-but not until after a career of scan.
dalous robbery and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which lost the Republican party both
Houses of Congress and gave it its Presiden,
in 1876 only by juxgles and the exhibition o.
military force which the country still re-
members with disgust.
The Republicans were not fortunate II
drawing out this letter Of Ewing. 1t will
raise him in the esteem OF all thoughtful
men, for it shows thai he foresaw evils TO tht
country and to the Republican party u
| which many men, more prominent than hi
were blind. The letter will not hurt him il
Ohio; and If he should be elected this fall Il
will be heard of next year.