New-York tribune., 1879-03-01

In the early days of the rebellion, jefferson
Davis addrc ,cd q war message to the Con-
fcdrrate Congress, in which he used the
phrase: All we 1sk is to be- let alone" he
expression was compendium of the absurdl-
ties OF secession. 1t passed into by-Vord.
Ii bccame q text for trav.,ucs. Northern
humorst, made it the refrain % comic verses,
and il was the Joke OF the Army Never per
haps dIu the head of a state utter more un-
fortunate remark on momentous occasion.
II would be cuIious TO speculate how much
GOOD that historic phrase must have done 10
the Union cause in the doubtful DAYS before
Bull Run by enlistiug in the service of patri-
oti,m that sense of the ludicrous which in 50
many Americans approaches the dignity and
| strength Of a passion.
/ But in the South the declaration of Mr.. Davis
was accepted with profound gravity. Let us
"alouc was tie principle upon which the slave
holding mgcommmltics had always regulated Their
attitude toward the Federal Union. The
priuciplc is still maintained III full NIgor by
all the Democrats Of tn" South; and their
Northern allies are as ready TO back them III
If to-day as they were in the Spring OF lSGl.
| The rcport Of the Teller Committee shows
how the South is making practical application
of its ancient theory. "Thcrc appears says
fins document, "to be widespread determl-
"uation in the Southern States to restrict the
" freedom of speech as to political ques-
tons, upon the claim that the discus
sion OF the relation Of labor to capital, en-
"plovers to employees, and other kindred sub
elects. i, calculated to array the cOlOred people
"ogalnst the whites, and thus endanger the
"s,fctv Of the people.' Tins Is an exact par
| aUcl to the old-;ime southern rretcnce that
oven the mldc>t form OF IemonstIance against
| tbe institution of slavery WAS dcyIiIsh in
ceudiaIism. The United State, cannot toIe-
rate such a rule in matters that affect Fede-
raj relations. and cannot allow despOtic oil
| ,,orchv to override National laws and usurp
/ the privilege of legslatiug not merely for
! .cpaIatc communities bat for the whole Union.
| When. however. the General Government at
tennis to protect the suffrage and to execute
its own statutes, the Solid South clamOrs
- he "Iet alone and the Demo-
cratic party of the North, slavish now
as ever in its subservicnce to the chiyalry, Is
ready TO stop the whole machinery of admin
i.,ration rather than interfere with the nulli-
| 6ers. mo prosecutions" says the Teller Re
mort. "have been instituted by the State of
! .South Carolina against the vIOlatOTs of her
claws. and 10 effort has been made to pun
"i.b tbr men who have thus wantonly out
TRACED her citizens and when the United
"o,ates court, have been rcsortcd to for the
"nnrpose of furnishing the outragcs on the
/ "ball9t. the complainant has in very many
| "iustauces been arrested, clearly IN viola
tion of law, 10y the State authorities,
con charges OF perjury. and committed
"to ian unless he gave bail. Citizens
are threatened that if they attempt to
.nuui.h tbe offenders in the United States
d" courts. the witnesses will be punished IN the
State courts, aud thus the state not only
"dccliucs to punish these criminals, but re-
fuses 10 allow it to be done in the United
Estates courts"
And i'm tins opposition to the Federal au-
| thority the Democratic party demands that the
| South shall be let alone Well we could de-
sire 40 better issue upon which to appeal to
! tue iu>tce and common scusc OF the country
! than tLj. which the South and It's allies are
! f,,c.ur upon us. Free speech and free bal
/ lot are the foundation OF popular government.
| No marty winch arrays itself in hostility to
/ these safeguards of the Nation need hope to
rule America. "