National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-01
A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
AN IrNsIrRnuEn REREI..

The editor OF the Savannah (Ga.) RcC0rdCr
presents in his mental and political make
up singular mixture of disloyalty, sophis-
try, Inconsistency, and effrontery. copy
of that paper, which we overlooked at the
time Of its issue, has Just been brought 10
our notice by an editorial slip which some
friend has furnished us, and which contains
a reply TO some remarks of THE NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN on its atrocious attack upon
President HAYES for his reference to the
Southern election frauds in his annual
message The only thing in that reply
worthy of note is the editors attempt to
establish the fact that he was not rebel
and traitor during the war, taken in con-
nection with an open admission of the fact.
The Recorder says:
We are no unsubducd rebel or Southern
traitor No one had a greater love and ad-
miration for the Union of our fathers than we
had and we were opposed from principle and
policy to secession, and did all we could to
preserve the integrity Of the Union. We were
willing to try Mr.. LINCOLN, though Mr.. BELL
was our choice for President. We felt as did
Mr.. STEPHENS Governor JOHNSON, Governor
JENKINS and other gosd and true men felt in
that day.
But when passion ruled the hour, when the
forty years Of constant war upon the property
of the South, her negroes, was made the point
ofattack aud was argued as a reason for seces-
| sion; when the higher law doctrine of Mr..
SEWARD was cited, and when the South felt
that perhaps the hour had come when it was
no longer wise or prudent TO try to argue with
| the abolition spirit of the North aud that the
| best policy was TO disrupt the Union, and
| Georgia, through her convention, declared for
secession, we, though rcgretting the act, but
| not questioning her right, rs q true and patri-
| Otic son, went with our state. We recognized
no higher power, and if oday Georgia should,
| in her State Sovereignty and States rights
| elect to secede, we Should stand by her and de-
iend the act rs one Of her SONS, believing in her
! right.
The declaration by the Recorder" We
are no unsubdued rebel and Southern
traitor " No one had greater love and
admiration Of the Union of our fathers
than we had when taken in connec-
ton with the following: "The best policy
"was to disrupt the Union, and when
" Georgia, through her convention, declared
" for secession we went with our State"
establishes clearly the sophistry, inconsist-
ency, and disloyalty of this rebel, who pre-
| ltllNS 10 lONe anu uNlllllC lLc IlllOu Ol our
fathers and then raises his hand to sever its
bonds The efrontery of the Rccordcr re-
sides in its subsequent declaration that il
to-day Georgia should, in her State sover-
eighty and States rights elect TO secede
we would stand by her and defend the
"uct rs one Of her sons believing in hci
right"
The extract which we make from tho
Recorder clearly establishes the following
facts: Its editor is "an unsubdued rebel and
Southern taitorn lie never did love aud
admire the Union, though he hypocrjtically
pretends to exceeding love and admiration
lie never did any act "to preserve the in
"tegrty of the Union after his State wen
into secession; on the contrary, he did nj
that his abilities and courage would enable
him to do to destroy it, And, what is more
he would do the same things again unde
similar circumstances. All this establshe!
in the Recorder an ingram spirit and pur
pose of treason and rebellion which total J
uudts its editor for loyal citizenship, and
for that matter, for any citizenship under
the Constitution, the Union, and the flag 0
our common country. lie is still an unre
constructed rebel aud nothing better