The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-08-14
NOT RAD TOR GEN. EWING.

II
The opponents of Gen. Ewing in Ohio
are constrained 70 admit that he was a
gallant and able soldier in the war for
tie Union; also that be 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 of
adding that he used to be a republican,
and "why did he turn democrat?" the
suggestion being that he became dem
ocrat to get Office.
ThereupOn Ewing's friends publish a
letter of his, which appeared 80 long ago
as November, 1857, and which tells pre-
cisely why he left the Republican party.
II was because he was opposed TO the ex.
treme reconstruction laws; and what he
then foresaw as to the effect Of these
laws seems to US to show that Gen. Ew.
ing had the provision Of statesman.
He had fought the rebels, and had help
ed beat down the rebellion and restore
the Union; but when he saw his party
establish State governments in the South
Of the Carpet-bag and negro kind, OF
which we have all come to know since,
he was not willing and in this letter be
gives very good reasons for his opposi'
ton. He declared himself ready to vote
for Gen. Grant, but he wanted to know
first how he stood on the reconstruction
laws; and in what follows he, as it hap
pened, toretold very accurately what re-
suited from these laws, which republi-
cans now see to have been mistake.
He wrote:
II want first to know whether Grant
approves the reconstruction measures;
for if he does l cannot support him. re-
gard them as mischievous; begotten Of
revenge, misdirected philanthrophy and
lust of power. 1 would as soon expect
house to stand on the crater of living
volcano as State, where whites and
blacks being nearly equal in numbers,
the whites are prescribed and the blacks
made rulers. Such government can
not long have the heartfelt sympathy Of
any large body of white men anywhere
Blood is thicker than water, and North
ern whites will sympathize with South
ern whites in their struggle to shake Oft
the incubus of negro rule. To punish
the Southern whites for their treason the
Northern people might possibly for q
timebe willing to afflict them with such
governments; but self interest forbids it.
It were like the tabled war of the belly
and it's members. The North already
groans under the punishment now being
inflicted on the South, and must besides
pay forIthe whip. The negro govern
ments, when formed, must be propped
by Northern bayonets,- and the North
must pay for'the bayonets; and however
costly, they can never be safely with
drawn"
Gen. Grant did approve of these laws;
the carpet,bag and negro governments
were established by him, and as Ewing
foresaw, he had to uphold them for eight
long years with bayonets; and when
President Hayes removed the bayonets
they at once fell to pieces-bht not until
after career of scanda,ous robbery and
maadministration, which lost the Re.
publican party both houses of Congress,
and gave it it's President in 1875 only by
iungles, and the exhibition of military
force, which the country still remembers
Tbe Republicans were not fortunate
in dra wing out This letter of Ewing. It
will raise him in, the, esteem of all think
ing men, for it shows that he foresaw
evils to the country and to the Republi-
can party, to which many men more
prominent than he were blind. The let
ter will not hurt him in Ohio; and if he
should be elected this fall it will be heard
of next year.
Who knows-we may have a Demo
cratic President yet.-M Y Herald.