The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-08-19
Not Bad tor General Ewing.

The opponents OF General Ewing in
Ohio are constrained t. adm that he was
. gallant aud able soldier in the war for
the Union also that be is man of honor
and probi,y and much more than average
ability. That is good deal but they
have been in the habit lately Of adding
thot he usedto be republican and why
did he turn democratic - the suggestion
heing thst he became democrat so get
Office.
Thereupen Ewing's friends, publish q
letter Of has, which appeared SO long ago
as November, 1867, and which tells pre-.
, cisely why be left the republican party
1t was because he was opposed to the ex.
tt'eme reconstrut ton laws : and what he
then foresaw as t. tbeeffsct sf these laws
seems to us to show that General Ewing
had the provision OF statesman! He
had tough, the rebels and had helped
beat down The rebellion and restore the
Union; hut when he saw his party estAb'
fishing State governments in the South
OF the carpet-bag and negro kind, o.
which We have all come to know since, he
mas net willing; and in this letter, he
gives very good reason to his opposi
ton. He declared himself ready to vote
for General Gran, but be wanted TO know
first how he stood on the reconstruction
laws; and in Whit follows he. as it hap.
pened, foretpld very accurately what re.
suited from these laws, which republi.
cans now see to have been a mistake. He
wrots:-
II want first to know whether Grant ap.
proves the reconstruction measures; for
IT he does | cannot support him. l regard
thsm as mischievous-begot Of revenge,
misdirecs.d philanthrophy and lust oi
power. Iwould as soon expect house
to tt,nd on the crater ofa living volcano
as a State, where whites and blacks being
nearly equal 10 numbers, the whites are
prescribed and the blacks made rulers.
Such government cannot long have the
heartfelt sympathy Of any large body Of
-Rhite men any where. Blood is thicker
than water, and Northern whites viii
sympathizs with Southern whites in their
struggle to shake off the incubus OF negro
rule. To punish the Southern whites FOL
their treason the Northern people might
possibly for time be willing to afilic'
them with such government, !; bot seli-in.
terest forbids it. 1t we're 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, mus
be propped by Northern bayonets, and
the North must pay for the bayonets
and however cost y, they can never safely
be Withdrawn" a.1 .-..t
General Grant did approve OF these
laws; the carpet bag and negro govern
ments we're established by him. and, as
Ewing :oresaw, he had to uphold them
with bayonets for eight long years; and
.Hhen President HAYES removed the bay
onet. they at once ,feH.tp pieces-but mol
nrtil after q career OF scandalous robbery
and msladministration which lost the re-
publican party both houses Of Congress
aud gave, il ITS President 10 1876 only By
Ijnggles, and the exhibition Of military
force which the country slill remembers
with diseus'. ysaqoiG ,el asg,. ~,
/ The republicans were not fortunate in
drawing ont this letter Of Ewing, twill
raise him 10 the esteem Of all thougbtfn
men, forsitshows that he fof essw, evils t.
The country and to the. republican paftl
to which many men more prominent thar
be were blind. The letter will not buri
him in Ohio and ifhe shonld be elected
this fall 1t will be heard Of next year.
Who knows--we may have democrat
ic President yet. ,s s r., .se..a