Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-09-08
NUMBER 43.
THE POLITICAL PERIL.
Whst Msgat hssslt ffsm 0smoesstic Victory rhis
Fsii-.-somethiSs which Every vetsr shosld Rssd
and Ponder

at Troy, MiAml county, Oh OaJufuay
night, August 21st, which attracted
much attention, the following portion Of
which is worthy Of wide reading and
consideration. After describing the con-
dition Of the southern states, and reading
from the reports Of Gems. Thomas, How
ard and Sheridan, and President Grant,
he concludes as follows:
"In the light Of the testimony SUBJ
mitted, it would be useless for any one
to attempt to Disguise the fact that there
is now struggle between sections, -
another phase Of that conflict which took
place from 1861 to 1867, founded upon
the same general ideas, promoted by the
same preiudices and pas sions, and car
ried forward in the south substantially
by the same methods. 1t is solid south
versus solid north. The south is
stronger to-day, politically, than it was
before the war. The white people Of
that section have lost their slaves, in
deed; but they have gAined by that loss
thirty additional votes In the national
congress, and the same number in the
electoral college; and, although they
have disfranchised the freedman, they
yet cling to their increased reprcsenta-
tlOu. WIN ltlll VI CUitkEe5bS Wklu
the executive, what would they do?
"First-Cut up Texas into five states,
and thus gain eight additional senators,
and virtually secure to the south for all
time, full control of the United States
senate.
Second-They would reorganize the
Supreme Court, and then sweep away
the later amendments to the constitution.
.""Third- They would put the Confed-
crate soldiers on the pension-rolls, and
provide for payment Of rebel debt, and
of southern claims.
"Fourth--They would declare the
emancipation proclamation, and the re-
construction acts of congress, nnconsti-
tutional, revolutionary, and void, and de-
maud payment for lost slaves.
"But some Democratic friend thinks
this would be impossible; that, if a
Democratic administration were TO do
all this, the Democratic party, 10 called,
| would be hurled from power at the next
election. How, my friends? IL you
trust the Democratic party now, you
will trust it once too often. The joint
resolution by which Texas was annexed
provides that congress may divide the
territory embraced within it's present
limits into five states; it would make
five states as large territorially as Penn
sylvania. This division-and congress
and the president have the power and the
right to make it at any time-would, ne /
have before stated, give the south eight
more senators, forty In all and only
making it necessary to obtain the votes
of one Democratic state in the north tc
secure absolute control of the senate.
No obnoxious law could be repealed
without the consent of this senate
No law could be passed without its
concurrence. 1t would be in posi-.
tion to dictate both as to legislation and
appointments. No new state could bt
admitted, no treaty made, no postmaster
or revenue officer appointed, without iti
permission. The negro might be re-en
shaved by the states, and there would be
no remedy save in revolution. A system
of peonage might be established, worse
than slavery, under which the freedmen
would be guarded by shot-guns while
they worked, and hunted by bloodhound
when they ran away, and the north, un
less absolutely solid, would be utterl,
powerless to protect.
"With the senate in possession of tht
south, what can the north do? Ths
president may be Republican; tn
south may have two-thirds Republican
majority; the popular vote may be over
whelmingly Republican, but thert
stands the southern senate to dictate X
all, to revise every Law, to bargain about
every appointment, to pass upon every
appropriation, to demand what it wantl
for the south, and obtain it, or obstruc
all Legislation.
"This. citizens, is the Los
Cause revived; it is better to the south
than the Lost Cause could have been
because it affords greater advantages
It comprehends all that did and reache.
far beyond It puts the purse Of thu
north within easy reach Of the indOlenl
and impoverished south. 1t indemnifiei
the south for the past and gives it sccur
ity for the future. II places the soutl
in position to say TO us: Yield to oul
demands, or rebel; take this, or nothing
submit to our dictation, Or the machinery
Of the government shall stop. You have
much to lose by wal, have little
break the peace il you dare.
"This would be the end of free govern
ment on this continent, and the begin
ming of llfe-tenures of Office for southern
senators and Democratic appointees
This is what Wade Hampton meant whel
he assured the Virginians, the other day
at Staunton, that the Democratic party
was struggling for the same principle
| for which Lee and Stonewau jackson
fought.
4 "It is for this great end that th,
south has been solidifcd. Stimulate,
by the hope Of grasping this prize, AM
achieving this great victory over th
, north, the Confederate army i marchihl
/ to the polls in solid column, followed b,
! eyery man who lost cotton bale, b,
every master who lost slave, by ever,
, planter who lost mule, by every gamb
, Ter, pimp, and thief who prides himsel
/ on being better than . negro. BY ever.
! rnffian whose business il was TO max
; merchandise Of men; BY every bruta
overseer who cut and slashed the labor
ing poor; by every canting hypocrite VII,
taught that slavery was sanctioned b.
God; by every c0warshy assassin who ha
raised his murderous hand to strikt
down free speech; by every aneakin(
scoundrel who has cheated the populA
will by tissuc.ballots.
"Men Of the north, will you NEE
them? VIII yoa defeat fhea 4 / b
lieyc yOu viii. Whatever your party ~
may have been, yon should forget then
! nov. You have no interest that th6 suC
! cess of tho RepuAliCan party will n
further. Stand Gor fhe ciyilixnfion q
the north; for ~ fkeo sohooln ~
. I .s,er.ch. fnrnA l,al}nk snd ~ - -