The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-22
HlNCOCk MELNS LEACE.

Postmaster General Key is reported as say |
ing that in any event the coming Presidential
election must he followed by q disintegration
of the Solid South. This is undoubtedly a
contamination to he desired, as the existence
of parties strictly sectional in character is
fraught with danger TO the Union. II is per-
mttcd, however, to look little into the
reasoning of Mr.. Key. The gentleman says
that If Hancock is elected, for every place in
his gift there will be hundred applicants,
and, as n consequence, in the bestowal of
office, he will necessarily make a greatmany
malcontents. These malcontents, seeing no
hope of redress or advancement in the CON
tinue'l asccndancc Of the Democratic party,
will I've ready to enter into aiiiation with
any other organization which stands in OPP
position to that party, and which is not
strictly sectional and avowedly hostile to the
South in its policy; and so the disntegration
of the Solid South will naturally come about.
There is great deal of truth in what Mr..
Key says in this regard, and he gauges aver
age human nature pretty accurately in his
prophecy of the result in case of lIancock's
election. II is pretty nearly certain to put
an end to the Solid South, and to bring about
the very result that all thoughtful and pa
triotic men OF both parties desire, But sup
pose Garfield is elected, will the disintegraton
of the Solid South follow with the same Ger.
tainiya Mr.. Key says yes, because the South,
despairing of ever getting share in the Gov
ernment and the spoils of office under Demo-
| cratic leadership, will desert masse to the
banner OF the victorious Republican party.
| This is the half wisdom of half-hearted man.
This is what Mr.. Key did himself, and he
naturally enough thinks others will do the
same thing. lie fails to comprehend that
the South is Democratic first by conviction,
and secondly by necessity. The great mass
| of the Southern people believe that the doc
trncs laid down in the Democratic platform
and expounded and enforced by the teach
ings of such statesmen as Seymour and
| Thurman and Bayard and Hancock set forth
the very principles upon which the Gcvern-
ment ought to I've conducted in order to in
sure the greatest prosperity of the whole
country, without respect To sectional divi-
sons or interests. Secondly, as the great
motive power and predominating animus OF
the Republican party is hostility TO the
South, it is impossible that there can he
peace in the counhy until the South is ex-
trpated, or the Republican party abandons
its crusade upon that section. There is not
much immediate prospect of either. As an
instance OF the mpossibility of the South's
becoming Republican, look at the present
agitation about the census reports. Every
man in the South believes that the censu.
has been fairly taken; but in order to be
come good Republican man so believing
e must unite with the organs of that party il
declaring that there is an enormous plot
comprising many thousands of enumerators
with General Walker at the hear
: of it., to cheat the North out o
: its fair proportion of representation il
e the National Congress. Therefore no man il
+ that section can become Republican with
8 out forswearing his conscience and abandon
. ing common sense. TO take refuge in th
arms of Republican administration, whei
Il discouraged from further effort in goot
d cause may seem to men constituted lik
e Judge Key the natural and proper thing t.
II do. but the majority of Southerners an'
o Democrats are made of sterner stun.
e Judge hey is a halt-and half kind of man
: and in the present instance he is Just hal
e right. The election of Hancock will put al
n end to sectional strife and jealousy; tn
e election of Garfield will intensity and con
IL tinue it.