Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-11-13
ShOuId the SOulh lsemAin Solid ,

N. Y. wOrld.I
Since the election number Of our
republican contemporaries h We been
laboring to persuade the southern pen-
pie that the interests of the south lie
In division, and not in unity. To state
this proposition seems to be almost
enough to refute it. 1t is trne that a
sectional division Of parties is most
unfortunate Tor the country, and thar
every effort ought to be made to avoid
such division. But if the stronger
section is "solid" against the weaker,
the weaker simply has no choice The
solid south is a formidable clement
in politics. A divided south would
be weak in proportion to the extent
of the division, and the break up of
the south cannot possibly come about
except by the substitution of other
issues for the sectional issue upon
which the republicans have mado
their canvass.
1t is not sufficiently borne in mind,
even by disputants who mean to be
quite fair in discussing the interests
Of the south, that the opposition to
southern communities to republican
rule is in great part a matter Of self
preservation. In the states like Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana and South Caro-
lima, republican state governments
mean simply a government Of thieves.
II is simply not possible that any re.
spectacle and industrious person, who
only asks Of the government that it
shall protect him in his lawful bust
ness and secure to him the fruits of
his labor, should be republican in
state politics. Ii tho case is not SO
bad in other southern states, the rea-
son simply is that in those states
there is no danger OF the republicans
getting control of the. state govern.
ments. For this state Of things the
republican party is responsible. since
the attempt of the republican party to
reconstruct the state government OF the
southern states brouqht it about. Ii
the ground which General Hancock
took at New Orleans had been taken
by congress, and the local law, except
that part of il which related to slav
cry, had been left to be administered
by the local courts, 1t would have
been possible for the southern people
to separate state politics and national
politics; and to support a protectionist
or free trader, a strict construction
list or,an advocate OF liberal internal
improvements, tederalist or a demo.
crat, without helping to hand over the
government Of his own state to gang
o. criminals. But congress, and not
the south, chose to make the interests
Of thc republican party in the south
ideutiosl with the interests of Cham
berlain and Moses and Kellogg and
Madison Wells, aud to make it i'm
possible fcg any representative south
ern man to belong to the republican
party.
Mr. Hayes administration has done
something to amend this state Of
things. The southern states have
ut6u ltil lIco W UIubI tutlt uuiubatlO
affairs in their own way, and the re.
suit has been state governments i'm.
measuTably cleaner and more respect
able than the state governments which
they succeeded. But there Is no rea-
lou 10 suppose that if these govern
ments fell sgain into the hands of
the southern republicans they would
not be as dangerous and as disgraceful
as they were before. Every man in
one Of the plundered southern states
who should assist in bringing back
tho scoundrels of the period Of recon
-truction would be looked upon as
n mi, lie enemy. lie would be a public
snemv and so long as this danger OK.
ists. 50 long rs the cause Of the carp y
baeesrs is the oacse Of tne republican
party in the south, % long it is quite
certain that the south eaunot, ,gill not
and ought not to C,.sase 10 be solld
against tho republican part;S.'