The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-01


Teacher.s Convention
The teachers OF Lawrence County and
vicinity will meet at Monticello July 3rd
to organize a permanent society. ALI
teachers are invited to attend. Tue
object will be mutual improvement.
The Democratic Ticket.
We have no doubt that the republic
cans will discover faults enough in the
ticket chosen at Cincinnati yesterday,
and we may presently try our own
hands at picking it to pieces. But we
will content ourselves for the moment
with suggesting certain general and obs
vious bearings, upon the country and
upon both parties, of the action of the
action of the Democrats.
In the first place, 1t is an undoubted
aud very great benefit to the country
that the nomination of General Han
cock makes impossible what, in the
common political slang, is called "a
''bloody shirt campaign" The South>
ern question, so called, has been for
years not merely a strife. but a mis-
chievous issue in our politics. 1t has
been ~assiduously kept alive by design
ing leaders in the Republican party. not
entirely because it was "a convenient
way for them to fire the Northern
heart" and secure votes by alarming
! the preiudices of the voters, but quite
as much because it enabled the Repub
iican leaders year after year to put
aside all real questions, all needed re-
forms, all actions on subjects of gener-
al interest and importance, on the pre-
text that it was once more necessary to
''save the country" or to strike for
liberty and equal rights"
We have no doubt that even now an
effort will be made to drag ''the South
INTO the canvass, but it will not succeed.
The Democratic candidate was a soldier
of the Union-one of the most Jealous,
uEcompromising and brilliant generals
the war for the Union; he is a Northern
man with purely Northern Ideas; he
fought under General Grant in the
bloodist and most desperately contested
series OF battles in the war; he was al.
ways placed By Grant in the forefront
of the battle. 1t would be ridiculous
for any one to pretend to doubt tho
loyalty to the Union and to liberty of
the General whose gallant and brilliant
conduct in the Wilderness, at Spottsyl
vania, at Gold Harhor and in all the
fierce battles which followed made nim
o trusted officer of Grant and won for
him the plaudits Of the country. If any
Republican stump orator shall pretend
that the Government cannot safely be
trusted to General Hancock he will be
laughed at.
Nor can it be said that Hancock
would be a nose of wax in the hands of
men. He is a man of his own mind.
1t will be said, of course. that he is a
military man; but the reply may we'll be
made that it is surely a good sign that
Democrats of all sections unit.
ed cordially in his nominations;
it is surely a happy omen that
the Southern men, the ''rebel bri>
gadiers, > as 1t is the mean partisan
fashion to call them, were among the
earliest to rally to his support in the
Convention, thus showing that they ale
not at all animated by that hatred of
Union men with which it has been the
custom to charge them. 1t was the
boast of the third termers that the South
was ready and anxious to rally around
General Grant. Well they have gaGh>
cred very z~ealously about one of Gen.
erai Grant s most distinguished and
trusted Lieutehants, ana ii it was a
sign of merit in them in the one case
scarcely be less so In the other.
The nomination of General Hancock
is of importance to the country, there
fore, because it psrforce eliminates the
| old sectional issues from our politics,
and places them for the first time in
many years oil "a broad aud uational
plane. Ii enables the country to choose
without prejudice, without sectional
alarm, and to choose for itself bet veen
two lines OF policy clearly marked out,
very decidedly differing one from the
other, and on which meu may reasona-
bly, and sensibly disagree. The repnb>
lican party stands for Capitalization, for
n larger concentration of power in the
hands of the federal Government, foi
what is called the ''paternal SYSTEM
and a considerable part OF the country
agrees with them in this view, which is
fairly presented by their candidate.
The Democrats stand for decautralizl>
ton. for local self-Goverument, for a
strict limitation of the federal power ac
cording to the constitution; aud a oou
siderable part Of the country agrees
with them. General Hancock's civil re-
cord makes him one of the most dis
tinguished representatives of this Dem
ocratic policy. His constant Difference
to civil law and to civil officers during
his military command in Louisiana and
Texas after the war shows that he is
much more than a mere soldier, that he
has clear and we'll defined views on the
most important points OF national poll.
cy, views which are honorable to him
and which give him a deserved aud
high rank among statesmen. Between
General GARFIELD and General Hancock
the voters may choose freely andSafely
according to their views of what is the
best policy, and with no fear that the
Union or any mans rights in the conn
try will be endangered by the election
OF either.
1t is another advantage for the coun-
try that, beng able thus to choose with
out prejudice or alarm, the voters will be
able to consider the bearings OF the two
nominations on those material interests
of the country which are, after all, It's
real interests. 1t has been widely felt,
for example, even by many Republicans
that it is not well to keep q party IN
power too long. 1t is often said by
thoughtful Republicans that it would
be we'll for their party if it could pass
into the minority for a aeason. But
the Democratic nominations in previ-
Gus years havs not been such as to
INSPIRE confidence in this independent
class OF voters. With the present Dem
~ocratic ticket this objection docs not
lie. If any voters think it we'll for the.
country to have a change OF parties he
need not fear to act upon his Thought.
Every interest will be as safe with ten
eral Hancock as with General Garfield;
both are devoted Union soldiers; both
are legal citizens; both are men incapa>
BILE Of suffering harm to the Kepubac;
in tho hands Of either the honor Of the
Gag. the safety of our institutions. the
rights OF all men In every part OF the
country will be safe. Il is q great
happiness Tor the country that no dema>
corne can, in this canvass, frighten the
voters BY the pretence Of danger TO the
country or to a legitimate interest 10
il. from the success Of u or the other
party.--N. Z. Herald,