Litchfield enquirer., 1880-06-24
Republication and the South.


 and disadvantages to be expected from the success of one or the other political party. There is no extraordinary crisis in public af- fairs such as would make any mistake fatal mistake. Such crises occur much less frequent ly than politicians are fond of representing. The political annals of a republic will always abound with apprehensions of fatal error; but most of these apprehensions are factitious-the work of greedy partlsanship. Looking back at our own national record, how often has the life of the rebublic been in peril at presiden- tial election? Federalists of 1900 honestly expected the ruin of the republic from the triumph of Jefferson. The Whigsof 1928 and 1882 expected nothing less from the success of Jacksonian Democracy. Yet events proved both mistaken. The success even of Breckin- ridge in 1860 could hardly have accomplished more than a postponement of the downfall of slavery. The election of McClellen in 1864 might possibly have broken up the Union; though we do not consider even this, by any means certain; for the Confederacy was so far spent by March 4th 1865 that it may we'll be doubted whether even triumphant Democra- cy could have felt itself justified in acknowf- edging it's independence.
 Granting, then, one really vital election in century, are we not justified in holding that the success of one or another party at most of our elections is mere balance of rather mod crate advantages or disadvantages to the re- public? We imagine that Hayes has proved much better president than Tilden; but even Tilden, intriguing, weak, and selfish as he has shown himself, would not have ruined the country. It is in the power of no politi- clan, bad as the race is; to ruin the country. They can do it some injury; they can precipi- tate financial crisis, or retard financial re- covery but the results they accomplish, for good or for evil, are of vastly less importance than is usually imagined.
 Believing then, as we do, that the election of Democratic President this fall, would by no means wreck the republic; we neverthe- less see, or think we see, that decided bal ance of advantage would follow from the choice of Garfield. We consider it decidedly preferable, especially, that the defeated South should not succeed to the control of the government they were so lately undertaking to overthrow. There need be no fear, as we judge, of renewed civil war, of repeal of the Great Amendment, orc any other furiously re actionary measures To do the Southern De- mocracy justice, they do not seem to mean nf They undoubtedly dc mean to break down the political power of the negro, and the perpetua
 tion of the Solid South as political organization. The Southern Democracy now have control of the government of every Southern State, and
 of both branches of the legislative government l of the nation. Is it best that they should take possession of Congress, President, and finally I of the Supreme Court ? As long as it was question between decent local government and l Carpet Baggery, large fraction of Northen Republicanism sympathlzed with them, and l rejoiced Tn the overthrow of the political To- custs who were laying waste their country. 1 Now that the arpet-Bagger is extinguished forever, and the negro no longer legislates for l the white, does the Sonth need much more of our sympathy? Is there not some occasion, on the contrary, for senstiveness throughout the North regarding anything likea restoration to political power of party, the controlling ma, jority of whose Senators and Representatives l in Congress come from States which but fifteen years ago were in open rebellion, and who l would be something moro than human If they do not undo all they can of the results of the
 war? We regret as much as anyone pre- petuation of sectional parties, but if the Re- publican party was ever justitiable, is it not 1 justifiable now? It has seen it's days of tyran- ny, and its days of severe punishment of that | tyranny It can never disband in the face of Solid South.
 Those who repudiated Republication of- | fensive-the Rspublicanism of oppression, l fraud, corruption and returning boards-are
 now rallying to the support of Republicanism
 dsfensive-the Republicanism of Hayes and Garfield, which is striving to retain control of tine government which owes it's life to it.
 This is the meaning of the stalwart revival of
 recent years Quiet people are willing that
 the Confederate Brigadiers should govern the
 South in place of such Republicanism as that
 unfortunate section has hitherto produced We much prefer Hampton to Moses in South
 Carolina; but we have decided preference
 for federal to confederate officers at Washing
 ton. The Bourbonizing of the Southern State
 governments seems to call for the Republican
 izing of the national government, to prevent
 the undue preponderance of an element that
 has so recently proved dangerous.
 The sympathy which the Southern white re-
 ceived from clear majority of the Northern
 people in his struggle against negro domina-
 tion, rapidly subsided after the Hayes admin-
 istration came in, and settled Southern mat
 ters on an honorable basis. The Southern
 white now has all, and more than all, the pow
 CT that is good for him. The moderate Re-
 publcanism of the North has said to him {:
 I've concede the temporary failure of our
 plan of Reconstruction. Take the South and
 govern it till Republicanism grows up among
 you that is fit to govern. We concede the
 temporary failure of negro suffrage We do
 not concede its permanent failure. If you do
 your duty by the coiored man, the time will
 soon come when he will deserve the ballot tha,
 circumstances gave him prematurely. Uni
 versal suffrage must be the rule throughout
 the country South as well as North, and no
 political party can stand in it's way. The re.
 strictions you have placed upon it by your
 shotgun policy, and other systems of terror.
 ism, if necessity, are temporary, an odious
 necessity" 4 "-
 Let the policy of the Southern white
 seek the elevation of the negro, till he can
 vote intelligently, rather than his depres.
 sion. till he cannot vote at all. In the mean. time Republicanism remains on the defensive.
 It will strive to hold possession of the vast powers of the National government as cbecL