The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-06-20
THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION.
a Southcru Republicans view of the
sifunyIon.

time Is the way In which Southern Whites who have
hitherto acted with the Republican party ate leaving
It, Ev-srnntors Fowler Of Tennessee, Fool OF North
Clrolina. and Nlcorn, Of Mississippi, Ey-Congrcss-
man Syrhcr, and large number Of others Of local
rather than national prominence, are willing and
anxious to train with the Democracy, II they can have
liberal instead Of bourbon candidate to train under
The position which Of this class take can bo nm
dcr,tood from the following conversation with the
lion John Fool who will bc remembered as a native
southcmcr an old whig, aud steadfost Union man,
We are able to reproduce the talk faithfully:
R.-what do you think Of the Chicago nomina-
tious2
A.-rhc defeat Of the thlri-tcrm movement is a
most happy escape FOR the country The ticket Is not
the strongest the best that could have been put In
the field. put 1t Is moi SO much the ticket the
attitude Of the party that will considered In clectiug
President this timc.
R.-po You mean that the Republican party has
opened any new attitudcg
Alt has been approaching Its present attitude for
eight years past-l mean that o positive scclonalism
Hut II has taken ON new weight. The very extra
| ordinary use made Of Gcn. Grant has alarmed the
| country. Taken In connection with pending events
and with the continuance of the dangerous animoscs
aud dstIust cngendctcd ly ciy war, II was omnOus,
| to say the least, that such spectacle around the
| world and through this country should have been
planned and executed by the acknowledged leaders Of
| u party that has held the Government for twenty
years, and seem So desperately unwilling TO give 1t
up. II compels to consider whether II Is safe to
keep any party In power too long. This applies with
peculiar force to the Republican party because having
started out upon sectional Ideas only, and having
passed through terrible cvil war 10 make them pre-
vail 1t has done nothing to restore harmony; and,
now. the end of twenty years continuous power, 1t
proposes to repeat Its first performance of ecctng
President hy strictly sectional vote. The lesson of
history Is that the chief danger to free institutions lies
In the very causes which have been allowed to con-
tinue long In this country, ani which the Rcpnbli
can party seems disposed To pcrpetuate. mean the
dstrists, cStrangcments and animosltics growing
Of civil strife. These causes In our country now
are the dangerous because they arose upon Sec
iunal issues and have been made to retain their sec
| iiunal character. Washington earnestly warned his
countrymen to beware of parties formed geograph
ica lines. To organize scctionalism into party In
this country for the purpose of monopolizng In one
section the powers OF government Is next to treason
| against the Government itself. The narrow escape
from the nomination of ten. Grant ut Chicago has
evidently the people to thinking. The manner In
which he was PUT in preparation for breaking down
one OF the best established usagcs of the Govern-
mcnt peculiarly suited 10 the purpose of keep
Ing Him In power indefinitely, and under auspices not
entirely American, that the mind naturally recurs tu
the history of all former republics. Their ruins should
warn against the causes which, unieeded In time,
led to their downfall.
a H.-Do You think the Democratic party can turn
this aspect Of affairs to practical advantage?
Alt certainly do So II II viii take such posi-
tion as to convince the p.oe that 1t deserves the al
vantage. Let such position lie squarely and canddy
taken at Cincinnati next week. and its success In
the approaching election will he assured frem that
hour.
R.-But are there not other matters upon which the
!, two parties must measure strength and on whici
- | success may depend?
~ A.-The ordinary questions of administration d'
= not this time present any distinctive differences
;, materially involving the question of success i'u
" there two or three points upon which the Demo
cratic party has been dstrustcd and on these there
K shond he left room for misunderstanding II th
party wishes stand before the people as defending
"a liberty and restoring the spirit and principles npo'
i, which this Government was founded l refer espe
ciay to these points, The rghtu equality of all cit
liens before the law: the faithful execution OF TN
laws alike all over the country the protection of tn
!, states against wrongful encroaChments upon thei
rights, but with this clearly defined as not by pos
, sihty to endanger the prosperity of the Union
threaten the public safety. 1t is an apt time fo
somebody to remind this people of what liberty cost
70 in what spirit 1t achieved and with what mntna
cr concessions and forbearance free institutions wer
ot successfully established by revolutionary ances
a, tors. They cannot he maintained except In the sam
" spirit and by the same wise and kindly accommoda
AZ tion of dangerous differences. This was never mean
er to be Government of the sword, nor to admit til
I naughty oring of State combination OF state
f. over the others. 1t cannot he made such Govern
. ment except at the price of liberty have no sym
patty with any movement looking to the election OF
President by strictly sectional vote. Before tn
V, war thought the appeal for solid South fraugl
lc with danger to the country, and resisted It, Fo
of the same reason the appeal for Solid North shoil
al he resisted The white people of the South Al
as urged he solid because the cOored people are solid
he and colored people told to he solid because I'll
n whites are solid. There is nothing In all this b'
ar strife and hatred between sections and the
c. The weaker party must suffer most, but both may
a ruined. Nothing but evil and misfortune can con
In ont of ii.
R.-Do you think the Republican party Will can
any Southern state In this Presidential election?
at A.-No man can reasonably expect 1t WILL and l
'ut Northern leaders have deliberately brought about til
Is condition of things. If they had treated New Eni
ow land for the last ten years, as they have the S0nthe
as States II would lie solid against them now as Il
ide South Is. The reconstructed States were with the
nee when reconstruction took place. and would have col
for tinued under anything like fair and Just po
)u- toward them But instead of this there has be
given by the party in power continual canse of allen
lie ,ion, and 1t has provoked all that disorder which
II ates To the negroes in the South. Whatever OF VI
Ms ence there has been grew almost entirely ont of POI
ei ties The negroes In the South have been placed
the Republican party in the position Of being Its i
lin struments of oppression to the Southern people, al
any the negro has been struck simply because he ao
wh was within reach. 1t was cruelty 10 place him
me that position and the attempt TO keep him IN 1t Is
was crime Instead Of improving pnder the last ten yes
ing of penublican Administration the situation 4
os grown worse, and we a solution of I
tI,n md
poor country than when We commenced under Gen. Graz
anu eleven years ago In this respect the Republic
run party has been than failure. do not bdi'
hd' 1t possible for n Republican Administration ever
"' restore peace AMI good order aud normal conhit
ms of things In the Southern States
lho R.--Do you think Democratic Admlnistrat
lu's could do IL?
INST A.-Ifthe Democratic party would he guided
'he common sense aud the plain logic of events 1t II
'o has the opportunity of giving to the country so
III u tion of all these sectional troubles, and 10 make
mus late thing OF the past In the hearts Of The
9o pie. But 1t has heretofore seemed unable to 60
hau prclend the real situation. The Republicans hi
lived for the last eight years upon its blundeis.
1t would now take positive and unequiyOcal groul
| upon such points as have named, and place tile ri
kind of a candidate IN the field, II would secure q
i7 tr0 of the nengral Government and be In posll
me- to render 10 the couHfy and ~ Tree institutions
the greatest service that has been rendered since the i
Mel of Washington.
'uS R.-What do you mean by the right Kind OF can
ppI rp | date?
mIsi | Al mean untrammelod by personal paft
The patton ~ party conflicts Of known personal inlegl
MS aud moral courage, AMI whose proved devotion To
But II,I ai A., ,,,i, ,il,,r, ,v,nII command ihe al
Iur- '"''" 49, ''''' .,,' ,...,i. -, a.,
his lui" commence "i 'ho No'u"'h lo"p'o' f'' "
Itself standing reuke To lie - biuly shiiI,
or's to soct0naism generally. The Platform should
~ positive pledge, and the character Of the candidate
ck high as 10 amount guarantee 0f Its faithful exc
luch iOn; for Instance, such man rs Gen. lanco
oTth ,r Northern nenpI. coull not be made TO dIstT
urs ~, ,.,i,a, ,.,,,,,. could ,,ni,, IN s,,s,
- a hlh'' '"" "o '""''''" l''f', " ~
him IN restoring peace ana hIhtI ~ lhe country
NADIA has u stronger aud freer hand for the work than
nm man know Of, and II requires free hand quit
Inc much as q strong one.
~ Of R.-low far do leading Republicans In the 50
The agree with YOU Ia these yiewBY
aim. ......t..., d, No.. ., tti.. a.