, 1880-02-07
THE POLITICAL EXPERT
MENT IN THE SOUTHERN
SI1TES.
(FroM he TimeS.)
(FroDt he TimeS.)

The political experiment now in progress
in the Southern States Of tp. American
Union is well deserving of remark. 1t is
O. little moro than fourteen years since
slavery was actually abolished throughout
the United States, and just ten years since
the colOured race was admitted everywhere
to the full privileges of citizenship. The
change thus brought about was sudden
and %stupendous. In some Of the States
the new voters who were added at a stroke
TO the electoral roll o~utnumbered very con-
'Siderably the whole of the former citizens.
The newly enfranchised slaves became, in
effect, the rulers of their old masters. They
needed only union among themselves and
political sagacity to enable them to take
advantage of the chance thus offered them.
1t was not likely, however, that they would
be found thus qualified for the place into
which they had been thrust. In point of
fact, they were disqualified for it in al
most every way. Their advent to power,
secured as it seemingly was by a clear
numerical ~preponderance, was rendered
abortive from the first by a total want of
political training, which untitled them
either to guide or to follow the guidance of
others. They fell, accordingly, an easy
prey to adventures from the Northern
States, who came among them as their
protested friends, won them over by catch
words and promises, and reaped q golden
harvest for themselves out OF their credull-
ty and incapacity. Such was the first
phase in the history of the new political
organization of the South, but it has not
proved to be the final one. The white i'll
habitants, who had been struck down and
disheartened by the issue Of the great civil
xrnn hn.o~ Ir o1I NV 4n nannx-op fhATo-
selves, and to make q struggle for their
lost rights. Their case, as they soon dis
covered, was far from desperate. Numbers
were against them, but this was all. They
had been accustomed to rule, they were fit
to rule, and they had old traditions to rely
upon which no political changes could
ef1ace. The result, as far as W. have seen
it, has been that the Southern States have
been working back into something like the
old grooves. Power has very generally
been restored to the hands most capable Of
using it. The white race has held together,
while the negro race has broken into sec
tons, and has so far allied itself with the
whites that the combined party has formed
a majority Of the whole. Now, if this state
Of things could have gone on quietly it
would have been the best attainable solu-
ton for the very difficult problem present
ed by the political condition Of the South.
1t has been disturbed, however, both by
external and internal causes. The North
crn States of the Union have looked with
very natural jealousy on the political resur-
rection of an adverse party which they had
supposed crushed and annihilated. The
South has thus not been suffered to go it's
W way, but has been interfered with,
both in domestic matters, and, most
notably of all, in the counting Of the
votes given at the late Presidential
election. Nor has the South itself been
willing in every case to observe the
conditions imposed upon it by the new
Constitution. The White population has
been less tolerant than in its own interest
it ought to have been. 1t has not accepted
frankly and fnlly the political equality of
the negro race. and has emDlOyed force