National Republican., 1880-07-22
REMARKABLE INNoCENCE.

Why, pray, in these piping times of peace,
is there southern question" any more than
a northern question? In all respects the
south is as peaceful, as law.abiding and
law-eniorcing as any part of the republic
yea, it is more so. AT any rate, the southern
question-that is the bloody shirts" of the
CORY GARFfELDERs-is as monslrOus and in
excusable for Alabama as it would be for
Washington city or Massachusetts GARFIELD
has boldly declared that southern people are
infamous and deserve acknowledgements
And just the other day he decided that thew
could never be admitted to his brotherhood or
receive at his hands the olive branch unless
they will brand themselves as traitors and
liars in the slavish confessions forever and
forevermore that they were wrong and he and
his We're right.-Moatgomey (Ala.) Adrc,iiscr
and Mail.
So our southern cotemporary affects
law abiding" "law. enforcing" "peacefuln
innocence in view Of history This reminds
us of the remark of some author who says
"Aflectation is great er enemy TO the face
than the smallpox" The Adceytiser must
be sadly disdgured, after innocently in
quiring why there is "a southern question
amy more than northern question ?"
Alabama is only part of the south, and
not the most innocent part at that. 1t did
not murder CHISHOLM, or perpetrate the
great crime of shooting the colored citizen
soldiers at Hamburg. 1t did not assassin
ate DIXON, or massacre the colored repub-
licans who fill graves in Louisiana, Miss
issippi and South Carolina-but it might as
well have done all these things, for il has
sympathized with and encouraged them all.
1t has never uttered even rebuke of the
atrocities out of which has originated the
"southem question of which it affects
such innocence. But Alabama has mur-
dered colored republicans because they pro-
posed to exercise the rights of citizenship
according to the dictates OF their own con-
sciences. 1t has bulldozed and intimidated
the republicans. II has made false counts
until republican majority of nearly II 900
in 1872 has been entirely Oblterated and a
sturdy democratic majority has been placed
in its stead, This change has not been
wrought through reversion of political
sentiment in the stale, but through meth
ods of outrage, violence and murder.
which have been supplemented by the
tissue ballot and false counts, and out
of which has sprung the southern ques-
ton" that now challenges its wonder.
The reason why there is no northern ques-
tion" Of this kind is, that the north has
never allowed in any state north Of the line
of the rebellion the introduction of outrage.
violence, bloOdshed and murder into its
political canyasses TO overawe the people
and keep them from exercising their rights
of citizenship. Every citizen in every state
| of the north is guaranteed a free exercise OF
all his rights Of opinion and suffrage. Every
legal voter is protected in the free exercise
Of the ballot according to the dictates of his
own conscience. Rife clubs, shotguns,
night-liners and red'shirters are unknown
to the political contests in the northern
states, and hence no northern question has
been or can be raised. Neither would there
be any in the south if the political rights OF
its citizens were respected aud protected by
law and public sentiment The south has
not been and is not now law-abiding and
law-eniorcing part Of the republic. Politi-
cal wrongs, outroges and murders 20 un-
whipped of justice there. A corruption and
Justification of the ballot-box meets no
punishment at the hands Of the law. The
people of the southern states have become
"a law unto themselves" with no respect
| for the constitution Of the United States