Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-08-13
Hon. 3. F. Fifeld on the Issues Of the
Campaign.

lills /" .'ct'H IL -h'htPSheiI
What does the control of the Government
by he Southern States mean! In order to
ascertain it is important to look at the COM
parative status Of the North and South. The
North had twice the population, five times
the wealth, paid eighteen times as much in
customs, and three times as much in inter
nal revenue taxes New York, during the
last thirteen years, had paid more than all
the late Confederate States, so had Illinois
and Ohio The South, therefore, being so
inferior to the North in population, wealth
and the sums it contributed to the support of
the Government, could not claim the control
| on the score that it had greater or so great
a stake in the prosperity of the country.
THE EVIDENCE OF DANGER.
| Now what was the first evidence that
thel would he danger in the Souths return
to T. wer? 1t was in the fact that it had not
KEEP. faith in the past. When the war was
over the North said, Let us clasp hands
| acre 3 the bloody chasm You have rebel
led, and you have been defeated you say
you want peace We will let you back into
The Union, and restore you to your old place.
only we make three conditions, which we
expect you will respect and observe. Those
three conditions were the a-Thirteenth, Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments" The
| Confederate States promised that they would,
and they were re-admitted into the blessings
of that Union which they had attempted to
destroy How have they kept their prom
ise {? In 1868 General Grant had 81 or So of
the electoral votes Of the South in 1872 he
had fifty-five, almost half the entire electoral
votes of that section. In 1876 Mr. Hayes
had only nineteen, and at the Congressional
| election of 1878 it was demonstrated that the
South had become ''solid' for the Demo-
cratic party. There was no denying how
this ''solidity" had been brought about. 1t
was by "Ku-kluxism, by white leagues,
by reign of terror on the negroes which
had frightened them from voting and which
had practically annulled the fifteenth amend
ment, which they had promised to main
tain, and if they have violated their promise
in this respect what guarantee have We that
they will not break it as to the amendments
if they get the power?
NORTHERN DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED BY TIE
SOUTH.
But it may be said that the Democratic
party was not the South. Many Democrats
were Northerners, and they will not con-
sent to any abrogation of the results of the
war. Nevertheless, the South controlled
the Democratic party as absolutely as they
Democratic Representatives in Congress,
100 were Southerners. OF the AZ Demo-
cratic Senators 30 were Southerners, % of
them ex-members of the Confederate army
By the caucus system, which was in vogue
among the Democratic members of Congress-
all important measures were voted upon in
secret conclave before being discussed in the
Senate or the House, and the minority Of
the party were thus whipped into doing the
bidding of the majority. Thus the North
ern Democrats were obliged, however re-
luctant, to fall in the lead of the Southern
majority. Each committee was constructed
so that the Democrats were in a majority,
and of the Democrats there were always
more Southcrncrs than Northerners.
MANIFEST PURPOSE OF SOUTHERN CONGRESS
MEN.
Thus the machinery for declaring the re-
suit of the coming Presidential election was
| already in the hands of the South. Now for
three years the Legislative department of
the Government had been in their hands
Nothing had stood in the way but the veto of
President Hayes, which he has courageous
ly and manfully used, and what have they
done? They have introduced bills into
| Congress for the payment of rebel claims,
not prohibited in terms by the Constitutional
amendments, which, if passed, would de-
plete the National Treasury of sum larger
than the whole National debt These bills
are still pending. and nothing prevents their
passage but the knowledge that the Republi-
can President would veto them.
WHAT A PRESIDENT CAN Do.
u 'hoy olar' President nr la.i. An
party there is every reason to believe that
/ thav will haaona 1auc Rut IL lao
said General Hancock is Union soldier, he
fought for the flag, he will never consent TO
anything that befrlends rebels. | answer
that 4 President is the servant of his party
He is bound to carry out the measures of the
men who elect him. That is the rule in all
parties, in the Republican as well as the
| Democratic. No President ever opposed
the measures of the party which elected him
except Andrew jackson. II Gen. Hancock
should be elected the South will undoubtcd-
ly demand and get majority of his Cabinet.
That has been their policy in the past In
the Buchanan Cabinet the Secretary of War,
Floyd, the Secretary of the Navy, and the
Secretary of the Interior, Cobb, were South
erners, and history has recorded the conse-
quences. General Hancock is undoubtedly
man OF patriotism and integrity, but he
cannot Withstand the behests of his party
and with a President and both Houses of
Congress, what might the South not do:
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
Well it is said, they could not rcscnd the
three great Constitutional amendments
True, as far as Congress and the States are
! concerned; it requires the vote of too many
Northern States to do that but things can
sometimes be done indirectly which cannot
be done directly, and the South has proved
its cunning in its treatment of the colored
voter.
THE SUPREME COURT.
Suppose the Supreme Court should be-
come Democratic. Of the nine members,
three are Democratic. Now, Judge Hunt, II
Republican, is paraly2cd. If he should die
or resign now the Democratic Senate would
refuse TO confirm nomination for success
sor until after the fourth of next March.
Then, if Hancock should be elected Il Demo
crat would be nominatedand confirmed that
would fix them forever, by passing law in
creasing the number of Judges To eleven.
Two more Democrats could be placed upon
the Bench and then the Republican Judges
would be in minority. That being the
condition OF things. supposng Jerry Black,
Buchanan's old Attorney General in 1861,
who published an opinion in which he said
that the National Government had no power
to cocrce sovereign State, should come be-
lore it, repeat his old argument, and claim
that the Southern States had been coerced
into submitting 10 these amendments, mas
much as this submission had been made L
condition precedent to their restoration TO
the Union. What would be the result !.
Would not Il Democratic Supreme Court
hold that Mr.. Blacks position was sound
and what barrier would there then be to the
reputation OF the National debt, the dis
reimbursement of the negro, the payment OF
| the rebel debt or compensation for the loss
of the slaves! Thus you see that the cleo
tion of n Democratic President makes the
notification of all we fought for possible,
and makes the sacrifice of million of lives IF
no avail. What Northern man, even if he
be Democrat, is willing that such Il danger
should be even possible? And it is more
than possible, it is probable, if the South
once gets the control of the Government
The SoutherncrS are human. 1t is not To be-
doubted that there are still feelings of humil-
iation and revenge in their hearts, which, if
they should ever possess the opportunity,
will be gratiiied.
HEADING THE FurrEE BY TIE FAST.
There is no test of the future acts Of Il
party so true rs its conduct in the past
Since the war the Democratic party, having
first offered the Reconstruction acts, only
accepted them because IFS political death
was assured unless it did. AS soon as it
obtained control of the National Legislature
it played into the hands of the South Just as
it did before the war, and nothing has stood
IN the way of Southern domination of this
country but the executive and the Supreme
Court If they get them, is it not fair 10
presume that they will 20 all lengths and re
gain by political cunning what they lost by
the sword
| GIoRIous EECoED oE THE EErrBLIrAS
rAEIY
/ On the other hand, the Republican party
| preserved the Union II freed the slaves
and has guaranteed by every means in its
/ power universal liberty and National pros
| pcriiy. During its twenty years of ad-
mlnistralion the country has made steady
and substantial progress in everything that
constitutes grandeur in IA Nation. The tire
mendous National debt has been reduced
with rapidity uncxanpled in the history of