American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-10-16
An Appeal to Business Men.

1t is most vain and fatuous indeed
to hope for real and solid prosperity
while the Nation is kept in a state OF
continual civil war. 1t is true that there
is perfect peace SO far as those who took
up arms against the Government TWEEN
ty years ago have been able to produce
II peaceful condition. 1t is true that
the Southern people laid down arms
fifteen years ago and returned to their
homes to become peaceful and law
abiding citizens. 1t is true besides that
the objects and results of the war have
been imbedded in the Constitution,
and that no party or faction seeks to
disturb them. Nevertheless, as Patrick
Henry said. in his great Grafton, we are
crying, peace, peace! when there is
no peace. The Republican leaders re-
fuse to permit the country to realize
that peace has actually come. They
insist on fighting the war over again in
new crusades against the conquered
Southerners. Thus it happens that
while there is no armed resistance to
the authority of the Government any
where, while the Constitution in all its
parts is respected in all our borders,
that a large portion of the people of
the North are infiamed by the heated
appeals of designing demagogues into
such bitterness of mind against their
fellow-citizens of the Southern States
that they fancy themselves engaged
once more in ii lighting the battles of civil
war.
The business men of the country who
take but little part in the sectional
strife that is now waged by the Repub-
lican politicians will find in the renew
ed agitation of sectionalism subject for
grave and earnest consideration. Can
a Nation that is torn by the violence of
sectional factions attain real and lasting
prosperity Is it possible to establish
the friendly relations between the peo-
pie of the several States and sections
which are necessary to successful COM
merce while a great party insists on
sowing the seeds of enmity and hatredp
No man of enlightened Judgment will
hesitate to answer these questions in
the negative. Nor is it matter of the
slightest doubt that the maligned sec
ton is retarded in material progress by
the malignant ISLANDERS uttered against
it. The falsehoods studiously invented
and constantly circulated by the Repub-
lican politicians concerning the social
condition of the South have the effect
of turning immigration and capital
away from that region. Now any
cause that produces an injurious ef-
feet upon the material interests of one
section naturally and surely produces
the same deleterious effect upon the
whole country. The derided and Will
fed section loses, or fails to make its
just proportionate gain in ability to
bear the burdens of taxation, and the in
evitable consequence is that the re-
mainder of the country must suffer in
the same proportionate degree. Cap
ital and labor both are diverted from
the region that is under ban and repu-
diation of public and private deots
naturally follows. Thus the march of
the people to real and permanent pros
perity is etliectually retarded. Hence
it is plain that the Republican party. by
preaching its eternal sectional crusade,
has become the enemy of the material
progress of the Nation. There remains
but the alternative of the utter defeat
of that party or disaster and ruin to the
business of the country. Harrisburg
(Pd } RotyiOt.