Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-09-08
THE NORTH AND TAE SOUTH

with united South casting l3S cleo
toral votes, we need only New York
and Indiana, and l believe we shall
have them. Will Virginia, when we
have success within our very grasp,
sacrifice the Democratic party? Will
she sacrifice the South ?" That is the
precise point. Shall "the South" con-
troll the Government The particular
declaration that the principles which
he was supporting were the principles
for which Lee and Stonewall Jackson
fought, Senator Hampton denies hav-
ing made. But whether he said ex-
actly the words attributed to him or
not, he made the speech, and the
speech says nothing else. We do not
mean, of course, that he intends to an
nounce another war, but he desires the
supremacy of ''the South" in the
Union. His loyalty is to his section,
as Lees and Jackson's was. He feels,
as most white men of his section feel
that "the South" is something worthy
of devotion which can not be paid to
the Union. We certainly do not re-
proach Senator Hampton, or any other
Democrat, for holding views for which
he was willing to give his life, nor do
we suppose that he or any other South
ern Democrat feels any repentance"
for his part in the rebellion, or has
changed his views of the nature, what
ever he may now think of the Eower,
of the national government If the
situation had been reversed, and we
Union men had been defeated, and the
government dissolved, undoubtedly we
should have held that this event of the
war did not determine the justice of
the victorious view We do not sup
pose that "the South" for which SEN
ator Hampton speaks, has changed it's
mind, except in regard to methods. 1t
would not attempt, under the circum-
stances, any kind of open rebellion,
nor the restoration of slavery. In that
sense it is loyal. But it does unques-
tionably mean to control the govern
ment, if it can obtain control by the
most resolute suppression of the OPP
posing vote at the South, and by sue
cess, as Senator Hampton says, in
two or three Northern States. His ap-
peal is, "Will Virginia sacrifice the
South ?" 1t is not, in our judgment,
possible that upon free and honest
vote of the people of this country
would in this generation, and while
the old party associations and divis-
ions continue, intrust the government
to the section and men and principles
which attempted it's destruction, what
ever their acquiescence in the inevita
Bile. We do not object to any body o.
voters endeavoring to acquire ascen
dency by legitimate means, but we OBJ
ject emphatically to an election car
ried by the Alabama plan and the
tissue ballot. We presume no intelli
gent man believes that the vote in the
Southern States will be in any sense
fair or honest.
However much this sectional aspec
of politics is to be regretted, the fac
itself is undeniable, and it must be &C
cepted. Senator Hampton states frank
ly and clearly the alternative Offered
By the candidacy of Garfield and Han
cock. He puts it fairly and plainly
The election of Hancock is govern
ment by the South the election o
Garfield is government by the North
The sectional names are inevitable
They describe the two forces that hav,
always contended for the mastery. Th
contest is the key of our politics, AM
it will continue, whatever the name O
parties or the aspect of elections, unit
| it reaches a natural end by the abso
lutte supremacy of one idea over th
other. For generation "the South,
slavery, and the Democratic part,
have been different expressions of tn
same political element. We shall no
discuss the causes of this fact; bu
when the ascendency of the South wa
imperiled by the election of Lincoln,
flew to arms, and after a hard strug
gle it was overpowered. 1t has re
sumed its place in the Union, an,
hopes now to obtain the mastery @
the government "We need only New
York and Indiana" says Senate
Hampton. "and 1 think we shall hav
them" The Democratic party doe
not pretend to hope for success ez
cept by the solid electoral vote of eth
South" Democratic success, there
fore, would be wholly Southern vic
tory. Deduct the "solid South" an
the Democratic party disappears. Th
sectional alternative is the result G
our whole previous political situation
and admitting that the South has a
equal right with any other politica
force to control the government if
constitutionally can, is it desireabl
that it should? Is there any grea
public and national object which i
more likely to be obtained by South
ern than by a Northern administra
tion "The South" is politica
phrase, like the North. 1t describe
certain principles, policies, traditions
tendencies, certain general spirit AM
character, which are familiar to ever,
voter who knows our history. Their
is Southern theory of the Constitu
tion and the Union. 1t is as old as tn
government Is it the one upon whicl
patriotic and intelligent men wish t,
see the government administered ? Ar
the historical results of those views
put into practice in the social, industri
al, commercial, educational, and politi
cal systems and development of thos'
States, such as to encourage the hop,
that in control of the government they
would do more and better for th,
whole Union than the constitutions
views and social and industrial sys
TENS of "the North p" Upon any spe
cifc subject, questions of finance ant
currency, or taxation, or protection o
rights, or sectionalism, or administra
tive economy or reform, is it probable
that "the South" would do better fol
us than the North +?