Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-10

laws that they are treating the constitu-
tional amendments with contempt; that
they are refusing to accord equal rights to
the freedmen and that they are endeay-
oring to capture and control the whole
country through their audacious and sys-
tematic nsuTpation. When this is made
clear to the nation there viii be no further
tolerance for Southern solidity. If neces-
sary the States which refuse equal rights
to all their citizens will be DISTINGUISHED,
and those who scorn to be governed by law
will be put outside the law. That is the
only way by which the Democratic as
saults upon the Constitution can be sue
cessfuily met, and it may be necessary to
adopt it yet.
There are in the ten Southern States
under discussion 81 electoral votes, and
they elect 81 Congressman. Thus the
balance of power is in the hands of the
faction which controls those States, and
thus the mathematical axiom that nothing
is stronger than lis weakest part, is Illus
trated in the fact that the United States
are virtually swayed by group of States
which owe their political power to their
insolent and high-handed usurpation. 1t
is in vain that the intelligence and wisdom
of the North and West are being exerted
to devise governmental reforms of all
kinds, so long as this grave and fragrant
defect in the very foundations of the
Republic continues. The country is
to-day an exemplifcation of the statue
in Daniels vision, of which the
body was metal, but the feet clay.
We stand upon crumbling clay feet
so long as the Presidential succession, the
complexion of Congress, the character of
the Government, depend upon the action
of States which have renowned democratic
institutions, and are controlled by force.
And we hold that it is the special duty of
the Republican party to deal with this evil.
The SO called reconstruction of the South
has been failure, but the party that is
responsible for that attempt has not there
fore absolved itself from its obligations. 1t
is even more incumbent upon it than ever
before to find cure for the evils which
have grown = whether directly or in
directly matters little-out of the policy
which at the close of the rebellion was
thought to be wise and prudent.
The most important problem before the
country to-day has been missed by even
statesmen. 1t is, the restoration of demo-
cratic institutions at the South. That
restoration is indispensable to that re-
Mobilization Of the South for which its more
enlightened inhabitants have been long
looking. The establishment of political
and civil security and equality must pre-
cede the real renaissance of the South.
All other methods have been tried without
success. 1t has been made apparent that
leaving the South alone altogether only
affords greater scope for Democratic con-
spiracies, and consolidates the oppression of
the blacks. Mere denunciation from dis
lance is Of no effect. Butmissionary work on
the spot remains to be tested, and as We
have shown above, it cannot but make for
the advantage of the Republican cause,
whatever its consequences. 1t is not less
clear that such a programme is best fitted
to revive the decaying spirit of political
freedom in that region. 1t viii compel
the Southern Democrats to defend their
indefensible positions, or abandon them. In
either case it must work well for the
South. We trust, therefore, that the Re-
publican Committee will take steps for
vigorous and general Southern campaign,
and that special effort will be made to
send the very best speakers down into the
bulldozed country.