Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08
The well-Disrosei Portion Of the South.

Gen. Grants speech at Warren, Ohio,
brings into distinct view fact which is per-
haps too often lost sight of by Northern Re
publicans. That is, that the bull-dOzers,
managers Of shotgun campaigns, manipula-
tors of tissue-balot frauds, and haters of all
Northern men and things, are minority of
the Southern whites 1t is great fault,
almost crime on the part of the Southern
masses, that they permit themselves to be
controlled and represented by such a minor
ity of wilful, unscrupulous and reckless
men. But it is a fault which is far more ex-
cusablc than the crimes of their leaders
The majority of the Southern whites were
not original secessionists. An able and des-
perate minority accomplished the secession
movement, and were only able to accomplish
it at the last by "sprinllling blood in the faces
OF the Southern people. So now 1t is will
full, revengcful, turbulent minority that
stand in the way of a cordial union of the
sections, in sentiment, as well as under one
Government. Said Gen. Grant:
l have been in some part of every State
lately in rebellion within the last year. | was
most Hospitality received at every place where
| stopped. My receptions were not by the
Union class alone but by all classes without
distinction. | had free talks with many
who were against us in the war and
who have been against the Republican party
ever since. They were in all cases rea-
sonable men. judged by what they said.
| believed then and believe now that
they sincerely want to break up
in their solid south their political condition.
They see it is TO their pecuniary interest as
well as to their happiness that there should
be harmony and confidence between oil
sections. They want to break away from the
slavery which binds them to the party name.
They want pretext that enough of them can
unite upon TO make it respectable. Once
started the solid south will go as
ku-kluxism did before, as it is so admirably
told by Judge Tourgee in his FOOLS Errand.
When the break comes then these who start it
will be astonished to find how many of their
friends have been in favor of it for long
time and have only been waiting to see some
one take the lead. This desirable solution
can on.y be attained by the defeat and con-
tinued defeat Of the Democratic party as now
constituted.
General and ex-senator Willard Warner
of Alabama, whose earnest letter of exhor-
tation to the Republicans of the North, to
elect Garfield and Arthur for the sake of the
South, We copied the other day, bears similar
testimony. He says:
If You win now by decided majorites this
will be the final battle The Bourbon, bull
doing, ballot-box stuiiing party of the South
will be hurled from power in all or nearly all
the Southern States, anda party will succeed
which, if not Republican in name. will be
National and patriotic in spirit. a minority
rules in the South by the possession of cum
ningly devised election machinery, skilfully
and purposely fitted to their fraudulent pur-
poses A great body of the white people are
well disposed and wish peace and justice
If this were not the case if a majority of
the Southern whites were not well disposed
and desirous of peace and justice, the out
look for the country would be indeed a mel
ancholy one. This class have, if possible, q
greater stake in the continued control of the
Republican party, than any class Of the
North. The North can, perhaps, stand a
term of Democratic rule, but there can be no
peace or prosperity in the South, if the
Bourbon bull-dozers and ballot suffers are
kept in power there, or placed in control of
the General Government.