The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-10-01
THE NEW YORK HERALD ON THE
CONKLING SOUTHERN RAID.

Iivcrcd very lengthy and carefully
printed speech in New York city bit
terly. arraigning the Southern people.
The Herald promptly took the Sena-
tor to task on account of his sectional
views, and in its issue of the 2lst pro-
ceeds thus to enforce its views of the
proper policy for the Republicans, now
abandoned by them not to be resumed: j:
1t is pleasant to see that at least one
influential republican juurnal, the Eve
ming Post, of this city, agrees with the
Herald. We reprint elsewhere the
chief parts of leading article III its
issue of yesterday, in which, taking
Senator Conkling's recent extraordi-
nary diatribe against the South for its
text, the Post reads the leaders of the
party a vigorous lesson in common
sense. 1t demonstrates how absurd are
the fears of those who see a source of
danger to the country in the solid South,
and adds, what we believe to be
entirely true, that this foolish n1isrep-
resentation by the republican leaders
of part of the American people and
continuance of sectionalism in politics,
will only "quicken the departures of
sensible men from its ranks.
The plain truth is that the republic
can party has been forced entirely
away from its safe policy, in the last
two or three months, by the indiscreet
and ignorant zeal of its leading organs
and stump orators, aud with the too
easy consent of men and journals like
the Evening Post. This now at last
feels compelled to protest against the
attempt to turn the republican ship on
an entirely false and, as our cotempo-
rary sees, a dangerous course. The
nomination of General Garfield was
regarded by the whole country at the
time it was made as a wise and truly
conservative act of his party. He had
been conspicuous as moderate man,
the friend of sound patriotic politics.
The conservative sentiment of the
country rallied about him with enthu-
siasm. Thoughtful voters, South as
well as North, and in the democratic
as we'll as the republican party, rernem-
bered with pleasure that he had ex-
pressed himself on many occasions
strongly and ably against the continu-
ance of sectional agitation and for a
thorough reform of the civil service as
one of the most needed of all reforms
The American people are always con-
servative. 1t is one of their strong
points as a free people, managing their
own affairs, that they are averse to ex-
treme methods and extreme counsels.
If the republican leaders mad determin-
ed to carry on the canvass on the mod
crate and patriotic policy which was
implied by the nomination of Garfield
they would have rallied to them before
this not only the best sentiment of the
North, but the best people of the South.
They might have lost some Northern
votes of extreme men in their own
party, but they would have gained
great many more from tho other side
in all parts of the country, and they
would have been in a condition to
make a vigorous and successful canvass
in at least four or five Of the Southern
States. \.
The republicans are alarmed and
uneasy at the aspect Of their canvass;
the result in Maine was a surprise to
them beaause it revealed an unsuspect-
ed detection in their own ranks. The
result in Indiana and Ohio they be-
lieve to be entirely uncertain. But they
have themselves to blame. The Amer
ican people are not fools or blind;-
when they see political party conser-
vative in May, wheel round to the ex-
tremest policies in September; when
they see n candidate long committed in
the most positive manner to wise and
national policies suddenly and publicly
abandon the conservative position
which alone gave him the popular con-
fidence and good will, and become the
ally Of the extrcmest Bourbonism of
his party, how can all this fail to shake
the confidence of the voters and fill
them with suspicion and disgust
Thoughtful republicans are asking
themselves, all over the country, what
the election of Garfield would really
mean: They have seen him, at the
bidding of the extremists, abandon all
his old and often announced principles !;
and they are inclined to believe that
if he is to represent in the executive
chair, not the civil service reform and
the national policy he formerly upheld,
but the precise reverse of these things,
it may be as we'll, or better, to let him
be defeated, and let the great republi-
can party have four years in the m l.
nority in which to wash itself and be.
come once more clean. The men who
think thus are not enamorcd of the dc.
mocratic party, but they are not SO
silly as to believe that the country is
going to take harm from its success
Thew know very we'll that unfer our