Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-24
NLet Us Have Peace"

luerer [Grant] when called by his admir-
ng fellow citizens to the highest Office in
heir power to bcstOw further showed the
.reatness of his nature by the laconic utter
lnce, "Let us have peace"' It was this
word that electrified the nation, and rallied
t to his support. How has that aspiration
,een fulfilled Have we had peace for the
asst fifteen years No We have had put
Is hollow semblance We have had the
form of peace with the passions OF war:
At eyery election the war has been fought
over again. The Southern people sub
mitted honorably to the terms imposed
the Southern states amended their consti-
buttons SO as to prohibit slavery and the
payment of the rebel debt they did every
thing that generous men could ask or
honorable men grant everything except
to change their natures and denounce
'' the lost cause" for which their brothers,
sons, or husbands fell. The rebel
lion ceased, and there was no longer a
rebel in the land no longer a man who
did not acknowledge the supremacy of the
national government and the national flag.
On the FOuth of July, 1876, military com
panies from all the original thirteen
states met in Philadelphia as if no war
had ever divided them; and the whole
body, commanded by General Heth, gal
LIANT Confederate officer, paraded the
streets. marching under the stars and
stripes to the music of the Union. Surely
this did not look like q state of war.
Those gentlemen from South Carolina who
clasped hands with those from
Massachusetts, were not enemies seeking
our destruction, but friends seeking to re
A. L. E,,ko
build their desolate homes, to re-establish
the prosperity Of our common country
Why not give them our confidence and
friendship? Why insult them by hurting
ut them the epithets of rebel and traitor ;
by continually reminding them of their de-
feat by representing the whole Southern
people as bloOdthirsty and cruel? There
may have been "Ku-KIux outrages )"
doubtless negroes have sometimes been
prevented from exercising their newly &C
quired political rights; but something
may he pardOned to the desperation born
of despair. Could a high-spirited people
lie expected to bear with patience the over
turning of their local governments by force,
tho installing in their highest offices OF
greedy advcnturers caring only for their
own aygrandizement, the pollution of their
Legislative halls by horde of semi-savages,
and the heapins up upon them o!
mountains of debt which they never could
pay? What would zoe have done under
similar circumstances? And have thert
been no Outrages elsewhere? No election
frauds elsewhere? None in New York
None in Pennsylvania? None, if you
please in Lancaster? "Let him who il
without sin cast the first stone" lie
us have peace ~ Let the bloody hatche
be buried forever. Let ue exercise some
charity towaid our "erring brothers. ,
Confidence begets confidence and conf
dence is necessary to the building up of /;
true and permanent Union.
"a Solid South.'
There has been much talk of {" a soli'
South :" but why is a solid South an,
more dangerous than solid North, a soli'
East, or solid West? Each section ha
it's own local interests but all sections AT
equally interested in the prosperity of tn
republic. What measures do the Soutl
desire, what measures can they desire
that are dangerous to the perpetuity of tn
Union? They do not desire the re -estab
lishment of slavery; it is contrary not Onl!
to the spirit of the century, but to their Ow
interests. They do not desire to reOpel
the war of disuniOn; they have ha'
enough of war what they most desire
peace. They do not desire the paymeil
of their war debt not only is it prOhibite
by the national constitution, but it wOul
impoverish both themselves and us. Ther
is no national bar to a true national UniO
IA Union not of the states only, but !
hearts and hands. Take the war issue Ou
politics, cease to taunt our Southern bretl
rem as blOodthirsty traitors" and tn
'.solid South would fall asunder of it
own accord,
Like flax that's sundered ut the touch 4
fire."
and new combinations would be forme
Oh other issues.
Isttteruess Of Political Contests.
One of the greatest dangerous to tn
permanence of our government is the grow
ing bitterness of political contests. A
our country grows, Offices are more an
more eagerly sought for and by more an
more violent means. Our elections al
often decided, not by the vote of fire
people, but by crowd Of roughs hired ft
the purpose. And the worst feature of
is, that the people seem aoiiling to be thu
cheated, and allow the same thing
be done again and again. And TIN
is true, not Of one party only, but equal
of both. Politics have become disreputs
bic and elections game-a game abount
ing in tricks, and in which power an
plunder are the stakes. Let the pure:
man he nominated for Office, and he b
comes at once the butt of ridicule and til
victim of slander. Such was the fate I
the lamented Greeley; a man who di
more for the education and advancemel
of his cOuntrymen than any other man (
his time. But as soon as he was nom
mated for the presidency all his good wort
and deeds were forgotten, and his mi
takes held up to ridicuDe with almo
fiendish delight. Sue
has been the fate of other and more receu
candidates of both parties. = p
litical animosities are even allowed to sew
the ties of friendship. to interfere wit
business relations, to disorder social lifi
to have weight in the selection of teacher
and in a hundred other ways to d;stul
the peace and harmony of society.
The Presidential Campaign.
The subject has now become one of in
mediate and pressing Importance. We a
Just entering upon one of the most impO
tant presidential elections in the histol
of our country one that will determi'
the political complexion of our cover
ment for many years to come one tn
will he closely and hotly contested; ar
one in which every foot of debatab
ground will be conquered or yielded in.
BY inch. How shall it be fought? Shs
it be fought on the high plane of polite
principles, with weapons of fact ar
reason or. shall it be fought on the 10