New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-24
is THE coYFIDER1CY T0 TGIUMPHf

is THE CONFIDER1CY TO TGIUMPHf
We lav- occasionally remarked q disposi-
ton on the part of the independent press, 50
called, to pooh-pooh the idea that there Is. OF
can be, any danger of the Government falling
into the hands of the leaders of the
late Rebellion. At first blush, per
haps, it does seem ridiculous. To under
take to fIighten the North with the
notion that minority Of the people of the
country lately in rebellion and vanquiShed,
and only just now restored to the forfeited
rights of citizenship by the magnanimlty OF
the victors, are liable to gain possession Of
the Government within sixteen years after
their failure TO destroy il, and so to accom-
plsh by the consent OF the country
what they failed to do by violence,
seems wild and foolish. But is neverthe-
less as demomstrable as any of the plainest
propositions in mathematics that with the sue
cess of the Democratic party-yes, even with
a Union General for their candidate-the per-
sons engaged in the late Rebellion do actually
enter into possession of the Government in all
its departments and secure the opportuniiie,
and the power the loss OF which sent them
into revolt in 1861. The situation Is al
tered now only by the elimination OF
single factor, The existence of slavery. We
have that no longer. That being eliminated,
our Independent friends say, in the first place,
it will make no great difference even if the
South does resume the political control 1t held
almost unchecked up to 1861, since the
extension Of slavery was the only practical
issue between the North and the South, and
there is no possibility, now that the institution
has been abolished, that it can ever be revived.
Indeed. they say, and perhaps truly, that the
Southern people would not restore it if they
could.
We take issue with our friends at this point,
and say that, though there is no danger of
the restoration of slavery. the surrender of
the Government to the Southern Democracy
would be not merely injurious to the ma
terial interests, the present welfare and pros
perty of the country, but would set the
Nation back ward from its career Of progress
and inaugurate reactonary policy that would
in the end be fatal to free institutions. For
he is a very dull student of political history
who does not read in the contests of the past
half century life and death struggle between
two radically distinct theories of government
and of social life two different and opposing
civilizations. The Rebellion was not entered into
for the preservation Of slavery; for the nsttu-
tion itself WAS not attacked nor endangered. 1t
was NORMALLY because the North opposed liz cX-
tension, but actually because the South as
pircd to absolute control and the urdispued
exercise OF power. That ambition still exists
The lust OF power which. more than the ex-
tension or conservation Of slavery, inspired
secession, still animates the party and the
leaders Of the Lost Cause. They are back III
their OLD seats and III association with their old
allies and tools, in nowise changed or repentant,
except as they have laid down their arms when
they could fight no longer and have consented
to accept the inevitable III the abolition OF
slavery. Iii all clse-ln Their assertion of the
doctrine of State Rights, their claim Of supe-
iiolIty, their arrogance, and their greed OF
power and of1ice-they are unchanged, and
they make open boast Of 1t. We say, then,
that il is not wise nor safe TO trust.ticm TO
the extent they demand. The history of the
country under their administration does not
show craftsmanship or even just comprehcn-
sion of public affairs, and nothing IN their
record entities them to the place they arro-
gate 10 themselves.
Moreover. if it be said rs it is with some
show Of plausibiiity, that at the very worst
they ave but minority and can easily be
taken IN hand and set back if they undertake
any mischief or show themselves coDspicu-
ou,ly unit for power, our answer is that
his il more easily saiu than done. We have
seen them carrying things with high hand