The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-11
The Solid South.

The Lynchburg AdvaRce, Hon. THOMAS
WHITEHEAD, editor. says:
"Tbe solid South must remain solid for
the Improvement OF her material interests
and home manufactures, and the political
interest will follow in the proper track"
The South has no choice in the matter.
Shall she become Radical? Could she il
she woudf Let a representative northern
Journal answer. The New York World
says:
"Since the election number OF our Re-
publican contemporaries have been aboring
TO persuade the southern people that the
Interests Of the South lie in division, and
not In unity. To state this proposition
seems to I've almost enough 10 reiute it. IL
is true that sectional division OF parties is
most unfortunate for the country. and that
every effort ought 10 DC made TO avoid such
q division. But il the stronger section Is
"soIid" against the weaker, the weaker
simply has no choice. The solid South is a
formidable element in politics. A divided
South would be weak In proportion TO the
extent of the division, and the break up OF
the South cannot possibly come about ex-
cept by the substitution of other issues for
the sectional issue upon which the Republic
cans have made their canvass.
- 1t Is not sufficiently borne in mind, even
by disputants who mean to be quite fair in
discussing the interests OF the South. that
the opposition OF southern communities to
Republican rule is In great part matter OF
self.EreservatiOn. In States like Mississippi,
Louisiana, and South Carolina. Republican
State Governments mean simply a govern
meDt Of thieves. IL Is simply not possible
that any respectable and industrious person
who only asks OF government that it shall
protect bin in his lawful business and Sc.
cure TO him the fruits OF his labor, should
be Republican In State politics. II the
case Is not so bad I'm other southern States,
the reason simply is that IN those States
there Is no danger OF the Republicans get
ting control OF the State governments. For
tins state OF things the Republican party
Is responsible, since the attempt OF the Re-
publican party to reconstruct the State gov
ernmepts OF the southern States brought it
about. III the ground which General Han
cock took at New Orleans had been taken
by Congress, and the local law, ex-
cept that part Of which related 10
slavery, had been left to be admins
tered by the local courts, it would have
been possible for the southern people TO
separate State politics and national politics,
and to support protectioDist or free
trader, q strict-consrCctionist or an advo
cute OF liberal internal improvements. q
Eederalist or Democrat, without helping
TO hand over the government OF his own
State to gang OF criminals. But Congress,
and not the South, chose 10 make the inter-
ests OF the Republican party in the South
Identical with the interests OF Chamberlain
and Moses and Kellogg and Madison Wells, |
and TO make 1t impossible for any respecta-
bic and representative southern man TO be-
long 10 the Republican party.
~'Air. Hayes's Administration has done
something to amend this state OF things.
The southern States have been left free to
order their domestic affairs in their own
way, and the result has been State govern
meBts immeasurably cleaner and more re.
spectacle than the State governments which |
they succeeded. But there is no reason TO
suppose that il these governments fell again |
into the hands OF southern Republicans they |
would not DC as dangerous and as disgrace |
fni as they were before. Every man in one |
Of the pluadered southern States who |
should assist 10 bringing back the sconn-
drels Of the period OF reconstruction would |
be locked upon as d public enemy. He |
would be public enemy; aud SO long as
this danger exists, so long as the cause of |
the caryet-bsggers is The cause OF the Re. |
Il
quite certain that che South cannot, will |
not, add ought not to cease TO be solid |
ngaiust the RepubheSa party.
1t will be seen that this feeling. which |
peryades the whole Soxtb, has nothing ne /
cesssrily 10 % with the bitterness left by /
the war. II results not <rom the Esprit OF
rebelion.S hut from entiGely practical con-
siderutious. nhe business interests OF
the North. 1t is assisted by Gae Republicans,
were In favor II Garfield. The business
interests II the South wene unquestion-
ably, aud we're perseived BY everybody to
be. In favor Of Aaacock. Assuming that
businessmen IN both sections gere agreed
Ia desiring 10 snaintsin the existing siua-
tiou, and that fke existing situation 10 bust
neSmen 10 the North meant continuance
- the financial policy OF the HAYES
Administration, 70 Businessmen in the
&outh u meant al sssurauce that
ebarscterless vagsbonds shsuld not again
~ made their governors and legislators aud
judge, Ia The nature Of thiHgs the Repub-
lsesn party could and would givs them no
sucp assurance. II the Republicans really |
desire 70 btfak up the soIid South, OF which
there 4 SONS doubt. they must devise some
m<se0d W blen State politics In The south |
sssn ~ separated from Federal politics, and
tee5 wuN present some Issues on which 10.