The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-22
The Political Attitude of the South.

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The June Atlantic has among other good
things thoughtful article on the political
attitude of the South considered in its rela.
tions to the coming Presidential contest.
The political history of that section since
the war is briefly reviewed and the dangers
of Southern supremacy clearly and vigorous
ly set forth. The writer, whose name is not
given, contends that the question at issue
in the Presidential election is whether the
men who sought to destroy the Union shall
get full possession of the National Govern
ment, and so escape the political conse-
queL ces of their disloyalty. The policy of
the Southern leaders, he says, is to keep
their own section riveted together by the
bolts of old war memories, State Rights the
ories and local pride and prejudice, while
seeking at the same time to divide the North.
This idea is the key to Southern politics.
Southern politicians look upon the nation as
a sort of dual affair, like the Austro-H Hunga-
rian monarchy, and regard a national cleo
ton as a contest to settle whether the North
or the South shall rule. The South has
been growing more and more solid since
1868, and in the next Congress there will in
all probability be no Southern Republican in
the House, and but one Republican Senator
from that section.
The sOlidity of the South, the Atlantic
writer believes, is a deliberate political aim.
The North never has been solid. 1t is
more widely divided in sentiment now than
ever before. As it breaks up the South
'hnites. The Southern pretext that they
were only solid because the North was, is
without foundation. In 1874 the North
went to pieces, and even Massachusetts was
carried by the Democrats. Thereupon the
Southern leaders went to work with renewed
zeal co exterminate the Republican party
South. In 1876 they promised that if the
soldiers were taken away and ''home fule''
restored, all parties should have fair show.
At the next Congressional election, in 1878,
the Republican vote was terrorized in every
Republican district but three. The South
intends to remain solid and with the aid of
Northern minority, to carry out the fol-
lowing purposes: obtain the control of both
the legislative and executive departments of
the Government; justify the rebellion in our
history, through the means afforded by OBJ
tanning control of the Government so soon
after conspiring against it; wipe out the dis
tinction between loyalty and disloyalty dur
ing the war, involving the pensioning of
rebel soldiers, admitting them to the regular
army, etc. establish the State sovereignty
theory as the orthodox constitutional inter
probation by reconstruction of the Supreme
court: repeal laws authorizing the supervis-
ion of elections by the Government, so that
the negro vote may be manipulated at will;
offset the growth of the Northwest by MAX
ing three States of Texas and annexing Cuba
and part of Mexico.
Upon the accomplishment of these objects
the South has set its heart, and it looks to
Democratic victory at the coming Presden-
tial election for success. The only way to
prevent that, the Atlantic writer wisely
urges, is to continue the Republican party
in power, at least until the new
census transfers to the strong Republican
States of the West much of the power in
Congress and the electoral college now pos
sessed by the South. By the time the next
Presidential term is ended the danger may
have passed. Until then certainly it will be
unsafe to entrust the Democratic party, con-
trolled by its Southern wing, with power.