The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-06-23
Garfield as a Sectional Agitator and
Proscriptive Enemy of the South.

Gen. Garfield, in his speech before the
Chicago Convention, said that the only
condition on which his party is willing
to offer "the olive branch of peace" to
the people Of the South, and permit
them ''to share the blessings and honors
Of this great Republic, was that they
should admit forever and forevermore
that in the war the North was right and
they (the South was wrong" They
must make this confession, and perure
their souls by saying, that they believed
they were wrong" in what their con-
sciences taught them was right, or be
forever deprived Of the benefits Of the
Government, while they are required
10 share It's burdens. If this is not the
quintescence Of intolerance and hate,
and bad faith, and crying injustice, we
can conceive Of nothing that Is. The
reconstruction acts required conformity
and obedience TO their provisions which
were harsh enough to satisfy the thirst
Of the most vindictive partisan for re-
venge but they never went to the ex-
tent Of the proscriptive test which Is
now proposed shall be applied by the
Republican candidate for the Presi-
dency.
His entire speech, from which the
above declaration is quoted, is an appeal
to the passions Of the war which good
men in both sections are striving to bury
But it Is in keeping with his record from
the beginning Of the sectional agita-
ton. The Republican party was the
offspring Of sectional hate. His bog
raphers are saying that he was one of
it, earliest champions, as he has been
one Of its most ultra and proscriptive
members. He was a malignant enemy
Of the South and Of the peace Of the
country before the war; and since the
war, when not engaged in venal legisla-
ton, he has been constantly engaged in
schemes to keep alive its passions, and
to prosecute and harrass the people that
had been overpowered in the conflict
of arms Look at his record:
In May, 1876, pending the consider
alton of the following clause of bill
that had been introduced in the House
Of Representatives
Until the fourth Of July, 1870, all persons
who voluntarily adhered to the late insurrec
ton, giving it aid and comfort, shall be ex-
cluded from the right TO vote for Representa-
tives in Congress, and for electors for PresI-
dent and Vice-President Of the United States.
Mr. Garfield said:
Now. Mr.. Speaker, if the gentlemen who re-
port this bill will put in "a section, that all
1rh0 participated IN the rebellion shall f0reter
be erciuded from the right Of eiscttgs franchise.
IN all cases relating to national offices, then l
viii say the PCopoSi0H wW be gust and one we
could stand upon as a matter OF principle
Anything il lust which excludes from privil-
eye and power all those infamous men lCho par
hciDated IN the rebellion. The proposition,
without any modification, without any Ilmlta-
ton would meet with my approval, as one
emineutly wise and just, if II could be practI-
callV carrid out Congressional Globe, Part
3 page 2iO5.
Here the rule was laid down by Mr..
Garfield, for his guidance, that the peo-
pie who participated in the war on the
side against the Union "are infamous"
and that they should be forever deprived
of the political privileges of other Amer
lean citizens This has been the con-
trolling motive of his career since its
utterance, and it inspired the speech
that aroused the whirlwind of passion
in the fury of which he was nominated
for the Presidency.