National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-12

ton of affairs which exists in this country to that
which existed in the days of Jefferson, and that
there have been several amendments added to the
Constitution which should not be ignored by you,
and which have a very important bearing upon
the political condition of the present day. And in
your extreme devotion to that revered instrument,
the Constitution do not forget that there was a
violent attempt recently made by your political as
sociates if to destroy it utterly at least to avoid
its binding power.
As a citizen of this State, ard looking to you as
representative agent of the State, hope for your
success, not political partisan, but as a Sena-
tor. am not so thoroughly charmed with recol-
lections ofthe Lost Cause" nor have such thor
ough sympathy with those who are continually Ia
menting the irrevocable past, as to desire you to
devote your talents and attention TO the further
ance of that mystic bond of partisan brotherhood
which delights in the hay atmosphere of the an
cient regime.
should much prefer that you devote your time
to the lying present., recognizing and seizing the
advantages presented by the improved condition
of things and striving to obliterate that Bourbon
ism which is such clog to the South.
Allow me to suggest the happy idea of learning
some of the lessons which Senator Brown, of Geor-
gia, is not ashamed to admit as good. venture to
present to your consideration some remarks re-
Gently
ATTRIBUTED TO HIN:
"The first thing that the people of the South
should do in political way is to convince the
people of the North that they have accepted in
perfect good faith the reconstruction measures and
the amendments to the Constitution, and will
stand by them and carry them out in all that they
legitimateiy imply, We can never hope to win
national victory until this Is DONE II was fear on
the part of the capitalists and substantial men of
the North of the South's sincerity, and apprehen-
sions created by few Southern BOuTbons that de-
Tod laS al and 1nffaa
until it is entirely removed. We have nothing to
lose by being frank and straightforward, and
everything to lose by agitation, prejudice and pas
sion. The course of her Representatives should be
to argue matterS quietly and without intCmperance,
to discourage all sectional feeling to live good
terms with the Representatives of all sections and
move in solid phaanX with them in any move
ment that promises to aid our common country in
working out its great destiny. am well satisfied
that there is no chance for the success of the Demo-
cratic party OF the Union until VIC of the south
have convinced the people of the North and West
that we have accepted the constitutional amend
ments which are the results of the war, not only
in platforms and on paper but that we are i'll
practice living up to them and carrying them out
in good faith. When we have done this sectional
hate will die, and the bloody shirt, which will no
longer serve the purposes of the party in power,
will be buried TO be raised no more. Then
it Will be- no longer in the power of q
few imprudent BourbOns IN the South, who
assume to be traders, TO defeat the Democracy and
bring disaster upon us by their indiScreet utter
anceS; nor will it longer be necessary for the De-
mocracy of the South to crnge 10 the dictatiOn of
few incompetent Northern leaders. AS there
will then be further cause for sectional strife,
there VIII be as much reason why the Democracy
shall subSerVe the best interests of the South as
there will why the South shall subServe the inter
eSts of the Democracy of the Union. When sec
tiOnal strife and hate no longer exist and we have
one united country, the reason fora solid South and
solid North VIII cease. Parties VIII then no longer
exist on sectional issues race lines but they will
be formed upon the great living practical issues of
the day. such as tariffs, bank currency, &c. While
n IraI
who live by keeping sectional issues alive, am
ii will be better for the South, better for the
North, and better for the whole country. All pa
triotic citizens now admit that the Union is to be
perpetuated, and the States by which ii is formed
indeStructible. And / think our past experience
should by this time have convinced all sa-
gaciOuS men in the South that can never
reach the full measure of our material prosperity
nor attain the high destiny which awaits us until
we have placed ourselves in accord with the other
sections of the Union and have dignified labor and
secured legal rights for all. Under the slavery
system we could not do this. Now there is
no serious obstruction in the way. and the
sooner we do ii the better The destruction of Sla
very inaugurated new era. and we must keep
pace with the age or fall behind in the race. The
old South, under the old era. maintained and prac
tced slavery. The new South, under the new era,
has consented to the abolition of slavery, and our
former slaves are now citizens, with every legal
right of citizenship. This change has swept away
slave labor, and has elevated and digni1ied free
labor. 1t is now our duty to see that labor has its
just reward and that citizenship is protected in
every legal right"
HAVE QUOTED HIS REMARKS
at some length, because consider that they con-
tain some golden truths which, coming from rep
resentative Southern man, who has evidently
emerged from the old trammelS of sectional Gus
toms and prejudices, may carry that due Influence
which they deserve.
No one can read these utterance without recog
nizng them as the broad opinions of a statesman.
They are in a certain sense a confession, inasmuch
they imply that the things referred to have not
heretofore been as they should have been. But
the very admission is an evidence of wisdom; and
the desire to improve the future constitutes the
highest patriotism.
Would it not be better then, Mr. Senator for the
people of this State if you would come out in q
more progressive manner instead of clinging to the
old dry-rot which has permeated Southern politics
for the past twenty years? The address which you
have just delivered, instead of arousing in your
constituents more hopeful and liberal ideas is
simply calculated to foster the old feelings of
hatred and sulIenness, from which Northern men
who have located here constantly feel the effects
in a more or less direct manner, and which forms
a depressing element to immigration. If, instead
of the logged. porcupine attitude thus assumed,
you were to adopt more advanced tone, looking
at the bright side of the inevitable which IS des
tined to regenerate the South more than any other
portion of the country, and which, if welcomed by
men occupying the prominent positions such as
you occupy, would hasten the much desired pros
perity of our State, you would be recognized as a
benefactor in the near future, and you could then
bring more effectively into power the good of the
Democratic ideas,
WHATEVER THEY MAY BE.
In the construction of the various meanings of
the Constitution we may not all reason alike, but
five arlOok steadily at the prime object to be at
tanned, which, after ALL consists in determining
that which is the greatest good TO the greatest
number. and the least harm 10 the few, we will
be likely not 10 differ so very widely in the grand
result.
And above all, Mr.. Senator, if you, and others
like you in high positions would strive less to
please your party and its peculiar prejudices, and
more to the immediate and general application of
those beautiful and world reaching principles
which you so grandly advocate, it would be more
conducive to our prosperity, and would do more
to eliminate sectional and mere party strife than
anything you could devise. 1 am, sir, very re-
spectfully yours,
Crescent City, Putnam County, Florida.
Origin of Names.
1t is not generally known that the Hud-