American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-02-26
RepublicanismI i'm the Soath.

|
effect that the Republican party could
never be permanently established in the
South as long as the negro was its cor
ner-stone, and the white element prac-
tically ignored altogether. The New
York Times, in an editorial elaboration
OF LOngstreet' idea, has these sensible
words: 81.
| ~ 1t seems to have been largely the notion
or those who have controlled the Federal serv'
sisting almost wholly of coiored voters '' could
te &c. maintained there. Experience shows that
held, necessary that the negro should have
his rights in tue South as elsewhere, but it has
| where has been practicable, to build up Re-
publican partly largely composed of whites
! eral officials are of different character from
many of those heretofore appointed. They
should, of course, always be men who accept
absolutely in theory ard practice the prin-
ciples of equal suffrage: but, this obtained
sney SHOULD be men Of hiEh eharaeter OF ae
business interests with the section for which
they are appointed"
The Times might have strengthened
its argument by inquiring why it has
thus far been impracticabie Ito build
up a Republican party in the South
largely composed of whites?" The
character of Federal officials in that Sec
ton has comparatively little to do with
=
back to reconstruction to find the true
cause. The policy known by that name
was based on the assumption that the
blacks were the only portion of the pop
ulation whose loyalty could be depended
upon; that the whites, no matter what
they professed and promised. must
necessarily always be disloyal; and con-
sequehtly that political power must as
far as possible be confined to the blacks,
with the privilege of using it as they
pleased. regardless of the interests or
the rights of the whites 1t is unneces-
sary to describe the result. Enough to
say that reconstruction rotted itself out,
by driving every respectable white citi-
zen into an opposition which was his
only means of self protection. The
Southern whites represented and
still represent the capital and business
enterprise-went over to the Democrat
ic party in solid body, not SO much be-
cause they were specially partial to it, as
because the Republican party was sys-
Dramatically expressing and piundering
them. And they are Democrats to-day
because, although reconstruction has
rotted out, the Republican. party de-
tends the iniquities of IS65-77, and, if
we may believe the declarations made
during the late campaign, will bring in
a second edition of them at the first
convenient opportunity. Southern Re-
publicanism will remain in the helpless
condition it now is until the Southern
whites are convinced, by acts as well as
words, that they have nothing to fear
from party from which they have suf-
fered SO much in the past. just so
long as the stalwarts are the dominant
Republican faction, just so long will the
lnY inn nj in o..
proposals for utilization with the Repub-
ican party.
The Times may see how little the
character of Federal officials has to do
with the status of its party in the South.
by referring to the case of Longstreet
himself. Here was Southern man of
uniinpeachable public and private repu-
tation, a Southern soldier, inferior only
to Lee and jackson in popular estima-
ton, branded as a traitor TO his people
for no other reason than his conversion
to- Republicanism. Men who would
have shared their last cent and their
last crust with him turned from him
with contempt and Hatred the mo-
ment he identified himself with party
from which they had received nothing
but evil, and that continually. They
could not see how a Southerncr could /
honestly and honorably act with those
who had inflicted upon the South a
worse curse than unsuccessful war.
This feeling still exists, and naturally
prevents extensive imitation of Long
streets example. If Mr.. Garfield is
disposed to adopt the suggestion of the
Times and bestOw his Southern appoint
ments only on ''men of high character,
acknowledged ability. identified i'll
property and business interests with
their section where could he find
such? Not in the Republican ranks
certainly, and the stalwarts insist that
none but Republicans must hold office
in the South. The fact is that q Re-
publican Administration cannot possibly
ill Southern offices with the right kind
of men until the Republican party
adopts such policy toward them as
will make it possible for the right kind
of men to accept Office under it. And
whenever such policy is adopted.
not as a temporary expedient. but as a
permanency. the Republican party in
the South will have something to stand
upon and something to grow upon.
That to-day it should be composed of
nine parts blacks and one part whites,
the latter, with few exceptions, utterly
destitute of influence among the better
classes-is just what might have been !
expected. Under similar provocation |
it would be the same in the North. |
Human nature is very much of a piece |
everywhere, and those who when smitten
on the one cheek turn the other to the |
smiterare no more abundant in the North |
than in the South. Louis Republican.
- A New York machine man says |
that Hayes is an awkward man to fight, |
because he has no feeling. 50 You ham, |
mer him on one side, he just turns over !
ON the other. and he never strikes
back" We should say, if this be true,
that Hayes is not an. awkward, or any |
other kind of man, to fight. He is
evidently a true Christian, who being
smitten on one cheek turns the other
also. Since this was said, Hayes has
sent in his New York appointments and
the machine man may have changed his
views about his awkwardness and his
not striking back.-DetroH + rec Tress
An Ohio correspondent says that
Garfield did not invite the cciored del
egates to dinner, but that he invited
party of white men from the South,