National Republican., 1881-08-31
letter published in the New York mi.

a letter published in the New York Tli-
bine.
Without returning to the Republican
party, the Bourbon sympathizers, who
had left it in 1872 and rallied at and OPP
posed it for the following four years, de-
manded control Of its convention in 1876
One portion of them, including the New
York Tribune, defeated the leading can
didate by their support, while another
branch of them was merged in a general
pool out of which came the supposed
Radical, Rutherford y. Hayes He ut
once fell u victim to their arts, and for
four years most OF The Republicans who
had not deserted to Greeley in 1879 were
in political quarantine.
The last efforts Of Republican admin
istrat;on at preserving the right to vote
were made by Grant in the Hayes cam
paign of 1876 in South Carolina Louisi-
ana, and Florida. The result in the first
two Of these was favorable to the Repub-
licans, but President Hayes am:ably
surrendered to the defeated Bourbons all
of this result except the electoral vote.
The Bourbon sympathize-s who had fol-
lowed Horace Greeley, Carl Schurz, and
Whitelaw Reid out Of the Republican
party because Of negro and carpet-hag
frauds in Southern elections made no
wry faces at the methods by which
Louisiana w6s secured to Hayes. Indeed,
they had no need Of that, for the Presi-
| dent thus elected atoned for any possible
wrong done the Buurbohs by giving them
| back the State after he had extracted
| from IL the cnly sweet his appetite Craved.
And thus ended the reconstruction
period. II was the period when Force
attempted what Persuasion had failed to
accomplish. 1t was the Northern sense
Of fair play toward the negro, over whose
shoulders the North thought Il was being
whipped. Right or wrong, wise or fool
ish, it had IN its motives good deal Of
decency and manliness. 1t was orig
mated in defense and not in wrath. Re-
construction was attempted because res
toration was being hindered by Bourbon
implacables. 1t failed because there was
not in the North q correct estimate of the
| lHlilGiIsG DliN slNdl SNiuStslN 40 SuNISSo All
VOWED or sufficient devotion to cause
10 follow it to the end.
Reconstruction did fail. Restoration
has begun. By this is meant that some
Southern men who believed in the con-
fcderae cause and fought for it have COM
menced TO build the new nation. The
reconstruction policy had infamed ard
angered them, us it had all their asso-
cia!es. Ii had been carried on vigorously
enough to greatly irritate, but not enough
to compel obedience Its total abandon
ment in 1877 was enforced by the situa-
ton, and the indications are that its evil
effects are rapidly passing away.
The voluntary political action of eX-
confederates in Virginia and Mississippi
looking to a complete restoration of har-
mony between the sections and faithful
maintenance of freedom of elections ex-
cites the same hostility among the Bour-
bon incorrigiblcs as did the aggressive
and repressive policy of the hated Radi-
calls. But this is foolish and inexcusable.
Cameron in Virginia and King in AIissis-
sippi will be just rs safe custodans of
power as if no negroes had given them a
vote of confidence. The reactionary pol
ley ofthe Bourbons is destined to the de-
feat which is inevitable when accom-
plished facts are denied and resistance
made to the spirit Of the age.