New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-28
THE BOURBONS UNMASKIYG.

We welcome most cordially into current po-
litical discussion, whether in the newspaper or
the Senate the man who talks frankly and
saws what lie thinks IL too often happens
that men who are honest in intention with
hold or conceal their real sentiments, from mo-
| tives of prudence, in the fear that their avowal
may work to the prejudice of their friends or
the damage of their own cause. This is true
we think Of the Democrats of the Southern
States. The only change that their views of
| slavery have undergone is III this: that they
accept with philosophy the fact of its extinc-
ton. The mere circumstance of defeat in the
field has not altered their notions of its benef-
cence IA an institution, the superiority of
the peculiar civilization it developed or the
instice of the race and class distinctions
which were its natural product They would
scorn to admit that the adverse results of
the war had Influenced in the least degree
their opinions, however greatly they had
affected existing facts. But knowing rs they
do that their persistence in old opinions
is n source Of weakness To their party at
the North, they without affecting to deny
them when pressed, prudcntly keep them in
the background and avoid making public
PROCLAMATION Of them. Their conduct is per
|
moments. vhO knowing hc tcnaGty with
which tlct hold to th"r old notions. and the
di,favor in which these notions are held 10y a
majority of the people, are constantly pressing
them to make public ayoal OF their real
! sentiments.
The objection raised to This course II procc-
durc by the gentlemen who think politics
ought to Ice carried ON without contention,
and fighting done with gloves, Is that
these opinions are Of no real consequence;
that the old differences died with the abolition
Of slavery, and that thee j, no vitality in the
questions raised lhit it i fuiitics- and
! cNa.pcatiug rakinE over of dead Issues.
! Much ~ we would like 10 agree in
! this view and to believe that the spiut and
purpose of slavery disappeared with the system
! which cngcidcicd them, We are forced hy the
logic of facts to adopt the opposite view. The
old hostility to individual freedom and equal
rights, the old class distinctions the intolcr-
ancc of opposition, the tyranny of opinion,
all the social and political conditions of the
period Of slavery, everything except the form
! of the institution it-clf. survive IN the BuuI-
bonsm which controls the Democratic party
ard contends for absolute power in the South.
! All these ideas are inconsistent with the theory
! of n free government and ~ war with the fun
dlrncntal principles of - democracy. The old
| fight j. not ended till these lingering ISSUES are
settled finally. and louIhouiSm follows slavery
ont into the limbo We are consequently IN
favor of pressing these questions home, even
at the risk of being charged with Teyiy-
! ing old animo,tics, FOR they contain the
very kernel of the dispute between the two
great parties. To the old struggle between
! Slavery and Anti-Slavrry the struggle between
! Romrbonisn aud -IoubOnism has sue
! cccdrd. II involves what il left of the older
controversy, aud until it j. disposed of there
can be no lasting peace. For this reason we
! favor pressing the Hourbons of the Democratic
party aud compelling them to unntsk and
! aNow Themselves.
Answering to this pressure Senator Jones Of
| Florida, with iIankao,S which We can COM
mend, however his parry friend, may view H.
came forward in the senate on Tuesday with
nm oul~pokcn statement of the position of the
! Southern Democracy. Like all or nearly all
M, party associates, lac accepted chccriully the
! fact OF emancipation, and said the whole South
rcinircd at it ard would not have il changed
But from this point his argument proceeded
upon the assumption of the divine night to
]
nhcrc in tine ruling cla--, and the coiolluy
thh any and al mc,-uu, were iu~l.nahlc IN
maintaining that right Herein is the c--
-cutill principle of the old slave u'''iH-
ton. II leap, over beyond the system
of which il was an essential dogma. and sur
,iyr. +, i'm Nh, Bomhoui,u of to-day. 10 must
| be- cridicatcd. That is the present issue. Sou
ator Jones give, expression. no douht. g" tl,c
average bourbon view when hc cutcl>c- tiic
manner in which the ,gnra-, Wa conferred
| upon the u,glo. DISCOURSE, t,"qututN Jpon tl,r
oppression and tyranny which "tlat proud
and naughty race the people oi thc south.
we're compelled To- und,i-u ON account of negro
suffrage, and anticipates thc time when "-omc
future Macaulay or Gibhun shall come to write
"thc history Of reconstruction" and the pco-
"plc Of the South will be- indicated in the
"mind, OF mankind" Bat the impartial his
toiian is much more likely to record that the
people of the South forced the slavery qucs-
ton To u bloody issue. forced emancipation ~
a war measure, forced negro suffrage as the
only weapon of defence which could be given
the freedmen Ia protect them from rrcnslayc-
mcnt. and that after having been restored To rights
they had forfeited and trcltcd with magnanim
ity for which history al, IDS no parallel, they
ungratcfully resumed in the forum the strug-
gle which had gone against them in the field.
Senator Joncs's speech has the great merit
of having been addressed to the real question
and the setting forth with unusual cearness
the Bourbon position. That is, when simply
stated that negro suffrage was an outrage upon
that proud and naughty race" the people of
thc South violation of their divine right to
lint ul u.ill