National Republican., 1881-10-19
Mississippi and Senator Lamar.

viz 'tNoV VI 11hNNOi Asbhlbls AAN 10 iO-
cogn lied as a most thoughtful and able
man. He undoubtedly entertains convic-
tons far removed above the comprehen-
sion of most of his Democratic followers.
He has at times broken away from re-
straints and spoken well, but 80 great is
his desire to maintain himself at home
politically that he prefers standing upon
the lower level, as one might say, of the
Mississippi Democracy rather than part
company with them.
He came into the Senate upon the flood
tide of Z" the Mississippi plan" The
bloody assizes of 1874 made the State
prolific with political fruit. Only the
fiercest of negro-haters could live in the
political tempest of that time. Lamar
was equal to the occasion, as appears
from his success. Meekly the next year
he preached the gospel of acquiescence in
the Fifteenth Amendment to the easily
persuaded people of New Hampshire, and
was taken to the hearts of many of the
solid men of Boston, who admired his
rhetoric and his candid manner.
We do not take his case in any unkind
or offensive manner. lie is u representa-
tive man. He cannot continue to repre-
sent his State unless he continues to be
what his State is, or brings it higher up.
Mississippi would doubtless be educated
TO better political conduct if Mr.. Lamar
believed it to be in his power to accom-
plish il. The fault seems TO be in the UNI
willingness of leaders like him to attempt
any change. He cannot be in ignorance
of the ofIenses against the freedom of
elections in his State.
1t may be all natural enough, as some
say, to quiet ones conscience after par
ticipation in or accepting benefits from
outrageous and gigantic frauds upon the
elective franchise by merely saying, as is
said in the States where negroes are
numerous, that they ought not to have
the ballot, and that any means are justi-
fable in order to prevent NEGRO rule"
But what if negro rule could be easier
prevented by lawful methods, and what
| if the criminal means now resorted to are
more ruinous to white society than any
other evil that can be conceived of?
Mr.. Lamar and the white men who
follow him. and Mr.. Chalmers and those
other still more exacting negro-haters
who follow him because they fear that
Lamar is leaning toward scalawagism or
Southern liberalism-all those people COM
bined can very likely continue for awhile
to ride roughshod over the anti-Bourbon
majority in Mississippi. This they will
do in the name of good government.
Young and fiery spirits, fit to be trained
rs knights instead of allowed to degener-
ate into savagcs,. may lead others OF
coarser mould to mad defiance of the
Constitution and laws of the United
States, and of their own State, all in the
interest of the Democratic party and to
preserve Mississippi from negro rule
This has been done for seven years.
The black race has been stamped out
rs political force. They have had the
same chance by reason of the Fifteenth
Amendment that like number of rats
would have against an equal number OF
terriers. The terriers are in undoubted
pogssessiQp hy tAaid Gy1he ihorS &c ifaStifiina
disposition and education of the rats
And 80 you have white rule in MissiS
sippi? We have no desire to see the ole
controversy revived rs to the possibility
or desirability Of external force being
applied by the Government to enable al
the rats and a few of the terriers to sub
due the main body of the terriers. That
can never be done. There never was
any sense in attempting such policy
unless those who favored it were willing
to support it with physical force every
where superior to the resistance thai
would be presented against it. Its ell
forcement with anything like thorough
ness would have required an army sucl
as coped with the rebellion, and then re
sistance would have survived the ap
parent settlement.
But il tie Reconstruction policy of Congres
fdRed, so far as immediate obedience irdS con
cerned Whdt is il that has succeeded? I'll,
foundations of society have been sapped
The negro has been despoiled of his vote
by the white mans fclonies and misde
meanors. The State government of Mis-
sissppi was turned over in 1874 by
reign of terror in which the negro wa
made right well to understand that h
was but flax in the flames of Democrati
hate. Massacrcs there were worthy O
the dark ages. Unoflending negroes wer,
butchered to teach the survivors to "kee
their place" They surrendered. Thei
Bourbon masters took control, opened
the polls on election days, placed tin
ballot-boXes in lawless hands, receive,
what votes they pleased, counted then
rs they pleased, and returned rs electe,
those who had been decrecd in the lin
of succession by their party conventions
There has not been an election in Missis
sippi for seven years in which voting ha
anything to do with the result
Now for the answer TO the question
What was it that succeeded when tn
impracticable policy of external fore
failed? There succeeded state of SC
ciety in which crime became the chic
cornerstone. The rule of brute force b.
what Mr.. Madison called "an enterpris
ing minority" held sway for year, an,
to that succeeded the rule of ballot bo,
suffers, false voters, and periured eleC
ton officers. Can Mr.. Lamar either den
this or rejoice in it? Has he no com
passion for Il community in which
whole party is necessarily constantly in
terested in seeing that its instrument
escape punishment through false wit