National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-29
Mahone's Raking Fire.

The speech OF Senator MahOne yeSter-
day was a mastery effort. 1t was well
tempered, well constructed, and well de-
hvered. 1t made his enemies appear
contemplate, and fully satisfied his
friends. He made clear the honest pur-
poses of the Readjusters, and established
the fact that they have never proposed to
repudiate dollar of the public debt of Vir-
ginia. Heroasted the Bourbons of all the
States of the late Southern Confederacy
in fire of truth concerning their treat
ment of public obligations, and showed
that they had repudiated full thirty per
cent. of the aggregate amount of the
principal of their debts. He fayed Joe
Brown, of Georgia, calling attention to
his crooked political course from rebel to
Radical and then to Bourbonism, and
made the great audience roar with
the humorous points he made upon
him. Brown and his colleague, Hill,
looked wofully jolly, and laughed and
chatted with that awkward ease one sees
in the criminal box when the culprit
seeks to affect Indifference by seeming to
be amused while a witness is giving dam
aging testimony. The greatest interest
was felt while the Senator was stating his
devotion and that of the brave men at his
back to a free ballot and fair count.
His utterances rose to the full height of
genuine and vehement eloquence, and
thrilled all who heard him. He took oc-
casion to read some strong and able
utterances of Colonel Riddleberger's.
expressive of that gentleman's de-
yotion to the political freedom of
all the people, and convinced the
Republicans of the Senate that the Bour-
bon repudiators in the body were dealing
in hypocritical pretenses when they pro-
fessed to oppose him on account of his
opinions concerning the debt of Virginia.
No one now doubts that all the fierce hate
of the Bourbon Senators against General
Malone and Colonel Riddleberger is
directed solely against their fidelity to
law and order, political freedom,
and legal suffrage For these vir-
tues some of the Bourbons would
gladly burn at the stake the brave and
Independent Senator from Virginia. But
they have expended all their force. Yes
terday cleared the atmosphere. The
Solid South has met dauntless foe, and,
now that the country at large understands
Malone, there will be such popular
support of him and his friends out
side of Virginia that at home he
ruJIn fhn
fight. If he wins in Virginia
in the coming State campaign there will
no longer be a asolid South, and other Lib
erals will be found in other States to lead
IS he has in a grand uprising of the peo-
pie against swindling and violence at cleo
tions. The Republican party has not since
1851 had any purpose but the mainte-
nance of rightful national authority. To
this all else has been incident. The most
generous of the confederates, when their
government failed, ceased to entertain feel
ings of hostility to the Nation. Gradually
the number has greatly increased. North
ern halting and uncertainty have en-
eouraged reactiOnary attempts. Now we
are in the very crisis of our fate. As
Virginia was the backbone of the rebel
lion, SO she has been the backbone of the
Bourbonism which learned nothing by
the war. From that Bourbonism her
own sons have nearly redeemed her.
This year can see the full consummation
SO devoutly to be wished. Under the
lead of Mahone-brave and true-en-
eouraged by an appreciative North, the
mother of States will lead the way to the
emancipation of all the South from the
CALLING chains of Bourbonism. Would
that every man in America might read
The great speech delivered yesterday.