New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-30
by the Mayor of this city, subject to confirma-
ton by the Board of Aldermen.
A BOURBON PANIC.

BOURBON PANIC.
Az we expected. Attorney General Brewster
letter to the Government counsel in South
Carolina has created a commotion among the
chivalry. They do not enjoy seeing the doors
of the penitentiary flung open for them in such
a cordial and enthusiastic manner. Through
heir chief organ, The Charleston Necs and
Courier, they send up shout of rage which is
in itself confession of guilt. They call the
letter an extraordinary production" and say
the conclusion Mr.. Brewster reaches is that the
"South Carolina Democrats are set of horrid
rascals for whom hanging is too good" We
have been able to find no such conclusion in the
letter, and suspect that The Neus and Courier
has COMPOUNDED Mr.. Brewsters utterances
with some of its own admissions. careful
perusal of this Bourbon organ for the past few
years has forced us to reach much such an
estimate of the moral character of the South
Carolina Democrats as it attributes to Mr..
Brewster Its own admissions have been more
damaging than the charges of Republicans
anywhere In January, 1881, when the Gov
eminent announced its intention to prosecute
all those guilty of participation in the noto-
rious and outrageous election frauds Of the
preceding November, The NecS and Courier
proceeding on the well known principle OF
honor among thieves, said: /" 1t Is immaterial
"whether the accused are innocent or guilty
"The white people with their colored allies
@were determined that the victories OF 1876
"and 1873 should be repeated and made COM
aplete. This was the cry everywhere and
"what was called for was done, 1t would be
unutterably base to deny to those who are IN
danger, in consequence OF public demands
sand personal expectations, our encourage
"ment, our support, and any sort of succor
" that is needed. NOmdfter Thether they are in
@nocent or guilty.; ~e must stand By them Jof
their cause is ours"
If that does not confess the whole Demo
cratic party of South Carolina to be "set OF
horrd rascals" there is no meaning in language.
"Innocent or guilty, we must stand by them,
q for their cause is ours That is, 1--WE are all
claw breakers and thieves together, and must
. stand by ore another" All chat MI. Brewster
has charged is mildness itself compared with
this Acknowledgement. Nothing more plainly
reveals the stunted moral sense of the Bour-
bons than this unblushing announcement tnaC
criminals must be defended because they car
ried out the Democratic desire for Democratic
victory. Yet after this confession OF year
ago, the same newspaper complains now be-
cause - Mr.. Brewster's doctrine is that every
South Carolinian is guilty until be Is proved
innocent We believe a criminal who pleads
guilty is usually taken at his word. In the
midst of its protest Tile Ae,cS and Courier Is so
incautIous as to repeat substan tally its former
admission, though it puts 1t In more guarded
language: "If wrong has been done anywhere
" in South Carolina, in the determination to
keep the Government pure and respectable
Z" for whites and blacks alike, the whole of the
white people are responsible. What is done
" for us, and in our name, is done by us. The
(" cause of the accused Democrats is the cause
of the white people of South Carolina. Mr.
Brewster makes it so, and we take him at his
"word.' We are unable to see how Mr..
Brewster is responsible for position which
was assumed more than year before he came
into office.
All of this buster about a common cause
means only one thing, of course, and that IS
that no discriminating evidence will be allowed
The whole pressure of the "White people
which is the usual way of speaking of the
Democratic minority, will he used to influence
the Jury and to intimdate witnesses. Whether
it will be successful or not remains to be seen.
As they have all consprcd to cheat together. to
steal control of the entire Government of che
State and its delegation to Congress, so now
these white Democrats cOnSpire to commit per-
Jury to save themselves from the penitentiary
This is harsh language, but is it any more so
than the confession No matter whether they
are innocent or guilty, We must stand by them,
" for their cause is ours = The moral sentiment
of the South has been dullcd and stupefcd by
this trifling with the right of suffrage, and
from cheating they have passed naturally not
only to a defence Of their crimes, but to a loss
of shame for them. The only way to awaken
them to a true appreciation of the enOTmity of
their offence is to show them that the laws of
the land consider Imprisonment the only ade-
quate punishment