National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-21
The Liberal Crusade.

The most prominent feature of Bour-
bonism is q spirit of deadly hostility TO
the Fifteenth Amendment. 1t is the firm
determination of the Bourbons in the
States under their control either TO direct
the voting Of the black men or deprive
them of the right. to vote at all. We
know that they are accustomed to deny
this in their public utterances. In the
Senate, in the House, in political maya
zine articles, and on the lecture platform
of the North leading Southern statesmen
of the Bourbon school have declared and
are still declaring that the Fifteenth
Amendment has been and is accepted in
good faith.
But they know, and all the world
knows, that in majority of the States
that belonged to the extinct confcderacy
the Acknowledgement of the negroes is
not accepted for all that enfranchisement
implies. The existence of the solar sys-
tenn is not more patent fact than sys-
tematic prescription of colored voters.
In the political situation Of the times
there is not more tangible reality than
the denial or naturalization of the right
of suffrage to large proportion of the
colorcd voters of the South.
1t is not our purpose to review the
means by which Southern solidity was
secured and has been maintained. We
would be glad to forget those dark and
bloody chapters in our history. Without
designing to reopen any wound that may
have begun to heal, and with the most
earnest desire to promote fraternal feel
ings and amicable relations, we point to
more than q score of seats in the House
that are occupied by Bourbons as a result
of suppressing anti-Bourbon votes.
The friends of equal rights do not COM
plain of Democratic solidity in itself, but
of the means employed to secure and
keep it. 1t is not important that the
blacks should vote for this candidate or
that; but it is of the highest importance
that blacks and whites alike should vote
as they see fit and have their votes hon
estly counted. Such outrages as that of
the theft of the Shoestring District, which
is but a sample case, having its like in
several States, cannot be tolerated if we
are not ready to surrender the principles
on which our Government was based and
is supposed to rest.
The Liberal movement, so splendidly
inaugurated in Virginia under the lead
of Malone and his gallant associates, in
Guiding in its personnel all who are in
favor of equal political rights and bav-
ing for its object the overthrow of Bour-
bon intolerance, is destined to put an
end to the system by which States have
been misrued at home and misrepre.
scented in Congress- 1t matters not un.
der what name our allies in any State
may prefer to fight the battle of freedom
We care far less for name than fol
the principles for which they and we are
contending,
There can be no lasting political peace
based on injustice. There can be no roa
prosperity in any State where any numer
Gus class of citizens are denied their rights
In order that the North and the Soutl
may dwell together in amity in ordel
that the South may go forward in a careel
of prosperity, attracting capital and de.
veloping her resources; in order that the
best good of all sections and all classes
may be promoted, it is necessary for Tho
Bourbon structure of brutal intolerance t.
be RACED.
In this good work the New England
Radical will cheerfully unite with the ex
confederates and the "Yank" class
hands with the "reb.' Forgetting tn
bitter past, we will press forward to
brighter future-a future full of promis
to all citizens Of all races in our common
country. y