National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-06

What has the South or any State Of
that section gained in the past, what is it
gaining now, what may it fairly hope to
gain in the future, by adhering to the
fortunes of the Northern Democracy? If
the accounts of this copartnership were
closed to-day would the balance-sheet
show any profit to the South-any profit
TO any part of the South?
Did not Northern Democrats encourage
the war feeling and the war party in the
South until hostilities began? Did not
many leading Democrats of the North
aid in fomenting sectional strife by will
fully and maliciously misrepresentingth
purposes and principles ofthc Republican
party?
And when the flames of war burst
forth did not the same class of Demo-
cratic leaders encourage the South to
perseyere in the struggle long after every
chance of confederate success had dis
appeared? Were those who thus acted the
real friends or the most dangerous enc
mics of the South?
How has it been since the war? The
Northern Democrats have steadily and
persistently encouraged the South to OPP
pose every step in the adjustment that
the result of the warnecessitated. These
Northern allies, a minority in almost
every Northern State, have done all that
they could do TO fan the expiring sparks
of rebellion. They have resisted the in
evitable, have fought against palpable
fate, and have held out false, delusive
hopes to their Southern brethren.
There has been no bloody deed of the
-Bourbons, no slaughter of ignorant and
nnresisting blacks, no midnight raid of
Ku-Klux Klans, no crime against the un-
ranchised race that has not been denied
or apologized for by the Northern De-
mocracy. When records of almost num-
berless murders of the freedmen have
come up to Congress in such authentic
shape that denial was inexpedient no
harsher word has been uttered by any
Democratic statesman than Judge Thur
mans homicides not justified by law"
The sole remaining bond Of sympathy
between the Bourbons of the South and
the Northern Democrats is hatred of the
negro-not thenegro per- Sc, but the negro
with vote. If this proiitless copartner-
ship had represented brave struggle for
great principles, if it had been contest
for human rights if it had aimed at the
elevation of humanity, if its shibboleths
had been maXims of progress or moral
ity, it would be worthy of profound re-
Bpect. But it has been the reverse of all
this, and to-day it has no higher, holier
maxim than " Down with the nsgerw
But as Saul of Tarsus suddenly beheld
great light and heard voice that he
had never heard before, so the better ele-
ments of the white population of the |
South are being influenced by such !
flashes of the light of reason and such |
words Of truth and soberness as threaten
the speedy rupture of the old firm.
The Liberal movement, the anti-Bour- !
bon crusade, is making hcadway with re- |
sistless force. Bourbonism will dic-not
instantly, not easily, but die it will, be-
cause the intelligence and conscience of
the South will not bear its shacklcs,
WHEN Mr. Tilden hurls epithets and
things at corrupt officials he does not
mean those rascals who gobble the funds
Of lame railroads and hold on to them
year after year, until the law compels
them to loose their .thievsh grip. We
want to hear Mr., Tilden speak right oul
in meetingagainst this class of scoundrels,
and then let Bavless w. Hanna come
into court and testify.
For the sake of variety the Post rises
up once more to question the title by
which Mr. Hayes held the presidential
Office. Whatever the Democrats may
have thought Of Mr.. Hayes, they knew
that he was President to all intents and
purposes when he sent back their vicious
bills stamped to death with his yetocs.
--ra--=--.---.--
As THE line must be drawn somewhere,
we should say that hamlots ought not to
expect appropriations for public build
ings.
PROHIBITION Republicans can help the
Democrats materially whenever they in-
Eist on making prohibition a party issue,
ALTHOUGH Sara Bernhardt has matri-
monially allied herself TO Greece, her
leanness las not entirely vanished.