The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-21
The Tribune Answers Itself.

=. The Tribune Answers ltseu.
The New York Tribune became very In
diunant the other day over the following
paragraph from the Charleston Ne'ns and
Courier:
"Thcrc is a broad distinction between
gcrrymandcring In the North ana gerry,
Wandering In States ike MISSISSIPPI anu
South Carolina. In the North the purpose
q tn Give an improper advantage 10 one po.
Iiticai marty. but In South Carolina ana
Mississippi the object Is TO secure an OPP
nortniiy of elccting congressman OF rea-
Sensible ability and good character. Any
congressional district In South Carolina
which can be carried by the Republicans Is
sure 10 send to Congress some low black-
guard or self-coniesscd thief"
Without stopping to inquire whether the
Ne,rs's statement is too broad and general
or not, LET us note the 7ribune's reply. IL
says:
sTbat Is to say that in Mississippi ana
South Carolina free institutions and DEM
ocratic form of government are failure;
that the majority are not lit and cannot De
trusted TO govern; that there Is in those
States. unlike the States at the North,
ruling class to whom, though minority OF
voters. belong the prerogatives and Priv
lepes Of power: and that political tr1ckery,
violence. intimidation, and fraud are tustl-
fable IL necessary to give the ruling class
the upper hand"
The Tribune touches sore. Mr.. LIN
COLIN violated his oath to support the United
States Constitution when he emancipated
by proclamation the slaves guaranteed to
their owners by that instrument. Was
that because "free institutions and DEM
ocra:ic government are failure? 1t was
AS true in Mr.. LINCoLN's case as in the case
of South Carolina. lie no doubt acted
conscientiously. Seeing no way to save
both the Constitution and the Union, he
deliberately decided 10 sacrifice the ConSti-
tuition: for his published speeches, mes
sages, &c., amply testify that he held
firmly TO the doctrine that the United States
Government had no right to interfere with
slavery in the States.
So as TO the partition Of Virginia. Was
this constitutionally done? No. 1t was
done In violation OF the Federal Constitu-
ton. Are Stree institutions and demo-
% NNNNN~N ~
that act OF usurpation and wrong?
So as TO the three amendments most re-
Gently added TO the Federal Constitution.
They were ratified under dureSs. They
became parts Of the Constitution not be-
cause the people OF the southern States de-
sired them to he incorporated into it, but
because their ratification was supposed by
Radical politicians TO be necessary to the
success Of their scheme for indefinitely
perpetuating the power OF that party. Are
"free institutions and a democratic gov
eYnment failure" because these amend
ments were thus irregularly and unconsti-
tionally crammcd into the Constitution:
Does not the Tribune hold, on the con-
trary, that the condition Of the country
justified these proceedings? II does. 1t
iustifies Mr.. LINCOLN for violating his oath.
It justifies the unconstitutional partition
Of Virginia. II iustifcs the so-called
Qualification OF the thirteenth, four
tenth, and fifteenth amendments, though
that qualification" was done under dureSs.
IT does rs TO these and other war measures
lust what the NelcS and Courier does a. to
the gerrymandering Of South Carolina
that is to say, the Tribune defends them as
measures which were absolutely essential
10 the proper government OF the country.
The same issue OF the Tribune which ar
raigns the Ne,cS and Courier for pro-
nouncing the negroes unfit TO vote and
In fl,o foil inc
paragraph-not in terms, but in eifect-that
the Charleston journal was right, after all.
The 1'ri5ane, speaking Of AEABI Bey's
followers, tells its real opinion-as follows ::
''It is timely TO observe that only very
few demagogues and very ignorant peo-
Die assert the present fitness OF all the sons
of Adam for free government. Wherever
the people have had experience in govern
ing themselves, and have thus gained some
knowledge Of the conditions under which
self-government is possible and beneficial.
there is always Keen sense OF the abso-
lutte necessity OF some degree OF lnteill-
gence and Of patriotic feeling in order to
make such government worth having.
Here in the United States, when we watch
the behavior OF such voters as crowd
into many of our cities, we are
taught that hardly any kind 'oi gov
ernment can be worse for the people
than SELF government, when the majority
OF the voters do not realize their RESPONSE
biiities, nor possess the capacity to meet
those responsibilities intelligently. Hence
it is that doubt as to the disturbances o.
seli-government for any comparatively un
enlightened people is much stronger in {
self-governing country than elsewhere
Inst as we shrink from giving firearms
and edged tools to untaught children, W.
seek evidence OF fitness for grave respon
sibilities before hoping that an ineXpe
ricnced people may be left to shape thei
own destiny for good or evil"
The Necs and Courier is thus fully Win
dicated by the Tribune.