The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-05-18
IN. Y. Tribune.l
Was if n Fair Gamb!e2

The present spirit and purpose Of
Southern Bourbonism are fairly Illus
trated in the remark of Democratic
member of Congress concerning the
pending contested election cases in
the House which was quoted in the
Tribme's Washington dispatches yes
terday. Il don't care, said he, speak
ing Of Mr.. Lynch, the colored man
who contests the seat Of Mr.. Chal-
mers, of Mississippi, Il don't care
whether he was elected or not. No
nigger shall ever hold seat in Con-
gress again if my vote can prevent it. )"
There is a degree of brutal candor
about this statement that, when COM
pared with the devious indirections by
which Democrats of greater cunning
and less sincerity undertake to accom-
plish the same end, has merit. The
statement is both bold and bald: 1t
does not stoop to invent pretexts or
offer excuses, but comes out in the
sharp, defiant way that conveys the
admission that it is utterly unreasona-
BILE and indefensible. There is some
thing in the bigotry that simply plants
IboSlI OH dill oSo6I GlOH dllu ICluoCo W
listen to argument or bulge an inch
that, without being precisely chival-
rous, recalls the old notion of chival-
ry; the miscalled chivalry that made
it point of honor to stick to a state
ment once made, no matter how often
or how Enthusiastically it was proven a
blunder or lie.
But in another respect the position
here taken differs decidedly from what
used to be described in newspaper ro-
mances as the chivalry of the South
and Southwest. In those pleasing fic-
tions chivalry was represented by the
planter loaded with money and at
tended by several slaves as body-ser-
wants, who was free with his money,
took special delight in games of
chance, played high, usually lost, and
accepted the results of his losing game,
if not always with philosophic COM
posure, at least without ever attempt
ing to cheat his adversary out of the
stakes. When the representative of
chivalry in the old days, after losing
all his ready cash on mistaken valu-
alton Of "three Of kind put up a
'nigger" or two on full" and lost
them, he gave up the ''niggers' with
or without bill Of sale, and having
once turned them over to the winner
no longer expected them to stand be-
hind his chair or render him personal
service. When he had exhausted his
funds and his ''niggers" and the chan
ces of the game, he usually had the
decency to set back his chair and seek
in rum or religion consolation for his
losses. The broad-brimmed planter
who had staked ''nigger" on draw
ing to a bob-tailed flush" and had
failed to SILL" made it matter o1
pride to give up the entire niger
without so much as asking the allow
ance of drawback on account Of his
clothes. He had named his own stake
and had lost, and he gracefully sub
mitted.
The case is different with our Bour'
bon friends, who made their OWL
game some twenty-one years ago, anC
in the spirit partly Of confidence anc
partly Of bluff" staked all their mig
gers and a great deal more beside
The rebellion on their part was great
gamble. They played for an indie
pendent Confederacy with slavery a:
the cornerstone, and they staked or
it not merely slavery, but their owr
disfranchisement and the chances fol
negro suffrage, negro equality anC
even negro rule. They played tht
game with eyes wide open and full
knowledge of the possible conse
quences. Mad gambling, to be sure
but they forced the game and dealt th'
cards-dealt them to an unwilling ad
versary at point of pistol-and would
listen to no compromise until th'
cards were called. They lost; los
everything -Confederacy, indepen
dence, ''niggers"-all. Much ha
been restored to them, but the victors
having fairly won the 'niggers," have
clothed them with citizenship and Sc
them up for themselves; and they
propose to retain so much as this, a
least, of the stakes in that grea
game. Was it fair gamble? If i
was, the men who lost must abide th'
result. The ''nigger'' is citizen, ant
has equal rights with the man whc
staked him in the game. And it il
not chivalrous or honest, now that th'
game has been played, for the loser tt
either whine about it or try to ge
even by cheating.