National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-01

Acknowledgement of the United States
has indicted the Democratic party by in
the prosecution of offenders
against United States law, and a Demo-
cratic lawyer from the North has been
to aid in the prosecutions.
These outragcs upon the Democratic
lambs of South Carolina are to be met.
The addressed the South Carolina COM
mittee concludes in the following Ian
guage:
The recent letter of Attorney. General Brcws-
cr to Mr.. Sanders is an indictment of the
party of South Carolino. TO this
Indictment the Democratic party .must an
,wer lis chosen representatives, through
whose persons It is sought to pcrpctrae this out
rage, must he defended with the force and ali the
energy Of the Democratic party. The purpose in
view is too plain to he misunderstood lie who
runs may read. When the hand of the assassin
struck down the President of the United States 1t
dealt blow under which the people of the South
are yet staggering. The change of policy
toward the South as Enthusiastically indicated
within the last few weeks, should warn all love rs
of good government to be yisilaut and active
The decree has gone forth, Tho white people of
South Carolina must avow the principles of the
Republican party or be declared criminals. The
object Of those in authority Is not to punish for
alleged crimes in the past hut to make adherence
to the principles of the Democratic party mpos-
sible in the future The time for this action has
been fifty chosen. On the eve of a State election
our people are told that they must submit to u re.
turn TO radical rule, or bear the persecution of
officials who are aided by all Of the power of the
General Government The time has come for an
indignant people to rise in their might and protest
against this unwarrGntable invasion of their
rights. If we fail in our duty our civiliza.
ton will be lost. The foe and the stranger
will again rule South Carolina. Tho opprcs.
sion and the tyranny which marked the his
tory Of Republican rule in this state will again dis.
grace our civilization and bring disaster upon our
people. In this situation of aInirs no true of
the state can doubt ms TO his duty. Let Us stand
together as one man. and while confronting the
common enemy preserve for ourselves and our
posterity the peace. the Justice, and the security
which, under Democratic rule, all classes Of our
citizens have enjoyed since the grand revolution
Of 1876. They whose only oilcnso Is fidelity to the
welfare of the State must not be permitted to suf-
fer MS criminals.
The letter of the Attorney General ex-
prossly forbade any distinction on account
of party, and enjoincd the prosecution of
all offenders, beginning at the top. This
the Bourbon committee say is an indict-
ment of the Democratic party. Well, they
ought TO know. If their "choscn repre-
have broken the United
States election laws the contemplated
outrage" of enforcing national laws
within the sacred boundaries Of the SOW
ercign Palmetto State will no doubt be
through their persons. The
purpose is plain. He who runs may read.
Perhaps some who read will run.
Never was there such an arraignment
of the Bourbon Democracy us is con-
tanned in this South Carolina address. 1t
admits all that has ever been charged
against them, and then demands i'm
Criminal prosecutions, in the
conduct of which Democratic lawyer of
high character is employed, in order to
political impartiality, arc de-
nounced as prosecutions intended solely
to compel submission to n return to Radi-
cal rule.
The core of the whole thing is in these
words of the address, "YhC white peo-
pie of South Carolina must avow the
principles of The Republican party or be
declared criminals" AS none are to be
declared criminals except such as shall
be found guilty of violating the Federal
election laws, it follows that this Bour-
bon committeercgardso obedience to those
laws rs Repuhlicanism, and the violation
of them as Democracy. That is the pre-
else issue between the Bourbons and
their opponents. 1t is not question of
ayowing Republican principles; it is a
question Of obedience 10 law.
We deny that old party lines in the
South are here involved. The Bourbons
of the Democratic party represented by
this committee arc avowedly defying
the laws of the United States. They
10 not claim to have obcycd them. They
do claim the right TO disojcy them be-
cause they think they should not have
been enacted, Against them are arrayed
not only the Republicans but every citi-
zen who acknowledges and lives up to
the obligation Of obeying all laws whether
he favored or opposed their enactment.
The anti-Bourbon party of the South is
in process Of formation. 1t will embrace
all opponents of the blind, stupid minor
ity which thinks crimes against the ballot
are consistent with good government.
The blacks Of the State of South Carolina
will follow any white leaders who will
bravely combat the Bourbon party and
leave no bridge on which to return to it..
The address declares that the death of
General Garfield was "a blow under
which the people of the South are yet
staggering" and that "the change of
policy toward the South us Enthusiastically
indicated within the last few weeks should
warn all lovers Of good government to be
vgilant and active" This would seem
to convey the idea that the late Presi-
dent was not in favor of prosecuting of
Tenders against the balot-box; that he
Was in league with the criminals about TO
De prosecuted in South Carolina, and that
he was wholly false TO his political asso-
to the people who elected him,
and to his oath to see "thc laws
executed" Ifany Ministers of
the late President ever promised in his
name Immunity for crime let them be
named. Nobody will believe that Gen
cral Garfield had any arrangement with
them that should mako his death a
blow to the yiolalors of the
laws he was sworn to execute.
As for any change in the policy Of the