New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-11
T1yE BLOODY SHIRT CRY.

II is not strange that Democratic newspapers
should crv out against the bloody shirt and
the "revival of the issues of the wal" when
Republicans direct public attention to the
efforts of the South Carolina Bourbons to dis
franchise the colored voters of that State, and
rob them of the ballot with which Republican
policy has endowed them. 1t is precisely III
their line. 1t is for the interest OF the Demo
cratic party that the people should be made to
believe that the cOlOIed voters of the South are
secure in all their rights that the white Demo
Gratis do not interfere with their voting that
when their votes are cast they are honestly
counted and that all the talk to the contrary
is partisan falsehood. The chief business OF
the Democratic party for a great many years
has been to ncucate at the North confidence in
the patriotic, law-abidng, Union-loving dspo-
sition of the Southern Democrats. They have
sometimes succeeded. But will any of them
name a single instance, from the time Of the
earliest compromise OH the slavery question
down to the last Democratic Congress, in which
having the power they openly avowed their
purpose TO wipe ont all the legislation of the
war period-when they did not betray the trust
reposed in them and endeavOr to cheat tho sc
who had confded in them? OF course the
Democrats of the North are anxious, extremely
anxious, that there should be no interference
with and no unfriendly criticism of the conduct
of the Southern BOurbons. Why? Because
left to themselves they can make out Of mi
nority majority, and reinforce the Northern
wing with Solid South, by whose aid the
Democratic minority in the Nation may be
brought into power. And once in power they
can make South Carolina methods national
and perpetuate their control
No wonder, then. that Democratic newspapers
cry bloody shirt" and attempt to laugh down
any serious consideration of the methods and
policy by which the South Carolina BOurbons
subvert the freedom of the ballot and rob col
ored voters of their legal rights. 1t is the
policy of their party, and they are entirely
consistent in upholding it. We do not expect
them to do otherwise. But when newspapers
nominally Republican, or even Independent
that are not bound by any allegiance to the
Democratic party and that boast of their free
dom from partisanship and their catholicity of
view, join in the cry against Republican crti-
cism of the Bourbon methods of suppression as
waving of the bloody Shirt we confess we
are at a loss to understand it except upon the
ground that they are either tOtally-an it
would almost seem wilfully-gnorant of the
facts, or utterly destitute of the logical faculty
to reason from them. There are not many
such, il is true, but we have found here and
there one that talks in this way as though
the issue thus raised IS obsolete; as though
the revival OF it was the work of Republicans,
and it was wickedly done to kindle anew for
partisan purposes the passions and animOsties
of the war. Are these gentlemen acquainted
with the actual condition of affairs in South
Carolina the condition, not as represented by
the opponents of the Dem Ocratic party, but as
admitted by Democrats themselves and by the
Democratic press of South Carolinai And
have they given moments the ught to what
must be the effect, not merely upon parties, but
upon free institutions, if the South Carolina
BourbOns are permitted to go on without inter-
ference or check in the way they have marked
outs
THE TRIBUNE, it is not necessary to say,
does not favor any continuance or revival Of
what is called derisively the bloody shirt"
issue. 1t would gladly see full and general
acceptance by the South of all the results of
the war, and an end made OF sectional issues,
so that the country might come up to calm
and sober discussion of the great economic and
financial questions which press upon us for
solution. We have hoped that the Democracy
might by this time have mustered courage
enough to so align itself as to make this posi-
ble Ii is not our fault OF the fault any Republi
can that instead of it we are still considering the