National Republican., 1883-12-19
Republican Principles and Pledges.

much Il would lose by depending upon an al.
lance deemed by the northern voters betrayal
of its convlctions.-Ne,0 York Tribune
SO spoke the Tribune in its recent editorial
depreoating the Virginia coalition. We have
heretofore shown that there has been no re-
pudation in Virginia. Let us now adopt the
Tribunes words, and apply them to q broader
field, and one in which the republican party
ought to make itself clearly understood. "The
republican party has no business to disregard
its principles and pledges" SO say we all of
US. What are its principles National al
legiance as against state sovereignty;
and equal rights and protection for
all. What are its pledgesP To
enact the laws necessary to carry out these
principles, and then to compel obedience to
the law by all the power at the nations COM
mand. What has been accomplished in this
direction? Our national constitution has
been three timos amended to lberate, pro-
tect, and enfranchse the black race. Our
lawmakers have legislated to enforce the
amendments. Our judiciary declares tho
work of no avail. The Fadaladeens of legis-
lation have hunted for words to defeat the
object of tho laws which were being enacted,
and judges havo exceeded even their in
genuity in frittering and constituting away
any substance they may have left. Four
years Of war, ten following years
of bus siness disturbance, half million
of lives, and billions Of money,
have resulted in the firm re- establishment of
the absoutism Of state s overcignty, and the
entire subjugation of the nation in tho lato
confederate states. The United States has
no moro power to-day in those states, except
by sufferance, than 1t had during the war.
The states have not seeded from the union,
but thoy have expelled the union out from
their borders They accept mail facilities
and river and harbor appropriations, but
they are as free from any operation Of SO
much of tho federal constitution and laws as
are distasteful to them as over Vermont or
and laws of the southern confederacy. The
nation says the negro is citizen
The south replies Eyes but Ue will meas
urc out his rights as SUCH" Tho nation says
that all state laws shall BIO equal in their ap-
plcation to all. Th o south says: "They shall
read that way, but they shall not operate that
way; and what are you ding to do about it?"
The nation says the negroes shall be counted
in the basis of represen tation and shall vote
The south says: eve will say he is voter
and thereby secure thi rty-fvo representa-
tives, but we will 500 that ho does not vote.
We will gull northern simpletons and aid
northern hypocrltes by loudly pretending to
consent to negro suffrage, while murderers
and ballot-box suffers shall see that no harm
comes of it to the democratic party.
The objects for which tho war was fought
have not been achieved The nation is the
in constitutional imbeciity and sees million
of its citizens made outlaws in the southern
states. If the republican party had not been
divided against itself on the plainest ques-
tions of law and justice it would have made
freedom national when it had con troll of all
branches of the government. But treason crept
into its counsels and foiled the efforts of its
grand and noble leaders, and blasted the hopes
of the great majority of its members. And now
so dead to all that republicanism means are
some who sail under its colors that they seem
| .,.J; 10 tha ED
above described, and the exis tence of which
no man can truthfully deny. OF what avail
is republican success II 1t means only money
getting at the north and offices everywhere
while every friend tho natl on has in ter
states is hunted down by public enemy in
those states? Do the cold and calloui
hearted imagine that the honest and true
anti-slavery element of this country
can be dragooned into the sup
port of party which forgets that it has
soul? Do few selEsatisfed men believ,
that the conscience of the six millions Of re
publicans can be narcotized by man worship
or amused by theories while men are sho
down at the polls for daring to have opinion
and voting to sustain them? If SO, they will
be brought to their senses by rude shocl
either next June or next November. Their
is still God in Israel, and there ar
millions who have not yet bowed dow
to that ally of bourb onism, tn
Baal of heartless indifference. AS tn
Tribune says mo one can guess how mucl
it (the republican party would lose by de
pending upon an alliance deemed by tn
northern voters a betrayal of its convictions
But the alliance that would bo dangerou
would not be one with tho patriotic ex-con
federates who battle against bourbon malig
nifty, but rather it would be one with treach
erous ex-republicans who have re-enforce'
bourbon malignity, and aided it to check tn
forward march of liberalism in the south
Beware OF the leaven of the Pharisees.
Practical Education.