The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-09-06
The White Republicans have Warmed
Serpent that Stings.


latter is untrue, and the saying is
attributable to sectional hate and
prejudice. The North, since the war.
has arrogated to itself superior wis
dom, superior craftsmanship, superior
learning. superior manners, and supe-
rior morals. Like all the claims Of
arrogance their claimed excellencies
only have an existence in the Won
derful self-esteem of its people. We
have been lcctured upon our morals
and manners prosecuted for our po-
litical convictions and abused for our
ideas Of a proper social life.
The South was our.numbered upon
the battle field. and her people with
God-like herolsm have endeavored
to please the victors. We have been
patient, when we were maligned and
prosecuted magnanimous, when we
were reyiled and traduced and gen
erous and merciful and kind, when
we were slandered, condemned and
misrepresented.
AS an astute lawyer endeavOrs to
engage the attention of the jury ana
divert it from the weak points in his
case. so the Northern politicians and
writer's have steadily sought to divert
the attention of the world from the
real issue involved in the war be-
tween the States and to have it re.
corded in history that slavery was
the cause Of the unhappy struggle.
| And even blatant demagogues;" born
and reared among US, succumbing to
the evil inspiration Of the moment,
join in the same hue and cry. The
Southern people fought for the right
of local self.government-that dear
est Of all rights guaranteed by the
constitution. And many were the
brave men who never owned a slave
who fell martyr to there principles
which they had imbibed with the
milk from their mothers breast and
which grew as they grew and
strengthened as they strengthened
If slavery had been the issue, few
would have been the battles fought,
and long before the battle Of Malvern
Hill demonstrated to the world of
what stuff the Southern soldier was
made, the wounds would have been
healed. AMI many brave men that
now sleep ih unmarked graves would
be living and pursuing peaceful voca.
tons.
The very wealth that the North
has accumulated by an unjust princi-
pie OF taxation-the very wealth that
| she has eXtorted from the country in
a spirit OF greed and avarice, under
the gulse of a protective tariff has
done more to shake Republican In.
situations than even the Jealous fa
naticism Of Northern misreprcsenta
ton has ever claimed for the South
| But the war has ended. A new gen
Grafton has sprung into being. 1t is
time for both sections to forget the
past, and we of the South are content
to let the unhappy past rest in obliv
ion, but the North, as if DESTROYS tt
lever keep before our eyes the bloody
conflict, i'll a spirit of dictation an(
! haughtiness tells us what our moral:
are and what they .onght to be-
whom our associates shonld be
whom we should receive into ou
lhomcs and around our firesides
! whom we should wed; what relation:
1--WE should maintain toward the negro
It teaches by precept, but example il
| far from it. 1t abuses the South TO
being solid. Us if virtue and integrit,
and dignity Of character did not al
ways stand solidly together. I
|abuses us for thinking little of on
NATIVE born white people who hav,
Joined the Republican party, as If i
expected any good people to thinl
| we'll of those whom they. suspected
fof being actuated by sordid and mer
tcenary motives. This last though
brings us to our subject proper.
| The Democratic party South il
composed of white men. It repre-
sents the virtue, the intellige nee, tn,
true manhood, the wealth, the states
manship, and the morality of th
South. The Republican party Soutl
lis composed of negroes and a fe,
| white men. 1t represents the ignor
ance, the immortality, the unholy am
bition of the South. The ignoranc
of tie land is led by white men VIII
for the sake of an office have left us
We say this because we don't believ
there is 4 native white Republican i