The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-10-18

NJ luc 'NVulu. answer tnat, 10 great
extent, DO net. One Of the great diff
cu!tlcs al the outset of reconstruction,
and, indeed, at all times since, has been
the natural and inevitable repugnancc
which Il Southern Democrat has felt to.
ward the party which abolished slavery
and suppressed secession. The gulf was,
and must have been, originally wide and
deep between the whites at the South
speaking of them as II whole-and the
Republican party ut the close of the war.
remember well that with the most can
lid aud open minded of this class, whose
acquaintance formed from 1860 10 1868,
the feeling toward the Republican party
was one of unaffected dread and distrust.
Can there any good thing come out of
Nazareth = WAS their sincere thought
With others the Irrling was OF intense
hatred. born of humbled pride. of
crushed hopes, of lost fortunes, of dead
friends. Such, without further ciabora.
ton, was the situation essentially and
originally.
Now, the thought intended to pre-.
sent III my former letter. was in substance
this: That il the Republican party
could have presented itself to the South
under reconstruction rs tho party not
only of free suffrage and equal civil and
political rights for all, but also of honest
and efficient administration of local
affairs, ievyins taxes, aud cxpending
promoting all public interests regardless
OF party or color; III word, giving to
all the people n local government like
that Of Ohio or New York or Massachu.
sets, then the course Of the Republican
ri nj hn Il
onward and upward TO the complete re.
moval of the distrust Of the latter class
and to the gradual extinction of that
bitter hatred of which you speak, and
which does distinguish the Southern
Democracy now from any other political
factor in our politics.
In other words, my profound and un.
doubling belief, based upon all l know
of the South. is that bad local govern.
ment at the South is responsible, not for
the origin, but for the continuance il,
great degree Of that peculiar political
bitterness on the part of Southern Dem.
Ocrats to which you refer. But for bad
local government believe there would
to-day be comparatively little difference
in feeling between political parties Il,
the South and the same parties ut the
North. This was my thought, and nv
argument from it was this That finding
things rs they area solid Democratic
South, free suffrage utterly Frustrated to
the imminent danger Of all our great
national interests, economical and moral
the only plan under which these re.
suits can be reversed and the lundamen-
tai principles of our Government re.
stored TO supremacy ut the South is the
building up there of IL Republican party
which shall have a just title to the con-
iidcncc Of all the people that its advent
to power will bring or continue good
local government.
Ii such a result can be reached, the
relations of parties ut the South will
again be normal. The flames of rancor
will have no fuel to feed upon. Political
differences there will be AZ here, deep
and earnest, but not rancOrous, destruct.
I've OF all social amenities and deadly |
beg here TO say with emphasis that |
wholly agree with you that there can be
no sudden cure for the Southern disease.
Wise and right methods must first be
adopted, then pursued patiently and un.
talteringly, in the large faith Of Abra
ham Lincoln that God has no made
things here that right is might" Begin
right, | would say, master the problem
30 as to see the end from the beginning,
work consistently and increasingly, line
iipoii line, precept upon precept, conf
dent always Of final results, and this
huge Southern hindrance 10 national
honor and prosperity can be removed,
-Four years will disclose much progress
eight years will give to the faithless even
glimps>s Of the coming victory. Who
that realizes the real nature of tho task
can ask for more7
You justly remark that the policy OF
excluding unworthy persons from Office
at the South is unquestionably a good
one, but that the antagonsms and. ical-
ousies which have 20 abounded among
our friends there make the selection of
good officers very difficult. If | appre-
ciate nything to its fullest extent | do
this. But if the plan is a wise and right
one, especially if it is the only plan that
it is right to pursue, there is no alterna-
tive but to pursue it, with such success
as msy be possible.
really do not think that if the eve
OF a President is single to the selection
of respectable and competent Republi.
cans At the South, aud if he asks the aid
of men actuated by like motives-of
whom lie eau find some, if not many, in
each State-the difficulty will be by any
means insurmountable. 1t will require
great wisdom and caution, but not more.
| believe, without Aattery, than ou.
Presidcnt.elect possesses.
Your letter has caused me to reflect
anew upon the main idea I expressed in
my former letter, namely, that VIC must
buiid up new or new SORT of Republi-
can party ut the South, and to do this
must begin by practically showing the
South of both parties, in the APPOINT.
ment OF Federal officers. what we mean
by good government and good admins.
tration, and 4 desire to say again that my
convictions remain unchanged, unless It
be that am more deeply convinced Of
the correctness Of the view taken, and I
am here led to add that in my judgment
one special source Of danger in dealing
with the Southern question is tho appa-
rent readiness OF many Republicans to
espouse and aid the cause Of anybody at
the South who breaks with the regular
democracy, regardless Of the merits of
his cause. a pregnant illustration of
what mean may be seen in Mahone's
case in Virginia. The basis of Mahones
party is Reputation, the refusal 70 psy
public debts unless they are reduced to
what he calls "the ability of the people
to pay" with even that standard subject
to future changes to correspond with the
varying liability Of the people to paw
Now, to countenance Malone under any
stress of so-called political advantage OF
necessity, as I believe Mr.. Jewell and
MIR. Gorham did in the last campaign,