The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-07-31
soUrH AMERIoAN REruBLIos.

ate admiration, and as tue model for them
10 build upo !, and We should cultivate be-
tween them and ourselves closer commercial
relations. which will bind all together by
the ties OF friendly intercourse and mutual
ad vantage. further taan this, being small
eommonwea tbs. IN the military and naval
sense Of the European overs, they look 70
US, at least as a moral defender against a sys-
tenn OF Territorial and other encr- ach-
mems, which. aggressive in the past, has
and intrigue have done much more to
wrest the commerce of Spanish America
from the United States than has legitimate
commercial competition.
Politically we shoull be bound to the repub-
es of our contiue 1t by the closest ties. a Id
commun ;catioa BY ships ana railroads should
be encouraged to the fullest possible extent
consistent with a wise and conservative pub
lie policy Above all we 81 ould b 5 upon such
terms OF friendship to preclLd the possi-
biiity OF national miSuldel sanuiags between
ourselves and aly OF tue members of the
Amer4( republican ia ally, The best meth
Cd to p. omote uninterrupted pea ,e between
one and all woul lie in the meeting OF gen
agreement to submit oil int Irrational diner
ences t the peaceful decision of friendly
b.tTatiOn might be reacIed
An agreement of this kind would give our
sis -er republics confidence in e1ch other and
IN Us CT 9sef cohlhuhtcatloh Wodiu e1sue, re-
clprocatly adgant3se u commercial treaties
might be made, whereby much of the com
merce which ow flows across the Atlantic
would seek its Legitimate channels. and tnure
to the greater prosperity OF all American
commonwealth Inc full advantages of a
policy of this nature could not be stated in
Drie1 discussion ike the present
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The United States has grown to be gov
ernment representing mo e than 50O0J,0Ol
people. and IN everY sense excepting that OF
mel e naval powers, is one OF The hrSt nations
of the world. AS such, its citlzeuship should
be valuable, emitting Its possesses 10 protec-
ton in every quar- ,er of the globe. do not
consider Ii necessary that our government
shou construct enormous meets OF apI ro ga
hOnciads a ID maihtjin c0mmensura- G body
of seamcn in order to place ourselves on a
wat footing with the military and naval pow
ers of Europe. Such a course would not be
cOmpatib with the peaceful policy OF our
country though it seems absurd that we have
uOt the q Tec iVe means To reDel a wautou in.
Vaeion of our coast and give protection to
our coast town and cities against any power
The great moral force of our country Is so
universally recognized IS to render an APP
peal to arms by US, either in protection Of our
ii izens abroad or in reco gnitlon OF any just
international right quite tmpr0bab Q.
What we most need in tbs direction is
fl m and vigorous assertion OF every right ana
privilege belonging 10 our government or us
citizens, as wei as equally firm assertion or
the rights and privileges belonging to the
general family of American Republics sit
uatcd on this continent, when oppo, ed, II ever
they should be, by the systems of government
upon another continent.
An apT eai TO the right by such Govern
ment as ours could not be disregarded by any
civilized nation. In the treaty Of Washington
we led the world 10 the means of escape from
the horrors of war. and it is to be hoped that
the era when all international differences
shall BE- decided by peaceful al bitratlon is not
SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE.
The central idea of a republican form of
government is the rule of the whole people 5
opposed to the other forms which rest upon
privileged class.
Our forefathCrs, in the attempt to erect a
new Government which might repre- sent the
advanced thought of the world at that peri ID
upon the sub ec1 of governmental reform,
adop the idea of the peoples sovereignty,
ami thus laid the Gasis of our present republic.
While technically a G Government oil the people,
it in strictness only a Government of a
portion of the people, excluding from a par
ticipation a Ger ain other portion held in a
condition q 0aGngflG. homeless
servitude tie a arallel o which, fortunately,
docs not now exist iH any modern Chr. stian
nation.
With the elimination, however. of another
cycle Of advance thought, the American re-
public suddenly assumed the full charactet of
Il Government of In whole people, an 40O0.-
0J0 human creatures emerged from the condi-
ton of bondsmen to the fun status of freemen,
theoretically invested with the same civil and
political rights possesse1 by their former
masters. The subsequent l. & ItiOn which
guar alteed by every legal tit the citizenship
and full equal ty be ore the law IN all respects
OF this previously dlsn ani sed people, amply
covers the requirements and secures to them,
as far us legislat can, the privileges of
American citizenship. But the disdg seable
fact of the case is, tlat while, theoretically,
we are in the en- oyment of Government of
the whole people, practic ally we are almo st as
far from it as were in the aute-bellum
days of the republic. There but u few
leading and indisputab'e facts which yer
the whole staten mt If the case, In many of
the >C u hern States the colOred pOpulat on is
in large excess Of the whi O. The cotored peO-
pie are Republicans, as are also cOnside a.
bic portion of the white people. The remain-
ing portion of the later are Demo rats. In
face Of this incontcstable truth these States
invariably return Democratic ajOrItes. In
other Stltes of the South the colored people,
al houeh not a majority, form very consid
cradle Ddy of the populat oa, and, with the
white Republicans, are numerically in excess
of the / emocrats yet precisely the same po-
ltical result obtains-thc democratic IarJy
inva rfably carrying the elections. 1t is not
even thought advisable to al Ow an occasional
Or unimportant election 10 be Tired ny the
Republicans as "blind or as a stroke OF
INTIMIDATION IN THE SOUTH.
Careful and impartial invest 'ga'ion has
shown these re suits to follow the systematic
EXERCISE of physical intimidation aud vio-
l. n ,e con o ned with the most shameful de-
vices ever practiced in the name of free cleo
tions. So confirm d has this re suit become
that we are brought face to face with the ex
traordinary political fact that the Democratic
ia ty of the South relies almost entirely upon
tue methods stated for its success in Nati0 lal
This unlawful perversion of the popular
franchise. which / desire to state disDassion-
ately ard in a manner comportng wi tho
prope dignity of the occasion, is one of deep
81 ayity to the American people-in adoub'e
sense:
l. 1t is oren violation, open, direct and fla
gran. of the primary principle upon which
our Government is supposed to rest--viz: that
the control of the Government is participated
in BY all legally qualified citizens in accord
ance with the plan Of popular government,
that maiorities must rule in the decis on of all
questions.
2 it is in violation of the rights and inter-
ests of the States whe -cin a particularly
centered TIE great wealth and Industries OF
the Nation, and which pay an Overwhelming
portion of the National taxes The Immense
aggregation of interests embrace Within
and tEe enormously greater population of
tn ese other states of the Union, are sub
jected every fOur years TO the dangers Of
wholly fraudulent show of numerical
strength.
tempt to direct the course of Maj mai af-
fairs. an though up to this time success has
not attended their efforts to elect a President
yet success has been SO perl1ously Imminent
as to encourage r5pe tition of the effort at
each qualrennial election, and to subject the
interests of an overwhel inning majority Of or
people North and South, to the hazards of
iIiegaI subversiOn.
these plain truths is that if Il o Republican
element was really in the majority
rights and privileges by minority;
but nei her statistics of population
nor the unavoidable logic of the situation an
be overridden or escaped. The colored peo-
pie of the South have recently emerged fro n
the ondage of their present political oppres-
sion; they have had but few of the advantages
Of education which might enable them to com
pete with the whites
FREE EXERCISE OF THE FRANCHISE.
AS Ihave heretofore maintained, in order TO
achieve the ideal perfection of popular gov
ernment, 1t is absolutely necessary that the
masses sho Iid be educated. This proposition
applies itself with full force to the colored
people of the South. They must have better
educational advantaqes and thus be enabled
to become the intellectual peers of their
white brethren, as many OF them un.
de.dd, do.ubt,9dly already ar are. A liberal liberal
for the rising generation of the
South, and the colored people be made as
capable of exercising the duties of electors
as the white people. In the meantime it Is the
duty of the National Government TO go be
yond resolutions and declarat Ons on the sub
9cct. aud to take such action as may lie in its
pow er 70 secure tae absolute freedom of Ma
uonaI elections everywhere, to the end that
our Congress may cease to contain me nber5
representing fictitious ma5orities of Their
people, thus misdiFecting the popul ir viii
concerning National legislation, and es-
pecially TO the end tina, in Pre- identiai con.
tests, the great business and other interests of
the country may not be placed IA fear and
trembling. lest unscrupulous minority
should succeed in ling the wishes OF
majority An accord tnce with the spirit OF
the last resolution Of the Chicago platform,
measures should be taken at once 10 remedy
this greaf eVlf