Huntsville gazette., 1884-08-02

seabOard for shipment TO foreign countries,
relieved of vexatioas restrictions and discri1n-
nations in matters of which it may emphati
caiy be said, time is money!" and also of un-
just Charges upon articles destined to meet
close competition from the products of other
parts- OF the world,
As to our foreign commerce. the enormous
growth of our industries, and. our surprising
production of cereals and other necessities OF
Life, imperat1vely require that immediate and
elective means be taken through pea eful,
orderly and conservative methods to open
markets which have been and are nov mo-
nopolized largely by other nations. This more
part cularly relates to our sister republics of
Spanish America, as also to our friends TIE
people OF the Brazilian Empire.
SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS.
The republics of Spanish America are allied
to US by the very closest and warinest feel
ings, based upon similarity of institutions
mutual hopes. The Great Republic" as
they proudly term the United States, is
looked upon by their people with affection
ate admiration, and as the model for them
10 build upOn, and We should cultivate be-
tween them and ourselves closer commercial
relations, which will bind all together by
advantage. Further than this, being small
conimOnwea this, IN the military and naval
sense OF the European Powers, they look 10
us, at leasI, as a moral defender against sys-
tenn OF Territorial and other encroach-
ments, which, aggressive in the past, has
not been abandoned to this day. Diplomacy
and intrigue have done much more to
wrest the commerce of Spanish America
from the United States than has legitimate
commercial competition.
Politically we shoul be bound to the repub-
les OF our cOntine 1t by the closest ties, and
commune icatiOn by ships and railroads should
be encouraged to the fullest possible extent
consistent with WISE and conservative pub
lie policy. Above ALL we should be upon such
terms of friendship as to preciud the posS-
bility or national misunders ,anoings between
ourselves and any OF the members of the
Amerit al republican ia nily, The best meth
Cd to pl omote uninterrupted peace between
one and all woul lie in the meeting OF gen.
eral conference or congress, whereby an
agreement to submit all International dlher-
ences t. the peaceful decision OF friendly ar
bitratiOn might be reacled
An agreement OF this Kind would give our
sis er republics confidence in each other and
in us; closer communication would ensue, re-
ciprOcally advantag eouS commercial treaties
might be made, whereby much of the COM
merce which Low hOwS across tho Atlantic
would seek its legitimate channels, and iiilre
to the greater prosperity OF all AMERICAN
cOmmonwealthS. The full advantages OF
policy of this nature could not be stated in
brief discussion like the present.
FOREIGN RELATIONS. ~
The United States has grown to be gov
erninent representing mo e than 50,0UJ,0O0
peO, lie. and in every sense excepting that OF
meie naval powers, is one OF the f1rSt nations
of The word. As SUCH lis citizenship Snould
ae valuapie, emitting its posSessot 10 protec-
uon4n every quar- .er of the globe. do not
20; Slder it necessary that our GOvcrnm, nj
shou construct enormous fleets OF approved
isOnciads aud maintain commensurate BODY
OF seau.cn in order to place ourselves on a
wa footing with the military and naval pow
ers of Europe. such a course would not be
compatible with the peaceful policy OF our
country, though it seems absurd that we have
not the effective means to repei wanlou IN
vaSiOn OF our coast and give projection to
our coast town and cities against any power.
The great moral force of our country is so
universally recognized as to render al APP
peal to arms by us, either in protection OF our
Ci liens abroad or in recognition OF any just
International ri2ht, quite improbable.
What we most need in this direction is
firm and vigorous assertion OF every right and
privilege belonging 10 our GOyernment or its
citizens, as well as an equally firm assertion of
the rights and privileges belOn-ing to the
general family of American Republics sit
iIa,ed on this continent, whenopposed if ever
they should be, by the systems of government
upon another continent
An appeal 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 arbitration is not
far OF. -. ......, IVY Ii I.
fs ~ SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE.
The central idea of republican form Of
government is the rule of the whole people as
opposed to the other forms which rest upon
privileged class.
Our forefathers, in the attempt to erect
new Government which might represent the
advanced thought of the world at that period
upon the subject of governmental reform,
adopted the idea OF the peoples sovereignty,
and thus laid the basis of cur present republic.
While technically government OF the people,
it was in strictness only a Government of a
portion of the people, excluding from all par
ticipatlOn a certain other portion, held i'll a
condition of absO .ule, despotic, and hopeless
Servitude, the parallel 10 which, fortunately,
does not now exist in any modern CHRISTIAN
nation.
With the elimination. however, of another
cycle Of advanced thought, the American re-
public suddenly assumed the Full character of
Government of the whole people, anu 4.00O-
0N0 human creatures emerged from the condi-
ton OF bondsmen to the full status OF freemen,
Theoretically invested with the same civil and
political rights possessed by their former
masters. The subsequent lcgiS litiOn which
guaranteed by every legal tit the citizenship
and full equality before the law in all respects
of this previously disfranch,sed people, amply
covers the requirements and secures to them
rs far as legislation can, the privileges of
American citizenship. But the disagreeable
fact of the case is. that while, theoretically,
we are in the enjoyment of Government of
the whole people, practically we are almost as
far from it as we were in the ante-bellum
days of the republic. There are but few
leading and ndisputabe facts which cover
the whole statement CT the case. In many of
the southern States the coored population is
in large excess of the whi e. The cOlOred peo-
pie are hepuDllcdflS, Us are also Il cOnSluOfd-
ble portion of the white people. The remain
ing portion of the latter are Democrats. In
face of this incontcstable truth these States
invariably return Democratic majorities. In
other States of the South the cOlored people,
although not a majority, form a very consid
cradle body of the population. and, with the
white Republicans, are numerically in excess
Of the Democrats, yet precisely the same po-
litical result ObtainS-the Democratic party
invariably carrying the elections. 1t is not
even thought advisable to allow an occasional
or unimpOrtant election to be carried by the
Republicans as a blind" or as a stroke of
tneSoG.
INTIMIDATION IN THE SOUTH.
Careful and impartial .investigation has
shown these re suits tofollow the systematic
exercise Of physical intimidation and viO-
lence, cOnioined with the most shameful de-
vices ever practiced in the name of free elec-
tions. So confirmed has this result become
that we are brought face to face with the ex-
traordinary political fact that the Democratic
pa ty of the South relies almost entirely upon
the methods stated for its success in NATIONAL
elections.
This unlawful perversion of the popular
franchise which i desire to state diSpaSsion-
ately, and in a manner comporting with the
proper dignity of the OCCASION is one of deep
gravity to the American people-in double
sense: & -ssFst- :.
l. 1t is open violation, OPEN direct and fla
grant, 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