The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-03-06
The Southern Outrages.

The Prog. Age has at last tax encognizance
of the outrages in the South which have been
made the subject of investigation by the Senate
committees. We are glad to that it
does not attempt to defend the shooting down
of the negroes in Danville, and that it proper
ly condemns the murder of Matthews in Missis-
sppi. OF the latter outrage the Age says: SIT
WAS Il cold-blooded murder, and it is a shame
and disgrace to that State that such murder
ers are allowed to go UNPUBLISHED" Having
gone thus far the Age feels it to be necessary
to come to the defence of the Democratic party,
in whose name and interest these murders were
committed. 1t says:
Now, if it is the purpose to hold the dem
ocratlc party of the nation responsible, where
is the evidence of its connyance or even of its
giving countenance to such violent methods ?
1t does not exist. The evidence is totally
wanting that even the democratic party of
Virginia c0nnived to bring about the Danville
riot. Nor i there any evidence that that riot
deferred Il single negro from voting outside of
a few at that place; and it is doubtful whether
their abStaining was not more for the purpose
of raising hue and cry than from fear.
II has not been asserted, to our know
ledge, that Northern Democrats instiga-
ted or connived at these murders. But the
outrage> were committed by Democrats, in
the interest of their party, and have not been
generally condemned by the Northern wing of
that party. Indeed. the Democratic party
bases its hopes for success in the national con-
test On solid South-made solid by just such
oulrages as these. The exact measure of guilt
this implies may be easily arrived at. The
evidence that the Democratic party of Virginia
connived to bring about the Danvie riot is
sufficiently plain. The Richmond Whg edited
by AN eX-Confederate and former Secretary of
the State of Virginia, says in AN editorial on
'loIilical Methods:
ON Thursday or Friday previous to the 6th
day of November last the rumor reached Rich
moEd that the Bourbons had determined to
precipiate conflicts between the blacks and the
whites at various points. In some of the white
districts in Southwest Virginia photographs
representing negro teachers logging white
| children We're scattered abroad amongst the
more llteraie whites to intiame them against
the blacks. and to induce them to vote against
, tho party whose platform the Bourbons had
'to"" and on which they now stand.
There is much more testimony of the same
sort. mainly from Democratic and ex-Con-
fcderate sources. There is also ample evidence
that the intimidation of the negroes was not
confined to those in Danvie The negroes
stayed away from the polls not, as the Age in
Inmates, because they wanted 80 raise hue
and cry but from fear of their lives They
had not the courage of Matthews, who asserted
his right as an American citizen only TO be shot
down in cold blood.
That Congress can do nothing to punish the
perpetrators of these outrages must be conced-
ed-and regretted. But its right to investigate
can not be questioned. The Republican party
freed the cGiored man, admitted him to citizen.
ship, and is bound to protect him. In this case
il can do no more than to collect and present
the facts: and it could not do less The guilty
parties, sooner or later, directly or indirectly
viii be punished as they deserve to be. The
Washington Republic says: "While the eman-
cipatcd negro is doubtless the greatest sufferer
AT the present time, the whole South will rear
a bitter punishment in Years to come Even
now. with all her wealth of soil and desirable
ness of climate, the Northwest, where freedom
j, not myth, is rebling its population yearly
while the South can only point to slow growth
that the acts of the past few months will be
sure to retard.''