Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-03-25
Divide and Govern.

Divide and Govern.
As the Norfolk Landmark says, ''Rome,
Spain, Russia, England have understood
how to divide and govern, and the latter
Power practices this art to-day with no lit
tie skill in many parts Of the globe. This
keen and cruel policy is not confined by any
means to Empires; but political parties know
how to practice it, and of this we are likely
to have abundant evidence in the policy OF
the Republican party towards the South
Until Malone added his wit to their councils
they tried to gallop rough-shod over the
South. The corporal Of the guard was
greater person in South Carolina and Louisi-
ana than any State officer; and the amiable
General Sheridan, who shocked the Ger
mans by his barbarous notions of warfare
[see Bismarck in the Franco-Prussia war:
By DR.. Busch lamented that he could not
deal with the Theoretically free citizens
of the last-named Commonwealth as "baA-
ditti'' to be disposed of by drumhead Courts
But the 'dragonnades'' no more prospered
in the South than they did in France; and
the "Solid South" became more "solid''
under the domination of the military Com
manders, and the wretched carpet-baggers.
The Republican leaders hated the South
too much to think of finesse, and preferred
the harsh methods of the soldier to the arts
of the politician. But they are beginning
to see their way to a different line of policy.
Malone has shown them that small white
contingent can be secured by means Of
patronage; and it is safe to say that he has
done us more harm, morally than any man
who has yet gone into alliance with the Re-
publicans. He has shown that a certain
small class of white people can be bought,
by one means or another, and has inspired
the idea of a division of the dominant pop
ulation as a preliminary to the elevation OF
Negroised Commonwealth in the South
And circumstances promise to aid him some
what in this division, for in parts OF the
South there are white men engaged in spe-
cial pursuits who have taken ground against
the Democratic party on the subject of tar
iff reform. To oppose the Democracy is to
favor the Republicans, and for the Republi-
cans to succeed will be for the white mans
civilization to be put down. On the tariff
r reform question the Great Northwest, as a
whole, has views as pronounced as its in
terests, and at no remote day the centre OF
power in this Republic will be found in that
region The South naturally should be in
alliance with that great and growing sec
ton; but the Malone Republican policy, al
ready avowed, is to divide us on this cues
tion-to divide that they may govern.
We believe that small class of people.
blind through self-interest, may not perceive
this. We understand that certain interests
will be opposed to reform-to any reform
on the tariff; but we believe also that the
great mass of the white people of the South
will see the snare set in their sight by the
political fowlers of the Republican party,
and that their arts will be expended in vain
It is now proposed by the New York Her.
aid to send down among us the chief men Oh
the Republican party as tariff missionaries.
Mr.. ''Kitchen Cabinet Wise has endorsed
the proposition with great exuberance of ap
. prevail; and we shall neither be reluctant MOI
afraid to see them among our people. But
before they come it should be understood
that the policy of their party is that-of an
cient Rome and modern England-to divide
US first, in order that they may rule US af-
forwards with rod of iron in the hands Of
the Negroes and their few white masters
This is the length and breadth, height and
depth, diameter and circumference, Of the
meaning of the crusade now preached, with
tie tariff as its apology, and a treasury oyer
burdened with a surplus as its Holy Sepul
chre; and if the white men of The South fall
a prey to this new scheme, then, they will
deserve to suffer all that may, ard will fal
Oh them as the penalty Of dividing theil
strength at the bidding of their remorse
less enemies