National Republican., 1885-10-05

surlpes. Inc men who enacted the black
codes Of the northern states, the men who
supported those Infamous codes, the men
who hunted fugitive blacks, the men who
permitted the north to be used as q hunting
ground for such fugitives, the men who, in
New York, Boston and elsewhere, mobbed
the opponents Of slavery and broke up anti
slavery meetings all these were slaves,
more degraded than the chattels toilng in
the rice, cotton, and cane fields Of the south.
There is no chattel slavery to-day and no
party now upholds the right to own and
work and sell men, women, and children
but bourbon intolerance still rules as inso-
lently and triumphantly as 1t did when the
martyrs Of liberty were murdered in Kansas
and chained fugitives were dragged through
the streets of Boston.
BY denial Of freedom of speech and by
suppression Of the ballot in southern states,
the federal government has been revolu-
tionized. The minority rules, the majority
submits. The soil thus ruled is not free
soil in any but the narrowest sense of the
word. The men of the majority, thus put
under the rule of the minority, arc not free
men, and they would deserve to be chained
and worked under the lash If they were
capable Of accepting their condition as a
finality.
There is not a chapter of history that
gives the record of silent submission to
such wrong by any part or portion of the
Anglo-SaXon race. Our Democratic friends
might as well attempt to turn tho tides of
the ocean by word of command, or stop the
flow Of the Mississippi with dam of grass,
as undertake to stop the agitation of this
paramount issue by snecring at "the bloody
shirt" They will learn, in the end that to
he victorious in wrong is to incur defeat
that to be defeated in the right Is some.
times the greatest victory.
The one great question now before the
people of the United States--innnitely more
important than the currency, the tariff, the
civil service, or any other subject likely to
call for action in Congrcss-is the post
bellum phase Of the slavery question; the
question whether the majority or the minor
ity shall rule; whether the war was or was
not failure; whether the old demand of
4s-'fre soil, free speech, free men -
shall still be practically denied.
All other questions must be secondary
and inferior to the one which involves the
legitimacy of the government. The first
and greatest political duty is to bring the
government out of illegitimacy and plant
it squarely and firmly on its only possible
permanent basis free suffrage. Seeing
the executive department and the House of
Representatives tainted in their respective
tenures by suppression of the ballot, the
majority which has thus been ousted would
show itself unfit for restoration to its rights
II It were capable Of ignoring the means by
which its competitor gained power.
In every state where elections are to be
held this year, this great issue should be
unfinchingly held up, and he is but a
coward who will be afraid to speak out
the truths which the occasion calls for.
Even If 1t were possible for the Republican
party to gain temporary and local advan-
tages by eyading or belittling the main
question, such course would be bad policy.
Let the appeal be made to all men of all
parties and all sections to stand up for
honest elections. There is not n county in
the United States which does not contain
Democrats who detest bourbonism, and who
are opposed to any policy, plan, or methods
which prevent freedom and fairness of cleo
tions. Let the friends of freedom rally to
this call and cause as their fathers rallied
forty years ago-not in wrath, not in venge-
ance, but with confidence in the justice of
their fellow men and with the courage that a
righteous purpose inspires.
We want no renewal of sectional strife.
We desire that the people of each state
shall be the brethren and friends OF the
people Of every other state. The ties of
friendship cannot be knitted too closely,
nor can the relations of business be too
intimate. For every step which the south
takes in the line Of progress let her be duly
credited.
But the agitation will go on and on, in
cessantly; will go on in defeat as well as in
victory; will go on until justice is triumph
ant. And the final triumph will come when
the conscience Of the south and her respect
for all that conduces to the honor and well
fare of Il people compel her to give every
voter free ballot aud an honest count.
If the south can be politically honest anl
solidly Democratic at the same time we care
not So that we have the kind Of govern
ment that the constitution requires-a gov
emment Of the people, based on the will Of
the maiority-it is of little moment what
patty may he in power,
But until we have such a government
there can be no cessation Of the demand for
IT, Until the right to speak and vote is en-
loyed in every part of the republic the
bourbon conscience shall have no rest.
AMONG the many Improvements which
the year has witnessed In Washington
journalism none is more marked than the
radical change effected in the Critic under
its new management. As logical conse-
Ouence OF Intelligent enteTprise the Critic