National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-29
TROUBLES IN THE SOUTH.

TROUBLES IN THE SOUTH
The crushing mnjortics by which the Re
publican administration OF Gen. Grant was in-
dorsed at the polls in 1872, against the COM
bncd forces of the Democracy and tho new
crop of doughfaced and sOreheadcd Republi.
cans headed by Greeley, Sumner &c Co., gave
rome temporary check to the kuklux maraud-
Crs In portions OF the south. Serious troubles
there were in lS72-'73 in Alabama, Arkansas,
Texas and Louisiana but the people had made
the power OF the nation so respected that the
Presidents response TO the call Of n state for
aid to suppress domestic violence was accepted
MS determining at least for the time, the leglti.
macy of the state government making the call.
Prosecutions under the enforcement acts had,
the President said In his message In 1872,
"tended greatly to the repression Of such dis
orders" lie credited "a great majority Of tho
people in all parts Of the country" with favor
ing the full enjoyment by al classes OF per;
under the constitution and the laws The
paidoning power was used literally In the
hope, he said That clemIIfncy IN such cases s
the virtue of that policy" Yet he warned
offenders that this must not be construed as In
dG@ng INK egsnye n h GeSSsnon 10
long as the consplrocies and combinations
therein named disturb the peace Of the coun-
try" He expressed an earnest hope that he
N-HNNhN~
enforcement acts.
LOUISIANA.
A political duel In Louisiana, In which re-
tuning boards, injunctiOns, legislatures, and
impenChmcnts Were the weapons, ragged there
for the two months following the election in
1872, but was composed, for the time by the
intervention of the President in support of the
Kellogg government. lie informed Congress,
by special message, of this action, and said
81 am extremely anxious to avoid any appear.
nnce OF undue interference In state affairs, and
NVg.N,N TO hat ~.
be done, respectfully urge Its immediate dc.
cision to that effect At the same time he
said that II no action should be taken by Con-
Rress he would feel obliged, as far as he could
by the exercise of legitimate authority, to put
an end to the unhappy controversy by Gontin-
uing TO support the Kellogg government, which
alone had even an apparent right TO repre-
seut the majority of the people;
Congress failed to act, thus giving the assent
which silence implied. But although Congress
ttok no action, a report was made by the Senate
committee on privileges and elections which
declared that TO recognize the pretended gov
eminent of McEnery would be recognizing u
wishes and intention of the voters of the state"
In view, however, of the grave Irregularities
surrounding the SSunt and deGiGrston Of ne
supporters of McEnery, the Senate passed a bill
providing for new election. All the Demo-
Gratis voting except one voted against the bill.
The message referred to was dated Feb. %,
1878. A week later the forty.second Congress
expired. A little more tnnn month later, April
10, the Colfax massacre took place, at which
more than sixty Republicans were killed while
engaged in protectinga Republican parish Judge
and sheriff from being driven from office by u
The state authorities that, upon the call of the
governor, the President, on the 18th of May,
Issued bis proclamation commanding the in
surgents to dispense. This put some check to
open andarmed resistance to the state authority.
One would think that In a history of Con,
gress, covering this period, the author could
Nypll avoid rpfprAnpps To npsgaue
IRON the President, announcing revolution
III state. IFS suppression by federal power,
and requesting u congressional decision as to the
legitimacy Of the acting state government
But MIR. Blaine passes by II without the slight
est mention. This was because he could not
Afford to call the attention of the Republicans
OF the country to his own attitude at the time.
The ice was too thin even for his rapid skat.
ing, and he pTudently went. around. Hence the
necessity for an honest review to supplement
history too hastily written
THE LAST REPUBLICAN HOUSE But ONE.
The forty.third Congress assembled in De
cember, 1873. The name oi Grant was then q
power In the SOUTH equal to an army OF mil
lion Of men. This was because behind him
were the physical power and resources of the
north, which had conquered rebel
lion and stopped And pSer 'oR WhSn
,Rat Congress- ftS adjourned its 0"f first session
in the summer of 1874, the power ofthe mighty
party OF the Uni, II was broken. IL had been
betrayed by false Republicans, who were des-
perately resolved to destroy Grant, In order to
make room for themselves ~ d y WhdtCttr pOlHt
cal banner they might have to rally.
Blaines Investigation of AmGs, Garfield Il
Co., in the Credit Mobilier matter, had been
heralded as conclusive proof of the rottenness
of the Republican party,
[NoTEIA friend has called my attention to
an error In my last chapter Ames and Brooks
escaped expulsion by small vote, and were
subjected 10 Il vote of censure only.l
Ellis II. Roberts had caused 1t 10 be proven
that customs officers had received large sums
as allowed by law, for bringing to Justice
and this conduct-not of the rOgues, but of the
officers who drew upon them the halter OF the
law-was treated as additional proof OF the
corruption of the Republican party, In other
words, the enemies OF the Republican admin
istration had thrown mud at each Ohr which
had stuck, and therefore that administration
those who saw Blaine smirch Garfield, ant
then followed them both IN Il raid agains
Grant.
SCANDAL AS A POLITICAL FORCE.
The country was assured by these patriot
Iarty TO be, they would put Il to It's purgatlon
They asked the people to give them the lead
and to put down the , wicked corrupt, ah nc
great industry, and strict and exclusive atten
lion to that business they would be able to ge
everybody but themselves out of the party, AM
that then 1t would be pure and honest. TIT
great dalies in the cities fed the morbid public
appetite for scandal thus created and wher
the day arrived for the congressional election
to party, but who had usually voted the Repub
lican ticket, gave their votes to the Democracy
The men who led In this work were divideS
the then meek and paralyzed Democracy, fo
another coalition like that of the Greeley cam
paign, and the fools who had not sense enough
10 know that Republican defeat meant Demo
cratic success. The non.partisan vote witt
Republican proclivites went away from thu
party that year n 1Sr e sSS re bs d HS s
who assured him that II must be clean, for l
had taken her and her three daughters all nigh
pick the hairs out oi II the loud assurance
formers, that the wedding out OF thieves wa
the only business the party could get time L
attend to, did not attract the voters of 1874
customers.
And SO the great party of Union Liberty
and Equal Rights went down. Il was no more
responsible for the cases of misconduct nov
and then brought home TO individuals than 4
the national banking system for the thieves
Ss Tr 70 NaiSu,a society ley OF w
which Il few of its clergymen have figured
Grants administration had been vlndicated II
every test to which II had been subjected, ant
the Wholesale defamation of the party, b!
sCandal.mongering congressman and editors
became necessary to the Grant haters, because
the only way TO "beat Grant was by beatlnl
the party which had refused any other leader
THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF REPUBLICAN
POWER,
When the smoke and stencil OF the politica
battle hnu cleared away III november, 1914, ]
was found that the Democrats had about Il
majority in the next House If Representatives
But the Republican House yet living,with IL
majority of nearly hundred, was to meet tn
following month. With Sena'e three-fourth
Republican, and faithful Executive ready Il
cooperate In any Just and vigorous measure
for the maintenance of the constitution and tn
laws, the forythiTd Congress had three month
in which to put its house in order anG to repai
some OF the plumbers and supply some of tn
omissions of the preceding session.
Abiding TO this time Mr.. Blaine says, 9TH
Republican leaders took warning, and Nrree,
that before losing control OF the lower horse
they would securo'- What2 Life prep
eTty, and the lawful rule of the majOritiesl