Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-23
The Latest Southern Outrage.

One apostate 10 worse than ten Turks. TIE
most malignant and unicelng OF the Union
soldiers in the war between the states were
those who deserted their brethren ana
friends OF the South and cast IN their lo's
with the powerful national Government.
The West Virgiuians, for example, who
went into the Federal army and shot down
their own Gesh and blood can never we
should Judge. be quite satisfied that they did
right when they helped 70 conquer their
Mother State and appeared 70 glory IN see
Ing her humbled by the sword OF Federal
power.
And now, twenty-iour years after the end
OF the war between the States, we find In 81.
LOUIS more persistent manifestations OF hos
tiity towards the southern people than can
be witnessed almost else here In the Union.
The most improbable Munchauseni'msa as to
alleged outrages in any southern state are
sufficient to excite the ire Of the leading Re-
publican paper OF that city and call forth
from Il articles which represent the people
who live south OF Mason g. DIXos's line as
little better than savsges-ouilaws who have
no rights which Republicans are bound to
respect.
The IT Louis paper 10 which we refer il
the Globe Democrat. Its very name Is
standing falseboOd, seeing that 1t IL one OF
the most malignant OF Republican Journals.
Iii mystery TO us bow such paper can
flourish in a Slate so soupdy Democratic as
Missouri Anyhow we Dsy treat its utter'
ances rs those OF the th.hatcrs, and sc-
cept its threats NJ II they came from
CHANDLER, FoRITEE, REID, or any other OF
the Republican leaders who are now plot
ting TO put all the congressional elections in
the southern States under the control OF Re-
pushcan officials. and thus perpeiusie 10
definitely the power OF the Republican
party.
Because week or two ago n band Of
armed white men in Lafayette. Louisiana.
surrounded the polls aud threatened 10 eili
any colored man who should attempt to
vote, the Globe Democrat declares for ma
tlonal laws TO punish the ofence-in other
words, declares for converting orr free
government into consolidated despOtiSm
p
and putting the whole land under what
would be no better than military rule. The
Sheriff, il il admitted, tried TO protect the
negroes. but could not do 1t, and bad 10
appeal 10 the Governor for assistance. 80 1t
is clearly admitted that the law officers
were not 10 blame. and that whatever
wrongs were committed were the work
lawless men-an offence committed OF
an election concerning nobody in the
world outside OF Louislsna-our It.
Louis contemporary proposes to punish
the people Of Virginia, where the negroes
vote as freely ss the white men. The Con
stitution is to be set aside and all the States
converted into satrspies because Lafayette,
La, was n disorderly town on last election
day. The peoples rights IN thirty-eght
States, or, IS We may now say fOrty-two
states, are 10 be destroyed because OF the
sins OF that Insignificant town. The man
who proposes to perpttrate this mOsstrous
wrong 10 crush ont free institutions IN the
whole land because JOHN JONES failed 10 be
elected a constable in Lafayette, La, says;
cit is useless 10 search for any eXplana-
iion except that Of direct hostility TO the
ices Of honest and peaceful government
and il IL equally idle to say that the &C.
curfence Is mere local accident, having
no force al an indication Of southern seuti-
ment"
A man not blinded by prejudice md
malice would understand at once that the
people Of Lafayette felt compelled to act a.
they did. II they had not been threatened
with untold evils they would not have
thought Of taking possession Of the polls
Wherever any community, northern or
southern, acts a. the people Of Lafayette are
charged with acting it may be set down as
certain that their wrongs aud appTehensions
nre such that they would rather be governed
by white bayOnets-Tather surrender their
lberties-than be governed by ignorant
negroes. II is not Republican rule. properly
90 called, that any southern community
breads, but negro Tule-the rule Of lgnO.
rance, inespacty, aud recklessness-the rule
OF men who hsve no more sense than 20
levy tax OF five dollars on every one hun
dred dollars worth Of real estate.
To reduce these southern communities to
such condition rs that which we have de-
scribed, aud then denouDcc tsem for not al
lowing incompetent negroes to rule over
them il TO plsy the part Of the wolf in the
fable Of the wolf and The lamb, or, Of The
big boy who complaiBed taat his litue
brother wouldn't bold stin and let him beat
him over the bead with hammer
IaAwoJd, whenever community of white
men act as the people Of Lafayette are
charged with having acted last week. we
may be sure that they so acted after much
elaboration and with real regret. We Ia
Virginia have had Danvihe slot. and have
learned from some little experience whs, our
southern brethren have 10 submit to.