The Washington bee., 1889-01-12
SOUND DOCTRINE.
CHANDELIERS VIEWS ON
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
Washington Press.
UNITED STATES SENATE,

aShlngtOn, Dec. u. 1880.
Ny Dear Mr.. LANGsToN: In re-
spOnse to your request | give you
briefly my views concerning the
present situation of the Southern
question. They are not extreme or
unreasonable. 1t seems to me that
there is no southern question ex-
cept whether the fifteenth amend
ment of the constitution shall be
obeyed like all other portions of
that instrument. The north has no
other issue with the South. The
north has no animosity toward the
south. On the contrary, it is full of
kindly feelings, which have been ex-
pressed in many ways. But it can
never consent to the permanent
notification of the fifteenth amend
ment. think | have seen recent
utterance attributed to President
Harrison to the effect that there is
no southern question except that Of
obedience at the south to the con-
stitution and the laws. This seemed
to me to be a iudicious and salts
factory statement with which no
one can find fault, with which all
ought to be satisfied.
OF course it will be asserted that
obedieuce to the fifteenth amend
meut will result in negro suprema-
cy in the south, especially in Louis
lana, Mississippi, and South Caro-.
lima. This is the great bugbear. But
the results of impartial suffrage un-
der the fifteenth amendment must
be accepted by the south, whatev-
er they may be. Many troubles
must arise from the ex stence in the
same community of the two races.
But they are not therefore to be al
lowed to exist, the one as the sup
erior, the other as the subject race.
They must live on terms of pOlltl-
cal equality, and the consequences
must be patiently borne.
In each of the three states above
mentioned, however, l have discdv-
cred that the race issue is purpose
ly kept alive by the white Demo
Gratis as the only means of retain
ing the Democratic party in pOliti-
cal power. They do not want the
blacks to divide between the two
parties. they will not allow the
whites to so divide. If both races
should divide politically, they
know the result would inevitably be
Republican majority in the state.
Therefore, they keep up the cry of
"negro supremacy"
In my article in the Forum of Ju-
ly last on ssOur Modern Southern
Masters" l expressed my views full
ly on this general question. l in
close to you herewith the closing
paragraph of that article, where [
express better than [ can again do
so the idea that because manhood
suffrage may have been a failure, as
Is alleged in 1867, it will not be a
failure if given fair scope in 1859
and afterward.
Necessarily in the future enforce.
ment of the fifteenth amendment
much depends upon the Attorney
General. The Federal laws at the
south are not going to enforce any
more by troops. Hence the admin
istration of the courts is of the ut
most Importance. The one demand
which the south made of Cleveland
was that he should give that sec.
tion the control of the Department
of Justice, which he did, and after
that the extra appointment of La
mar in the Interior Department.
The Department of Justice is now
likely to be placed in the hands of
an able and courageous Attorney
General who will judicio sly but
firmly strive to secure the full and
equal enforcement of all parts of the
constitution throughout the coun-
fry, especially the fifteenth amend
ment in the southern states. YouIs
very truly,
w. E. CHANDLER.
HON. JOHN nj. IANGSToN