The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-11

| In his Sunday contribution to the New
York Herald. Mr.. John A. Cockenii
writes concerning the recent Democratic
victories in Georgia and Florida, that
.tba Soutbem States are implacaple
and uaforgi,ing. 1t is plain that they
,,.ilI pever cease their warfare upon the
ROM. blican party. which prosecuted the
war freed the slave and enfrancnised
him."
Now Mr. Cockcrill, up to the time the
nrcscnt campaign began, had been Il
| democrat all his life. and more IMAM
that bad been the editor OF Democratic
non,rs all his life. While on the stan
Of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the old Bal
,inlnrc Gazette and the New York World
no never seemed TO tire Of working hard
and Justify to the best of his ability Tor
the Democratic party. and there is no
editor in the country who has more ire
qucntly than no answered the above
false charge against the South. lie
must therefore know that he is now re-
heating a stale, fat and Improbable
SANDER 10 advance the Republican
cause. which he has so very recently es-
poused, at the expense Of truth
The South is not solid against the
Republican party because it made war
upon her and freed her negroes. She
has always cOntended, and will always
contend, that the war against her was IN
direct violation of the principles OF
States rights, and, consequently, OF the
spirit if not the letter. of the Federal
Constitution; but she has long since ac-
cepted the results of the war in good
faith, and is not opposed to the Repuoll-
can party for the part it took III that
great conflict. Indeed it is well known
that, although the war was carried on
under Radical administrations, had 1t
not been for the Northern Democrats
who fought on the Federal side, the Con
federacy would not have been compelled
TO surrender. The Republicans OF the
North, carrying on the war alone, could
never have succeeded in overwhelming
the South.
The reason for the bitter and unrelent-
ing hostility of the South to the Republi-
can party is not for what that party did
during the war, but for what 1t has done
and tried to do since. The South can
never forget the days of carpet-bag and
scalawag rule. nor how a horde OF poll
teal camp followers and rascals were
maintained in power over her by lie
publican President at the point Of me
bayonet; she has not forgotten. and never
will forget. how the Legislatures OF her
States were taken possession OF by the
powers tina. be in Washington, and that
officers defeated at the polls were forclbly
put ia power contrary to the will of the
people, and she cannot. and Will not, Tor
get how, ever since the war. the main
object of the Republican party has been
to degrade and humiliate her, and, by
means of Force bills. to complete her ma
teral ruin and destroy her civilization.
This is why the South is solid against
Radicalism, aud this is why she will so
remain so long as there is any possible
danger of that party ever gaining control
of the Government. She knows by the
horrible experience of the past that Radi-
cal rule means her absolute destruction,
and that her only hope of safety is in
Democratic supremacy On this account
it is that she is compelled, from the prin-
ciple of self-protection. to ally herself
with the Democracy and do what she
can to prevent her malignant foes from
being again in position 10 blot out, If
they can her very existence.
AS we have said no one in the country
knows this In his heart better than Mr..
Cockerill, and why he should, in his
maturer years when on the verge of old
age. desert the section which he so
warmly defended in the palmy days of
his youth and intellect, no one but him
self can tell. However it may be, he
will find out, what his own personal
experience should long, since have taught
him, that the day is past when the peO-
pie of the country can be influenced
against the South by waving of the
bloody banner, and that any attempt to
brighten her by such a policy is worse
than useless. The South remained true to
herself during the dark period of recon
structon. and she will continue true to
herself even though her enemies should
again be able to attempt to crush her
beneath the iron heel of sectional hate