Year: 1868

Grants Election a Necessity for the Pre-


servatiOn of Peace.


In letter from q native Republican of South
Carolina to the New York Union League, we
find the following:-


Most of the reconstructed States would be
perfectly safe for our party, could we have a
fair canvass and election, without improper in.
timidation-could Republicans feel sure of pro
lection, not only at the polls, but also against
personal violence afterwards. But we cannot
have thts assurance without force from some
source, to preserve order and punish violence
The new civil governments are not sufficiently
respected by the disloysl and demoralized ele-
ments to restrain them, and they have no force
at their disposal. Where is such force to be OBJ
tsined? There has been much talk of organizing
q loyal militia, and Tennessee has passed law
TO that effect. In most of the reconstructed
obtained only from the colored population;
and whether white or colored, would almost
everywhere tend TO aggravate rather than
alleviate the condition of the country; would
rather excite outbreaks than prevent them.
bn 40 mot need 20 SteS seates
troops to support the loyal State governments,
and not state militia. We need them now at
once, and until after the elections. Aud we
want TO have every outlaw understand that no
efforts will be spared to catch and punish to the
full extent of the law for every lRwless act.
Nothing but the most summary measures can
put stop to the lawlessness and violence ex-
listing to o greater or less extent all over the


If you ask me how the freedmen are acting,
candor compels me to answer not very well;
but at any rate quite as well as the whites, and
probably quite as we'll as could be expected. A
large proportion of them do not work as indus
triously as they should, but O still larger pro-
portion of the whites live in idleness and
drunkenness. You hear sometimes Of drunken
ness and riotous conduct among the freedmen,
but much more frequently among the whites.
Much complaint is made of their lntolerable
insolepce, but my experience is that they are
very quiet and respectful, unless provoked by
some bad, drunken white man.


Many of them unfortunately carry concealed
weapons; but the whites generally do the same.
OF course not much can be said of their tntelll-
gence. Here lies the only serious objection that
can be urged to their voting. But they know
the Unionists liberated them. and they will
vote for them If they can have fair showing,
as long as the question Is between loyalty and
franchise anybody for want OF Intelligence, we
must dsfranchise at least one third OF our white
voters at the South, who are not one whit better
prepared to vote intelligently than the masses
Of the freedmen.


View the question in whatever way may, I
cannot but regard the election of Grant and Col.
fax an absolute necessity for the welfare of
the whole country. You of the North have to
choose between national honor on the one side,
and repudiation and the ruin of our credit on
the other. You have decide whether loyalty or
disloyalty shall rule the country; whether all
been expended in vain; whether the country
shall again be dragged into similar struggle,
or permanent peace. prosperity, and happiness
be restored. r..
in the success of the Republican party. With
us it is question of law and order on the one
side, and OF oppression, violence, and lawless-
ness on the other. II is a question of ito be or
the Indications are that, with the election OF
Seymour and Blair, carnival OF blood would
be beinaugurated all over the South. The recent
professions of moderation on the part OF b. I'll.
Hill and others are only intended to counteract
the harm done by their violent language while
more confident of success.