Year: 1868

Among other important questions which


have been settled by the late election is


that concerning the right of the Northern


man to settle in the South and become a


citizen of any State without conditions.


It is quite a new doctrine to many of the


Southern people, but as old as the Govern


ment itself to all who are capable of COM


pretending the Federal system. 1t has


been both the theory and the practice


in all of the extreme Southern States that


new conner was accountable to the 'old


citizen " for the correctness of his political


opinions. II these were made to conform


to the local public sentiment, whether


that was right or wrong, the new


citizen was duly enrolled as one


OF the people. If he held none of his own,


but chimed in with the views of the self


constituted party leaders, he is fiattered


with high-sounding compliments, and per-


mitted, as an act of grace, to live. But if


he ventured to have will Of his own, and


to express sentiments antagonistic to the
obsolete local notions, it was impossible 10
escape obloquy. He was called an Abo-
litionist, an incendiary, Northern emissa-
ry, an enemy of the South, Union saver,
or some other of the names that an ignc-
rant population had been brought to con-
slider synonyms of all that is political y
bad and vicious. The vast domain of the
South was not conceded to be a part of the
Federal possessions, but, by some means,
had passed into the possession of the peo-
pie who, for the time being, made up the
residents.


The war changed to some extent this
practice, and the reconstruction acts OF
Congress attacked both the theory and the
practice. Having no longer the physical
force necessary to assert the Southern
heresy, an appeal was made at the last
election to the ballot. The question was
fairly stated by the Southern papers, and |
boldly proclaimed in Frank Blair's Brod- |
head letter. 1t was reiterated throughout
The campaign, and illustrated at Camilla,
Opelousas, in st. Mary parish and New Or
cans. Certain of the people of the South
Wished to have exclusive control of affairs
lere, and to virtually disfranchise one-half
# the native population, and all Northern
men who refused to acknowledge their lead
rship. To carry out their plans to a sue
essful issue, they offered the Presidency
nd Vice-PresideRcy to Northern men who
we're willing to become plant tools of their
Ormer political masters. But the people of
he free and Intelligent North have stamped
be whole scheme with the seal of Their
ondemnation. The great West aud tie
last have voted solid against it. PenRsyl-
ania swslls the popular vote with twenty
majority, and the echo is heard on
he shores of tAe Pacific. Even Il e
south, where anything like fair vote w8s
possible, raises her voice against the uncon-
principle that citizen of the
United States is not entitled to protection
i his own country.
The settlement Of this question carries
18th it others which were involved, and of
o less importance, not the least of which
the reconstruction Of civil government in
le South These establishments have
cen formally and emphatically indorsed
? the nation, and LEGAL opposition will
rove Intellectual to set them aside.