Year: 1867

Campaigning III tue SCUM.


The Mobile riot is an indication
Of the future, IL points tho way
events are tending, Many such
riots, many instances Of savage
slaughter In Southern cities must be
tho consequence Of tho agitation
made by radical orators-attcmpts
TO cram hateful political doctrine
down tho ,throats of the Southern
people those attempts exciting to
violent acts, not the respectable peo-
pie of the Southern States, but tho
secesh firo.brands, tho penniless,
reckless remnants of tho Southern
armies, with nothing to lose, and q
natural tasto to crafty in tumult,
bloodshod aud plnnder. "


In the South tho Republican par
ty already finds another Kansas
Kansas was for several years the
theatre on which the factions put
thoir political gladiators to fight out
the irreconcilable bitterness Of par
ty hate. Tho excitement Of that
scene stimulated partystrife through
the whole country, and kept up q
political fury that drove us to the
great extreme of tho war. Now
this agitation is to be transferred to
the Southern States. They are TO
become the theatre of the same sort
of political drama that must be more
exciting as the scene is larger, as
the passions arc more intense, rs the
results expected must be greater,
and as there are more cities to be
burned and throats to be cut, before
those results can become attainable
to either party. 1t is easy for the
North, quietly looking on, specta-
tors of the terrible struggle, to see
what must be the inevitable issue.
We tie q people down by military
law-we tell them that their States
have no political existence just now,
that they are only free to pursue
the ordinary course of business and
social life, and must leave the rest
alone. Thoy acquiesce and 60 on as
quietly as heart could wish, eager
only to be quiet-grateful for rest
from political turmoil and for tho
chance to cultivate their fields. But,
presto ! before the ink Of our militia
ry laws is dry we let loose on them
political missionaries, s,propagandists,
agitators, to start again that very
political life that we have said must
for the present be extinct. We
show them that they may go into
politics as much as they like, if they
will 60 in on the right side, and we
hint broadly that we arc ready to
distribute Southern lands freely to
the class that will bid highest for
them in Republican votes.


1t is useless to cover our eyes
we may shut out the view, but the
game goes on. What Wilson will
do plausibly and blandly the Hay
woods and Hunnicuts will do eX-
travagantly, savagely and even
without a decent attempt to cover a
bad purpose. Even Judge Kelley
puts forth braggart invitations for
some ono to tread on the tail of his
coat, and ho twists the United States
army into a most convenient shil-
lalah with which to damage all
heads that may come in his way in
this fine faction fight. No one at
the North is deceived by such fume
no one here listens with respect
to any mans declaration that he
will como with the whole United
States army behind him, if he can
not otherwise pump republican doc
trine into the open ears Of the whole
South. But these things are heard
differently at the places where they
are spoken. People who live in the
track of Sherman's 5 army know what
such q threat means-thouge per-
haps Judge Kelley does not; and
the threat that is mere rhetoric to
him is to them q remberance of a
horrible reality, and reawakes saw
age thoughts already soothed into a
half sleep by progressive recon
struction. Such phrases, also, are
taken by the blacks for positive
promises, and through them irritate
the whites even moro than whom
fresh from the mouth of the orator.
Thus they start bad passions, ir-
ritate annoy, excite even the best
disposed people; and the worst dis
posed heed only such pretexts.


Our military commanders at the
South know how infammable the
bad elements are-how easily strife
may be lighted up; and in the at
tempt te prevent, rather than have
to suppress revolt, they have some
times touched upon doubtful powers.
Doubtless they would have moral
courage enough to act In every case,
and prevent utterance where it
would probably lead TO disturbance.
But in many cases the trouble does
not so palpably flow from given
speeches that they can venture up
on interference. Congress should
come to the rescue on this point. II
should certainly assemble in July
and take measures to provide against
political campaigning in districts
not politically free, but subject TO
military law. Ifit does not weshall
see undone all that has hitherto
been done towards a restoration of
the States.-N Y. Herald. 17th. :