Year: 1879

The interview of General Bragg with


our correspondent at Fond du Lac, pub


lished in Saturdays issue of the TTi-


btGlle, shows the reason the Brigadiers


charged that he was on his way to the


Republican camp. He had committed


the objectionable sin (1) in assuming
to lay down rule of action for the
Democracy on any subject without
previous consultation with the South
ern wing of the party, and (2) in bold
ly antagonizing the known purposes of
the Southern people in regard to Rebel


claims. The right to initiate Demo-


cratic policies has never yet been con-


ceded to the Northern wing of the


Democratic party by the Southern


wing, and the presumption is absurd


that it will be now, when more than


two-thirds of the party strength resides


at the South. To sustain our second


point it is only necessary to cite the fact
that from the time of the rehabilitation


of the South to the present day the


Southern people, acting upon their
representatives, have never ceased to
press the payment of Rebel claims upon


the attention of Congress and the coun-
try. These two points being, then, as
sumed as settled. General Bragg has not
only drawn upon himself the wrath of
the Brigadiers and their constituents,


but he has assumed a position which


will compel his Northern Democratic as
sociates to ignore and snub him to an eX-
tent that will force him to the rear. And
it is quite evident that General Bragg
win consent neither to be ignored into
silence nor snubbed into abiect submis-
sion. He assumed, in his late speech,


the ground long occupied by the Re-
publican party, and in the interview
already referred to he maintains his
ground boldly, not to say defantly. He
SAYS, in effect, to the South: "You will
not be permitted to tax the country a
cent for the payment of Rebel claimsr'
And, being inquired of as to whether in
such event the Brigadiers will not split
the Democratic party in twain by leav-
ing it, responds that The Democrats
will not be moved by any such threats,
but will recommend that no more war
debts be paid" We admire the grit of
General Bragg no less than we respect
his patriotic resolution to save the
Democratic party from the demoraliz-
ing effect upon it of the ascendency of
its Southern wing. But that he will be
disciplined for his temerity is quite as
certain as that he will resist and scorn
the disciplinary process. His speech
in the House was by no means intem-
perate, but it drew from Chalmers,


Hooker, Mills and Singleton wrathful
replies, showing that his proposition to
shatter at single blow their darling
plan of robbing the Treasury touched
them on the raw. His interview, how
ever. is infinitely more CALLING than his
speech. He singles out Carlisle and
Blackburn as the only Southern repre-
sentative men in Congress, and coolly
declares that "the South has no leaders
now as she had before the war" And
he adds to the sting of his denunciation
of the five-score Brigadiers the philoso-
phic remark that " This generation has
got to pass away before the Southern
ers can be what they We're" We adj
init the force and justice of Gen
eral Bragg's conclusions; but we trem-
BILE for the Democrat who has the
hardihood to utter them publicly.
There is rod in pickle for the Demo
crat who had the patriotism to tight
against the Rebellion and now has the
frankness to declare to the world that
his political brethren, the Southern
Brigadiers and their constituents, are a
broken and degenerate race! The pas
sion and hate evoked by the speech of
the little General of the Iron Brigade
was nothing to the storm that will
! burst upon him when his interview falls
under the eyes of the Brigadiers who
fought ON the other side. "The South
has no leaders now" Indeed. General
Braggl Where, then, are Lamar, and
Gordon, and Hampton, and Butler, and
Chalmers, and Hunton, and a score OF
othersP General Bragg proposes TO re-
new the contest. Win he say in the
House that " the South has no leaders
nowP' We confess TO belief that he


will, that he will make clean breast
of it, that he will plant his batteries