Year: 1876

Democracy ruled in the nation, and the
peculiar institution" was held MS a thing
too sacred for discussion, when the ad.


vocates of Freedom were denied free


speech, when the new party which had
arisen TO rescue the broad plains of the


West from the blight of Slavery, could
only send its champions forth at the risk
of having them meet with contumely,
violence and insult. We need go no fur
ther than the streets of our own town in
proof of this assertion, for here, twenty
years ago, the first Republican speaker
was driven from the stand with rotten
eggs. But Truth was not to be crushed
to Earth never again to rise, the cycles of
Time worked out their destiny, the rul-
ing principle in whose name and for
whose advancement such acts were COM
mitted was hurled from the power it held
only to abuse--the rotten-egged were put
above the rotten -eggers.


They did not abuse their new-found
power. Although their triumph was the
signal for a rebellion which called the
best blood of the nation forth to its pro
lection, freedom ofspeech aud freedom of
opinion were tolerated in every quarter.
The party which cried Peace !" when
every hearthstone had sent its sons to do
battle for the Union, was not moested
in its freedom of political action. The re-
cord of those days of peril shows degree
OF forbearance upon the part of the loyal
North as surprising as cleditabe. But
intelligent men knew as they know now,
that the great principles on which the
Republican party was founded, the grand
results to be achieved by its continuance
in'power were safe subjects to have dis
cussed before the people.


II would be well il equal conditions ex-
listed everywhere-if freedom of speech,
Of opinion, and Of political action were
permitted in every part Of the country
Unfortunately such is not the case. The
South came out Of the war of secession
crushed and humiiated, but strong in the
belief that the cause for which it had
fought was just one. In the long con-
hict the sympsthes and assistance Of
four-tifths Of her people had been given
to the lost cause, and it was no easy mat
ter for these people to accept, uncom-
p!ainngly, the consequences of their own
acts. They saw those whom they had at
one time held in bondag placed upon po-
litical equality with themselves they
saw those who had been their enemies in
the war holding the places of trust and
honor. And to them this seemed
wrong-to them restoration OF forfeited
rights meant the right TO rule as well as
to assist in the selection of rulers, There
was but one stumbling block in the way
of this enviable situatton-snd that was
the vote Of the newly enlranchised me-
groes. This vote outnumbered that Of
the whites in several States, and was
guided by leaders of that party which
had given it being. Had the fierce
Southern elements which took the form
of Ku klux and White Liners, Rifle
Clubs and White Leagues been content
to adopt a policy Of kindness and concili.
alton toward the new made citizens, we
do not for moment question but large
percentage of this vote could have been
swayed to act in unison with their EN-
ployers, many of whom where their
former masters, nor do we question but
to some extent the negro vote is inAuen-
ced in that manner to-day. But that
such is not the case everywhere, the or
ganzation Of these laWless bands is n
sufficient proof to an unprejudiced mind.
Georgia was Ku Kluxed into a Demo-
cratic State, in which there is hardly
a shadow Of Republican party. Miss
issippi and Alabama underwent the same
process, and the success met with there in
spired the hope Of an equally successful
issue to the same method in Louisiana
and South Carolina. In each of these
States the plan would probably have sue
ceeded had it not been for the law or
ganzing the Returning Boards, which
rendered the intimidation plans of the
Rife Clubs and White Liners nugatory.


Throughout the Southern States were
men, few in mum bers it is true compared
with the rest Of the white popu lation, de-
termned in their adherance 20 Republi
can principles. Some were Southern
Unionists, men who had stood true to the
old flag at the peril of life and property,
returned to their desolated homes as the
advance of the Union armies restored
State after State. Some were Northern
men who, in the free exercise of the
right Of every citizen, sought to establish
homes with their former foes others
again were men who had given their ser
vices and sympathies to the rebellion,
but had accepted the situation in good
faith, and were acting with the party
which they believed would soonest restore
their section TO the paths of peace and
prosperity. But these men were from
the outset, but a small minority of the
white population, and prescription and
ostrscifm have fearfully thinned their
ranks.


The new made citizens gave their ad-
hesion to the Republican party. 1t was
the party to which they owed their free
dom and enfranchisement, and it was but
natural that their gratitude should lead
them to this course. And we have no
disposition to deny the fact that from the
blind support Of this ignorant vote arose
evils of government which gave parts of
the South great cause for complaint
Unprincipled adventures came to the
front, and ruled only To plunder. But if