Year: 1876

their orators kept bowling all sum-
mer about the necessity of having
something done. No, they were to-
gether to devise scheme of decep-
ton not too thin for the people to
see through. 1t was done. Tilden
wrote alongletter in favor Of rcsump-
ton, and recommended the repeal of
the act fixing date to resume. The
hard-money Democrat was charmed
with the argument and the soft-money
Democrat with the repeal, while GER
tain loud-mouthed advocates of re-
form were delighted at the skill
which, with so little effort, could
hoodwink and bamboozle two such
strong and totally incompatible an
tagonistic forces and factions.


Thatthe contradictory propositions
of Tilden's letter were not at once
secuted by both parties and all man
kind must ever remain one of the
marvels of human delusion; but
when we see respectable people pre-
tending that an oath which fixes an
income at seven thousand dollars is
entirely compatible with another
oath which gives the income for the
same period at three times the sum,
we may cease to wonder at no ab-
surdity the devil is capable of invent
ing.


We'll, the nomination being made,
the two cheats having met, the letter
being printed, and the whole fraud,
imposture and falsity of the nomin-
ces having fully and faithfully sup
plemented the violence and iniquity
in the South, the campaign progress
es in natural order. The villains un-
derstand and approve each other,and
are ready for further proceedings as
tho exigenoy may demand. If they
are not ashamed or afraid to stand
before the country on bare-faced,
lying document like Tllden's letter,
they will not hesitate to cheat in the
returns sufficiently to carry any and
all of the close states. If they dare
assail the hitherto sacred right of,he
ballot IN the whole Southern section,
with shot guns and armed bodies of
men, in order to get into power in
the nation, what shall prevent them
from perpetuating their power, if
once attained, by the same instru-
mentalities? Give the Confederates
the power once more, a solid South
and plant Northern tool in the Ex-
ecutive chair, and we may say good
bye to free and fair elections, to Re
publican institutions, to the essence
and sublime beauties and possibili-
ties of free government on this con-
tinent. The Democrats of the North
are as wax in the hands of the South
ern autocrats. This was seen by the
conduct of James Buchanan. 1twas
seen by the disgraceful submission of
Randall, Kerr and Cox to the dlcta-
ton of the rebel cohorts in the last
session of Congress. Why, they
dared put the man into an honorable
office who named his son after the
name Of Lincoln's assassin, and not
a Northern Democrat resented the
outrage or said word to redeem the
northern character from the foul dis
grace of that abominable act. He
was removed, it is true, but through
fear of its effect on the elections, end
not because of the atrocious nature
of the insult, which they probably
failed topercelvea as well as denounce,
SO mora. :.ly obtuse had they become
under Southern manipulation. With
such elements in command of the
Democratic party, the success OF
Tilden assures the success of the late
rebels and gives them the reins OF
power. 1t gives them the chance to
get their revenge for their late fail
urc to revolutionize the country
They will be the authorized govern
ment, and we, to dlslodge them, will
be the rebels. They will have the
arms and the money and the nation
al authority to execute secession, and
we shall be the disorganized and de-
fcnseless mob.


Do you say they will have no mo-
tive. Are they peaceful, meek, pas
toral lambs, whe have forgotten the
late war and its purposes? If so,
why is Wade Hampton aronnd with
his sabres and shot guns? Why
must dozen worthy colored men
die that Matthew c. Butler may
maintain the righi of his gig to the
middle of the road? Why must
one-armod Union soldiers be thrust
out of the National Capitol and Con
federates given their places? Nay
nay. No people ever fought as the
South did for the cause and then for
got it or failed to sieze the opportuni
nifty to retrieve what was lost OIL
avenge it's failure. 1t is not in human
nature. 1t is not recorded in Tho
long range of human history. 1t is
a moral impossibility.


We are confronted, then, with the
alternative, in case of Tilden's elec
ton, of abject submission OF war
with the loss of all we fought for ol
another fight to reclaim it. The Con
federatcs have, since the war, sue
ceeded so well that nothing seem,
impossible to them. A dozen years
ago they were thankful to escape
confscation and the gallows; to-day
they control the governments of hall
the states, the legislative branch o.
half the United States government
and boldly proclaim their treason un
der the dome of the Capitol. They
are wild with success. They indulge
in negro-shooting as the Indian does
in buffalo hunting, and the scalp Of
Il Republican Is a trophy that they
carry home from nocturnal scou
with joy.


And men of this spirit are to be
our lawgivcrs. They cannot trus'
us but we must trust them. The
conquerers are unworthy; the con
quered must become the guardians
of the rights and liberties of those
who whipped them in their effort te
put an end to rights and abolish the
only instructions by which liberty
can be protected. This is the logic
of the union between the great ras