Year: 1876

JUDGE MCCLURE, of Arkansas, has writ
ten al open letter to the Hon. Zach Chand-


Ter upon the proper canvass in the South
ern States. 1t is too long to reproduce,
but these are parts of 1t that are most
worthy of consideration. Speaking of the
use Of troops to secure fair eeection,
Judge Mcclure says:


''There are not troops enough in Mississippi
and Louisiana, nor in the United States army,
to secure free, full and fair election in any
of the States named. know that there are
Republicans, not only at the South, who
honestly believe that the remedy for Demo-
cratic violence at the South lies in and through
the use of the United States army. am not
now, and never have, belonged to that class"


This is absolutely true. Public opinion
in the North is the only thing that can Sc
cure a fair show at elections for the Repub-
Ecans of the South. Troops will not be
needed to suppress violence in the South if
the people of the North will put the stamp
of their disapproval upon such acts. Iu-
stead of doing this they have virtually up
held the men who commit the outrage of
depriving American citizens of the right of
franchise. When this is corrected no
troops will be needed to protect Southern
voters. But to continue our extracts:


"The great bulk of the Northern people,
almost irrespective of party, are laboring
under the delusion to-day that the violence
which is resorted to in South Carolina, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana, arises from a desire, en-
the part of the good people of the State to
free themselves from a lot of thieves and ad-
Yenturers who were fastened on the State gov
re of btrf he
acts of Congress and the Federal army. The
Northern mind has been educated to believe
that the object in sending troops to the South
is not so much to keep down disorder and vio-
lence, as it is to coerce the negro into voting
the Republican ticket. An impression seems
to have been created at the North that if there
were no Federal interference the negro would
soon join with the so-called better element of
society, and, in a short time, thus rid them
selves, peacefully, of the present cause of COM
plaint."


1t is true that too many people in the
North believe as Judge Mcclure says. The
truth is, that it is the effort of the old rebel
Demo cracy to drive loyal men from po wer,
to reiEstate themselves and to accomplish
by peaceful means what they failed to
obtain by rebellion. The negroes do not
need to be coerced into voting the Repub-
lican ticket They know for whom they
should Vote-in whose hands their future
destinies are safest, and the only coercion
is that of the banditti to prevent them from
voting the Republican ticket. The negroes
will not vote with any but the Republican
party, if they are allowed to vote as they
desire. But they must be protected in this
right by public opinion in the North
Every word OF the following is true:


''The Democrats of the South, by long and
persistent use of the Associated Press agents,
have produced the impression at the North
that there is no veracity at the South save such
as is found in the ranks and among the men,
bers of the Democratic party. If you will eX-
anime any one of the many reports relating to
the different disturbances in the South, made
by Republican members of Congress, you will
not fail to observe that the testimony of Re-
publican, no matter what his standing or posi-
tion may be- is not regarded as being wholly
reliable unless it is corroborated and vouched
for by Democrat. do not complain of this;
/ only mention ii as selfeyidcnt fact, to show
the truth of what l state, and the extent to
which the minds of our friends, or rather the
minds OF those who ought to be our friends,
have been educated. Not long since Mr.. Bout
we'll, as chairman Tof the Committee on Out
RACES in Mississippi, made q report, in which
is portrayed the violence which was resorted
to by Democrats to carry the election In that
State one year ago. The conclusion at which
the committee arrived is fully supported by
the testimony. Less crimes and less violence
on the part of the Democratic party in Kansas
than was committed in Mississippi resulted in
hurling the Democratic party from power; yet
the recital of them by Mr.. BoutwelPs commit
tee has not even created ripple on the placid
pfTR6E Of fhnc hp Aha
wrongs of Kansas or wept at the untImely tax
ing of of John Brown"


Federal bsyonets will not correct this
state Of affairs, and Judge Mcclure gives
the proper remedy when he says


"What the people of the South, and espe-
cialIy what the Republican portion of 1t wants,
is the adoption of some course which will re-
suit in conveying to the people of the North
the true reason of the periodical spasms of
violence and bloodshed, and the objects and
purposes intended to be advanced. This can
only be done In one way. The outbreaks o.
cur periodically, and the causes which lead to
them are well known. The trouble with US is
that we have no one the North will believe,
by which they can be proven; for to-day
msjority of the people of the North accept the
unsupported statement of any Democrat at
the South, who has assassinated carpet bag
ger or negro rather than the sworn statement
of any Republican In the State. A pretense
Is made by Southern Democrats generally, that
they have no objection to the negro, or any
one else, acting with the Republican party, If
they were led by such men as are leaders of
the party of the North. The Democrats of the
South, almost without exception, attach, when
talking with Northern Republican, the objec-
ton to the men, and not the principles of the
party. This is not true. The objection is IS
much to the principles Of the party as to the
men who advocate them, for it is out of the
advocacy of the one that grows the hatred to
the other. All Republicans are, in point of
fact, hated alike by the Democrats of the
South, the only distinction being that the one
is feared and the other is not. The Southern
Republican in South Carolina, Louisiana and
Mississippi, whenever he attempts to speak, is
supposed and his meetings broken up. This
is done with impunity, and no mans hand or
voice at the North is raised against it."


Here is the true remedy for the ou.-
breaks in the South; but would the people
of the North believe the speakers any
more than they do the reports of Republi-
can committees 1t is to be hoped they
would, and so Judge Mcclure seems to
think, for he says:


'tIt is my opinion that If prominent North
eru Republican speakers were at once sent
into the States OF South Carolina, Louisiana
and Mississippi, and kept there until after the
election, that the reign Of terror and intimida-
tiou which now exists there would be removed,
and that the Democrats would not dare to in
fernose any obstacle 70 full, free and fair
iIiscussiou. II this be done, / think those
Ststes can be carried for Hayes and Wheeler.
IN II be left to the Republicans Of those States