Year: 1872

reform The people were loaded down with enor
nous burdens, and, while willing to bear all for
their country, they looked for reasonable relief
through sound financial policy.


THE ADMINISTRATIONS EXTRAORDINARY OrPORTU-


MITES AND EXTRAORDINARY FAILURES.


While these problems were uncommonly perplcx-
ing the incoming Administration was favored with
extraordinary opportunities. The ruling party had
welded almost undisputed power. IL had great
history behind it from which it might have drawn
noble inspiration for efforts, aiming at some
thing higher than selfish advantage. lt had con-
quered under a banner of peace. There was an
abundance of character and talent in its ranks TO t
it for the work of reform. The newly elected Pres-
dent had the confidence of the country in advance
The masses Of the people were well disposed. Tho
greatness of the task to be performed wel as Of
the possibilities presented could scarcely fail to ex-
cite the noblest ambition. success great enough
| to be the envy Of the world was within reach III
did not require very great men to see and appreciate
such opportunities but it required what might call
the genius Of smallness to lose them all. More thaa
three years of that Administration are now behind
part of the history Of the Republic and what has
come of our hopesi A disappointment which
makes further hope appear like mocllery. This Ad-
minisratiOn, which commenced its career under such
happy auspices, has in alarming degree devei-
oped of the very worst tendencies of our polt


ica life that its continuance in authority appears az
danger and menace to our free institutions. In no
period of our history perhaps has the selshness Of
power and the grasping greed Of party stood more
insidiOusly. stubbornly. and conspicuously in tho
way of manifest duty Let us take survey of tho
field and trust to the evidence of our senses.


THE FIRST DUTY-CoNcnIATIoN OF THE SOUTH.
The first great object of our policy should have
been renationalize the South to revive among the
Southern people feelings calculated to attach their
hearts again to the fortunes of this Union. For let
us not indulge in the deluson that the holding to-
gether by force of its component parts is basis
upon which Republic can safely rest or long en-
dure. 1t requires that bond which binds together
the hearts of the people, and not their bodies only;
and to create that bond for US the highest OBJ
ject of statesmanship We read of King Frederick
William ii. of Prussia, the Father of Frederick the
Great, that he was fond Of occaso nallv eudgcling
such of his subjects as displeased him. One day
while walking in the streets of Berlin he man
hurIiedly turn a corner at his approach. The King
overlook hin, and asked Why did you run away
from me 7" Because | was afraid of your MAJ
esty," replied the trembling burgher. "Wel, you
rascal said the King, do you know that want
my subjects 10 love me- and not to fear me" And to
produce that love he gave him sound drubbing.
Such methods of creating sentimental attachment
may have passed more than century ago in de-
spotic Kingdom but in q country like this love il
not inspired by caresses of that kind, and even In
Prussia they have long since come to the conclusion
that it requires very different methods TO build up
and hold together q great empire. In order to re-
vive patriotic feeling and national attachment in
the South, we had to convince the people that We
were their friends and not their conquerors only;
that we had their welfare at heart and not adj
vantage. Only when we made them believe in the
purity and unsel6shness of our intentions could we
hope to regain their affections. Let us see what
done by the Administration and the ruling party.


ROBBERY AND RUINoUs NIsGoyERNMBST EScoUR-
AGED IN THE SOUTH.


The great social revolution grown ont Of the war
had resulted by logical necessity. in the enfran-
chisement of the colored people. Only by the exer-
else of political rights the free laborer maintain
his Independence but the colored voters, untutored
and inexperienced fell under the leadership OF un-
scrupulous adventures. / do not say that this
could have been entirely prevented. IL was one of
the usual consequences of great social revolutions,
but its effects might well have been limited in time
and extent by wise policy. AS il was. system OF
robbery and ruinOus misgovernment ensued which
has hardly parallel in history. Most OF those States
were with incredible rapdity, burdened with enor-
nous debts without any equivalent. Scores OF mil
lions disappeared, If by magic, in the capaeious
darkness of private pockets. Impoverished a. those
States we're by war, they now stripped n@fed'
The public expenses became absurdly expaSassnti
the taxes unbearable. Under such lads industry
was discouraged anu tagged. Enterprise sank down
with hopeless despair Production diminished, and.
incredible as may seem, while the rest OF the
try was progressing prosperousy, the value OF real
property in many of those States appeared IN the
of 1870 after five years of peace far below tho
q vi, hv tha nj
been the effects of so-called carpetbag governments
in the South. Who was responsible for thsf Those
governments were and are at this moment earned
on in the name and under the auspices Of the Repub
lican party 1t was through them that the Southern
people felt the touch of degrading power IL was
them that they saw the spirit working Was that
impression wrongi Consider impartiaLy what rea-
sons they had for it.


DIsFRANCHIsEMENT AND IT'S CONSEQUENCES.


While the most reckless and rapacious of political
bloodsuckers were thus plunderng those communi-
ties system of political disabilities maintained
which excluded large number Of the intelligent
and property holding from eligibility 10
Office and thus from active participation in the
administration of public affairs. A large number
of those who had the greatest stake in good gov
ernment were thus told that it was no business Of
theirs While in this way on the one side the work
of the plunderers was facilitated it was not wonder
full that on the other the summons you shall love
this Government did not meet with enthusiastic
sponse The of political disabilities although
its good effects could not have been doubted, was
sudiously put off until it could no longer be denied


ave. until the Cincinnati Convention had shown
that the question could be trided with no longer;
and when amnesty was granted it was done with
such useless restrictions and with such a grudging
grace as to make it appear that those who gave it
~o.oh thar bava uithbalJ II IL ,yas s,,.c1x