Year: 1876




NORTHERN POLITICS.


Governor Hayes and the Southern "niHs'
Boston, July l3, 1876.


The full food tide of peace is now flowing
all ono wsy. This way does not lead to
Democratic ignorance and Confederate sec-
tionalism. It leads to intelligence, to No
.;onalitv. to brotherhood, to reconciliation
through the things that are just to an end
that shall be Just. This full flood TIDE OF
peace is bearing Governor Hayes as oy q
mighty and irresistible current into the
place first occupied by Washington, and
where the Ohio conservative will make
good in this our day the wise statesmanship
of the father of his country, in the psrpetua-
ton of the Union, and in securing to all the
enjoyment of regulated liberty under the
operation of impartial laws.


In q former letter of this correspondence
I stated that the work of reconciliation be-
tween the South and North could never be
promoted through or under Confederate
Democratic restoration. The reason given
for this opinion in that letter were substan-
TALLY these: First, a Confederate-D Demo-
cratic restoration involves necessarily the
holding of the late slave States OF the
Union compact and compacted as sec
tionalized unit in national politics. Sec
ondly, this unifcatiOn Of the South would
rest. because it could only be made to rest
on the enforced subordinatiOn of the negro
citizen under unequal laws, added to Con-
federate traditions, thereby perpetuating
all the worse elements of race con-


iict and sectional antagonism alike
Thirdly, the party interest Of the North.
ern wing Of the Democratic party is con-
nected vitally with the policy Of keeping
alive this Southern sectionalism and the
issue OF race-caste as things fixed in Ameri-
can politics.


These reasons are potential in determin-
ing the action of all who love peace. Peace
can only be promoted through those who
love the things of light and sweetness which
it brings into the world, and who are able
to establish her reign. The Confederate
Democratic coalition, while protesting 70
seek peace, is of fact coalition for war.
1t means only war. 1t produced one war.
1t will, if not checked, produce another.
The Republican party is, therefore, the
party Of peace. Its end is peace. Its policy
is peace. Its interests are all connected
with peace.


But it may be asked how can the Repub-
licsn party promote the policy of peace at
the South, when each of the late slave
States will cast its electoral vote for the
Confederate Democratic ticketl To which
1 reply that the time mas come for the
Southern Wings to revolt-to throw of
this Democratic despotism and ally them
selves to the new party which Governor
Hayes election will certainly call into ex-
istence. say the new party, because the
Republican party as radical anti-slavery
party has ceased to exist. The negro ques-
ten is settled; whether for veal or for wee
the next generation will alone be able to de-
termine. But the negro question. as and
other Radicals viewed it, is settled. Itis set
tied against our ultimate purpose" The
United States is to be practically white
mans government-an Anglo.Saxon ma
ton. Out of this lend" of the mission of
the Republican party as Democratic-anti.
slavery organization will arise the elements
Of the new party which is to give peace to
the nation provided, always, that the Con-
federate party of the South do not succeed
in making Northern anti-slavery radical
ism once more q necessity in American
politics, as Jefferson Davis made it in 1860
and as Ben Hill came very near making it
in 1876. The new party" then, which is
to give peace to the land, will be composed
of the peace party of the North and the
Southern Wings organized under the Lib
eral and Conservative Republican admins
tration of Hayes and Wheeler.


In this rally of Southern Wings against
the Democracy, Louisiana Wings should
lead the van. Louisiana Wings should be
the first to throw off the Democratic yoke
They should at once place themselves in
fixed opposition to the Confederate" idea
in government and the Democratic" idea
in society. They have only to look at
guerilla ruled Mexico to see the results of
the one, and at Tammany.ruled New York
to see the effects of the other. Louisiana
Conservatives need the blessing Of govern
ment, and government" as Governor
Hayes truly says in his letter of acceptance,
lean only be based on law, backed by an
authority adequate to make the law effect
i've and respected" There can be no gov
ernment for or in Louisiana, in the true
acceptation of the term government" j" until
national authority is recognized, until the
laws of the Union are respected, and until
the Confederate league, as government
in ITSELF" is overthrown in each Southern
State. The overthrow of this Confederate
league must be accomplished by peaceful
means if possible, by force if necessary, or
it will either overthrow the national govern
ment or force the North, under the leader
ship of such q man as Blaine, to again take
the sword and try bloody consequences once
more with the desperate and reckless men
who have 80 long dominated Southern
society, first with the bowie knife and
pistol, and then through organized armed
military power against the life of the nation
itself.


Shall we have, then, a reign of peace or
an era of war, in finishing the work of
Southern reconstruction, rendered neces-
sary by the abolition Of slavery? This is
the real question which lies back of all the
other tissues" of the Presidential cam
paign of 1876. Governor Hayes stands for
peace. So does Mr.. Wheeler. They both
desire peace; but both of these men sec