Year: 1876

Advices from the entire rural portions of
the North indicate an undercurrent of the
most intense feeling of anxiety regarding
the present critical condition of the coun-
try. The people of that section are just
beginning 70 awake to realization of the
desperate intentions of the White Line
Democrats of the South. And they feel
that rather than have the Government
snstched from the loyal element of the
country by violence, intimidation and
frsud-thus rendering the expression Of
the popular will farce and mockery-it
were better TO meet the question at issue


now and settle it at once and forever


They contend that the first step should be


q firm and unlinching demand for the
purgation OF the returns of the States of
South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana of
fraudulent ballots by the csnvsssing
boards and the issuing Of the certificates in
accordance with the vote when thus
purged. If this course is interfered with
by violence for the purpose of throwing
the vote into the House in order to defeat
the expressed will of the people by the
election of Tilden, it will be then time to
consider what further steps should be
taken to prevent q consummation OF the
victory Of the marplots. As we have
said, this feeling is a powerful under
current, ouch as prevailed in 1851, when
the same elements threatened to prevent
tie Inauguration of Mr.. Lincoln after he
had been eenstitutionally elected Presi-
dent. 1t Is the more terrible, this under
tow of political feeling, from its quiet
eaInestness and serious determination.
There is no brsg OF bluster about it. Its
simply foregone resolution not 10 be
cheated out of the election by those who
have failed by fair means to wrest the
control of the Government from Its friends.
These people are very slow to
believe that the white voters of
the South can be 50 lost to all sense of
honor Is 10 go deliberately to work to cheat
the negroes out of their newly. acquired
franchise. They cannot conceive that men
whose mouths are constantly filed with
spostrophes 10 constitutional liberty should
be wiling TO stultify themselves by VIC.
lently tebsrring q weaker race than their
own from the exercise of the only privilege
which they hold as g guaranty of their
freedom. But If the men of the South shall
now prove by their conduct that they do
not intend to live up to the latest amend
ments of The Constitution, that their design
il to disfrapchise the negro and remand
him TO practical slavery, then will the
Northern mssses be driven to the resliza-
tion Of the fact that when the men and the
journals of the South speak of four peo-
pie" they simply mean white people, and
wher they speak Of "citizens'' they mean
Nlfte oitizeQs. the corr0llary of which Is
that they do not regard the negroes as
people or citizens at all The masses Of the
North viii then learn that the oaths of
Southern white men to support the Consti-
tuition of the United States simply mean to
support that instrument with q mental
reservation that the new amendments do
not count. When the loyal people of this
country shall awake to the full realization
Of the rebellious and hesdstrong spirit
which animstes the leading Democrats of
the South, when they realize the fact that
they are fully determined to either rule or
ruin this Republic, II itrequires the resort to
the assassination Of their opponents. and
the enlistment in their service of all the
barbarous horrors Of the OZARK ages" they
viii most certainly hold the conspirators to
. fearful reckoning. 1t now looks very