The Nation 1868-10-01: Vol 7 Iss 170

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the Nation. _

VOL. VII —No. (70.

Nores: EprrortaL ARTICLES : Literary . - What is to be Decided at the Presi- Von Bismarck . Stebiihhtnaudly oces's bara 274 dential Election . 264 NT LITERATURE: The Immediate Effects of Good Crops. 265 — 4 Jy td peg US Se 24 He. Seventy — Indiscretions. 266) "Education, and ithe Means of obtain: ray Made < og bhiiés o@4es Fon lnm Street........... 269 Books ofthe W PERS eyesaery “Brtragrdinary Letter from “A “A Peeenee Im so Published Works at Gou-

Terms ;—Five Doliars per ennum, in at in Clergymen, Four Dollars. The Mation is sent till positively ordered discontinued, and all arrears have been paid. Subscribers are particularly requested to note the expiration of their subscriptions, and to forward what is due for the ensuing year, with or without further reminder from the office. Gzones Street, 30 Cornu, Lonpon, E. C., AGENT FOR THE RECEIPT oF SUBSCRIP- TIONS AND ADVERTISEMENTS. mannwrend wenarremeel OF “THE NATION,” BOX recwede aw YORK. The Week. THERE is a report, which we give for what it is worth, that Mr. Seymour believes that he has been “sold out” in this State, and that the chief object of the party—that for which he is to be sacrificed—is, first, the senatorship ; next, control of some of the great metropolitan district and New York city “institutions.” Democratic Presidential votes are to be traded off for Republican votes for assemblymen. The Senate, which holds over, is Republican, to be sure, but by only two majority ; and the Democratic majority on joint ballot is now 22, At all events, it is certain that among all Republicans, whether betting men or not, confidence increases from week to week. Vermont, Maine, and Camilla, Ga., have one after the other given an impulse to the Repub- lican cause. Since the Maine election the whole or nearly the whole Republican strength for canvassing has been laid out in Pennsylvania, according to an arrangement made long previously. We look to see nearly or quite 10,000 Republican majority in October and 20,000 in November. In Indiana the stumping goes on. The Democrats have had their monster mass-meeting at Indianapolis, and have had less success in calling out a monstrous crowd than the Republicans h ad when they made their great display. Ohio there is no doubt about. The canvass in North Carolina is as well conducted as anywhere, and put on its liveliest form at a time much earlier than was the case in any other of the States which do not vote before November. The list of white North Carolinians who are actually engaged in working for Grant and Colfax has a look that is decidedly cheering to any one who hopes for a restored South. The fact is, however, as we imagine, that a good deal of the white Republicanism of North Carolina is due to the hearty hatred which the old Whigs still bear to the old Demo- crats. There are still Whigs in North Carolina, strange as it may ccem, and Mr. John Pool and Mr. Alfred Dockery found it tolerably eas; to welcome the aid even of Yankees - negroes against their triumphant and detested enemies.

In the case of native-born citizens of the South, the state of things is as bad as need be, and disgraceful to the Southern people and the nineteenth century; but in the case of Northerners who have gone there, it is worse. Texas is in almost complete anarchy, and we have doubts if, outside of the German district, and perhaps in one or two of the large cities, there is the least safety for “carpet-baggers.” Even United States garrisons are besieged. In Alabama this seems pretty well to illustrate the state of public opinion in regard to the obnoxious class: “ Carpet-bagger Yordy, who has lately held the dif- ferent offices of Registrar, Bureau Agent, and Senator from Sumter, sought lodging at Friend Palmer’s hotel, in Eutaw, last week. Palmer kicked the scoundrel out of doors.” The same paper from which we have “just quoted adorns its columns with a cut of @ tree on which THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1868. oe eS ee Five Dotuars pgm ANNU™. TwELve Cents Per Corr. ' are Peasy a “ enane hana a a “ iedtuinieg? and says: “We candidly believe that the picture given to our readers, as above, cor- _Tectly represents the attitude and altitude of all foreign and domestic foes of our land who shall have the folly to remain ‘down South’ after the ides of March.” And again, the same paper says: “Five notori- | ously bad negroes were found swinging by the neck to limbs in the 9% woods of Colbert County, a few days since. They had been guilty ot making threats against the whites.” It is no wonder that Governor Smith and a delegation from the Legislature are in Washington, de manding that more Federal troops shall be sent into the State. The news from Georgia shows, as we expected, that the Camilla affair was a shocking massacre. The murders continued to be committed through the afternoon and night, the woods being scoured by hunters with dogs, and negroes shot without mercy. Their offence was Radi- calism. Major Howard, of the Bureau, says: “I cannot restrain the people. I must protect my family, and let the con- tending parties fight it out. It is coming.” The Legislature and the governor are quarrelling; and the former, which soon adjourns, has refused to ask for troops, and has decided that the militia shall not be organized. The Democrats need no organization; every white man has his gun, and the sheriffs make good commanding officers. In Arkansas assassination is rife. In Louisiana the governor has issued his proclamation urging citizens to stay at home and political clubs to make no public demonstrations. There is great anger against him for a very sensible veto of the Equality Bill, the most foolish act of the most foolish of the Southern legislatures. The message does Govy- ernqr Warmoth credit. The Southern Opinion remarks: “ But if Grant be chosen, and we do not misjudge him and his policy, then the disci- plined cohorts of the South must be marshalled once more.” Grant is sure to be chosen; and if we do not misjudge him and his policy, then the disciplined cohorts of the South will not be marshalled so much as they are now, and massacres by day and assassinations by night will be considerably less frequent.

Governor Orr, who has been for years in public,ife in South Caro- lina, holding office in her Legislature, representing his district in Con- gress, and since the war serving the State as governor and as judge, has recently announced his intention of taking refuge in Missouri. Governor Orr is a man of Irish descent, though his family has long been resident in South Carolina, of which State he is himself a native. But he is far from being what is called a South Carolina gentleman. He represents well the opinions and feelings of that class of his fellow- citizens who inhabit the northern part of the State, and between whom and the cotton and rice-planters of the coast there was never any love lost. Mr. Orr is a man of ability and energy, naturally kind- hearted and sensible, and perhaps with a little of the self-seeking am- bition of the politician, and the willingness to make compromises which comes of a life-long habit of seeking offices and manipulating elections. But whatever his motives may have been, he was, on the whole, an able, sensible, moderate politician and public servant. He made the mistake of supposing that the South would continue for the future to show the spirit which she was showing when, in 1865, he was elected governor. But the school of politicians opposed to his ideas, and inclined to despise him and the “up-country people ””—the B. F. Perry school, which is composed of the most insolent and most impracticable men in the whole world—have been too strong for him. He is not to be forgiven for being less rebellious than the Charleston Mercury, and, in sheer despair, has resolved to betake him- self to a civilized, active, and growing community, where there will be

comfort for himself and a career for his children. It is thus that any- thing that looks like new blood is driven out of the South.