National Republican (Washington City

Bourbon Methods and Broken Promises.
Nothing is more certain than that a solid south—made solid by ostracism, intimidation, and murder—will be met by a solid north.
For years prior to the Hayes administration the cry came up from the southern states to the effect that if the federal government would withdraw its protection from the people of the south, who honestly believed they were being deprived of their political rights, then the southern democratic leaders would see to it that every man, white or black, should be protected in his political rights, and that no other than peaceful means should be resorted to in all political contests.
This appeal was finally met by President Hayes's disgraceful surrender of two state governments, and by such surrender his own title to the great office he held became clouded.
It is not necessary to discuss here that cowardly surrender, which made the south solid. Since then democratic managers have taken good care to keep it solid, and they have stopped short of no outrage. There is not a single sensible man in this country who does not know that in three or four southern states there is an undoubted republican majority, and in two of them majorities of many thousands, but by outrages the most flagrant these states are made to return democratic majorities. And this is not all. In every case where a native southern man who had become disgusted with the methods of the bourbons and revolted or showed a disposition to act with the republicans or even independently, he has been persecuted with a fiendishness and cruelty that would disgrace the most uncivilized Indian.
It needed but this latest Virginia massacre to open the eyes of the people of the north and convince them of the utter absurdity of putting faith in the promises of the southern people in regard to any matter involving the political status of that section of country. It is their deliberate intention to keep the south solid, and unless the government can protect the people in the enjoyment of all their political rights, which it seems powerless to do, there is little prospect of a change for the better.