The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-08-03
Arkansas and Misstssippt-Is This Re-
construction


The admitted efforts of the republican
leaders to present the President to the Soutl
as the true friend of reconstruction and peac,
give unusual interest to every development
that enables us to know the true condition o
Southern affairs. We are asked to believe
that the President himself is the only true
friend Of the South now IN the administra-
ton; that he was magnanimous to Lee; that
he has taken pains to be generous to Mosby,
Longstreet, Orr, and others; that he took OF
his hat in memory of ''the immortal Jackson "
1t would not surprise us to see him undertake
mission into the South as soon as the
weather is more relenting and Long Branch
loses its attractions. Extreme Southern news
papers who represent as much as remains OF
the secession spirit show an unusual fondness
for the President, and openly aver that he
alone, as the possessor of imperial power, can
save them from the miseries of ''carpet-bag
aud negro rule. Certainly if the President stood
alone between the truculent war sentiment,
which even now exists in the mind OF as dis
tinguished statesman as Senator Morton,
and the happiness of the Southern people; If
it could be shown that reconstruction only
needed the President four years longer in
Office, we could well understand the aspira-
tons of men like Ex-Governor Hebert and
General Mosby. So anxious are we to see
the Southern States redeemed and prosperous
that we should support the movement even at
the risk of violating sacred tradition of the
WI 81 hon hnv far
recent events in Arkansas and Mississippi
Justify the belief that the President only is
the savior of the South and the friend of a
genuine reconstruction
The difficulty in Arkansas which at one time
threatened civil war and inflicted great injury
upon the prosperity of that State, is now the
subject of Congressional inquiry We have
already given our readers the testimony of
Governor Baxter, who told plain story of the
controversy. The point Of his examination
rested upon the letter addressed by Governor
Baxter to the HERALD, and which was pub
lished on the same day as another statement
from his rival, Mr. Brooks. 1t seems that the
difficulty which came so nearly involving the
State in civil war was really in its origin a
political and personal quarrel Governor
Baxter had been elected in the belief that he
would advance the schemes of Senators Clayton
and Dorsey and other leaders who were in
control OF the State. He very soon found that
these schemes meant really that the credit Of
the State should be used in the interest OF per-
sonal aggrandizement. There was to be a
railroad policy" the tissue of bonds" ''the
offer of United States Judgeship," and ''as
much money as was wanted" In response to
certain charges that the Governor himself was
not free from the imputation of mercenary
motives he explained to the committee that
he ''meant to make money honorably." This,
we fear, was an unfortunate admission for the
Governor When man in that supreme po-
sition, the chief of Commonwealth and
charged with the peace and safety of the State,
finds time or opportunity, or even the
desire, to ''nake money honorably." the fear
is that the making of money is the highest
consideration of duty, and that there will not
be the utmost scruples as to the means used
for obtaining it. What we see in this investi-
cation is the existence of that mercenary,
money-loying, sordid spirit which has been the
curse of the Southern States and the real
enemy of reconstruction.
From Mississippi we had looked for better
things. Governor Ames carried into his place
as Governor the record of blameless, brave
and honorable soldier Our readers will re-
member that when the Governor was elected
Senator and objection was made to his admis-
sion on the ground that he was not resident
OF the State when elected, but simply gen.
eral in command. he was told that he had
only to say that he came into the State with
the intention Of making it his home and there
would be no objection 1t was only neces-
sary that he should make mental equivoca-
ton, and there is not one politician in ten
thousand who would not have done so, especi-
ally to win such prize as the Senate He
answered like soldier, that he only came
into the State as a soldier, only meaning to
remain while on duty, and had not resolved
to make it his home until after he had been
made Senator. This act of the Governor
seemed to mark an honest, brave man, who
scorned falsehood as he would scorn death,
and when he became Governor of Mississippi
there was the hope that at last we had a re-
publican Governor who was not thief and q
rowdy. It is due to Governor Ames that his
administration thus far has justified this hope.
We have had none of those scandals from
Mississippi that we have seen in other States.
When the Legislature seemed disposed to en-
bark upon wild schemes Of appropriation and
money spending the Governor simply for
babe it and compelled its members to 60
home He carried the stern discipline of West
Point and the regular army into the executive
department of Mississippi, and to that we owe
the fact that until now his State, next to Vir-
ginia and Texas, has been the best governed
and most orderly in the South.
What then ia the meaning If fhic paw