The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-11-12
Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-

Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
The President Expresses his Opinion
Congress to Blame Tor Party Defeat =
Southern MiTule and Civil Rights
Phantasies Third Term not Involved, &c.
WASHINGTON, November 6.-Tle l'res-
dent, since the result of Thursdays elections
have become known. as converSed freely with
some OF his Intimate friends as to the causes
which have produced such result in the pop
ular verdict. Some of the views eXpl essed by
the President may be given without any VIC
lerce OF confidence. lie is of the opinion that
the Democrats were as much surprised by the
overwhelming successes of their party us
were the republicans, and he unreservedly adj
mits that though he fully expected Republican
losses, ne was not prepared for the crushing
defeat that has come upon the party He does
not for one instant sanction the idea that his
policy Or personal acts have contributed in any
degree to the party defeat.
So far as Louisiana is concerned lie saws
that he took the course which he believed it
was his duty to take, but that he twice spec
| Tally called the attention OF Congress to the
affairs OF that State, and requested that body
| to Indicate its opinion as to the proper course
Ito pursne. Congress failed to express any
opinion, and there was no alternative but for
him to adhere to the line of action he had in
itiated. The President thinks that ut the door
| OF the republican Congress alone may be laid
the defeat OF the Republican party. He does
not lay much stress upon the neglect OF Con-
gress at the. last session to present financial
measures which would restore confidence and
| revive declining trade, for in the nature Of
| things that was next to an impossibity. A
proper adjustment of tile finances was net Il
matter susceptible Of party control, as the diff
erent sections Of the country had diverse in
terests anu diverse views superior to and over
EpoWcrlnS all mere party claims and all mere
party considerations. The President thinks
| that the great element of dscord in. the Re-
publican was rather the unwise attempt to
force upon the, American people the imprac-
tlcable and Utopan theories Of Senator Sum
ner AS embedded i'll the civil rights. bill. Last
spring it was authoritatively stated that the
President did not favor the civil rights bill. 1t
can now be said that his views in opposition to
it have been strengthened by the result of the re-
cent elections. lie is firmly convinced that
the civil rights bill had more co do with the de-
feat OF his party than all other causes COM
bined, and he has expressed himself in such a
manner rs to leave no doubt in the minds Of
those with whom he has conversed, that if the
bill should be passed at the next session he
would interpose his veto.
The President gives his friends to under
stand that he is not by any means utterly cast
down by the recent reverscs. He believes
that the Republican party ha; yet before it a
glorious future, and that it may retrieve the
errors Of the past in time to march to the
music Of triumph i'll 1876 as significant and
decisive as that OF 1872. He believes that the
Republican Congress which comes together
four weeks from this time, Gail in the three
months of life which is left to it so act as to
heal all dissentions within the party, and to
win back the confidence OF the people at large.
1t is not improbable that the message to Con-
gress in December the President will set forth
some OF the views herein given. He has not
so far in any conversation Oh the elections i'll
Dictated that he considered that the third term
agitation had anything to do with the result.
To-day the cabinet meeting was held.-lAs
there was no business of any particular impor-
tance, the thoughts of the President and the
members OF the cabinet naturally turned upon
the elections. In the course of the conversa-
ton the President expressed himself more at
length Oil thc third term than he has ever con-
descended to do heretofore. Without renoull-
cling any such idea of his own part he said that
u careful examination of the returns in the
different States showed concl,lsvely that the
people in rendering their verdict were not i'll
flucnced by che wild aud scnseless cries on
this subject which have filled the air for many
months past.s He pointed to What he consisl-
cred EMO notable Instances in proof of this as
sertion. The South Carolina Republican Con-
vention had emphatic;llly pronounced for him
for Il t1lifd tcrlil, and its candidate for Cover
nor had been triumphantly elected in the face
OF the enormous odds against him.. On the
other hand, III the Utica district OF New York,
where the Republicans had always had All
overwhelming preponderance, Mr.. Ellis H.
Roberts insisted on the congressional convell-
ton which nominated him pronohncng against
Third term, and.Nr. Roberts vas defeated.
Especial telegram to the Dispatch.]
WASHINGTON, November Ex-senator Nor
Ill of nall1 itl,,,t
tertlay and in a most friendly and earnest
manner urged the President to dsavow any
aspirations for II third term and to stamp out
the BELIEF which the recent elections had
created that he was anxious for reelection.
The Senator told him that as much as the
people OF Vermont honored his brave record in
defence of the Union they would never vote
for any man for Il third term; to which the
President replied: "lt is only Il newspaper.
sensation and what does it amotlnt to!
To-day Coloncl Mosby called on the Pres-
dent, andfor an hour they discussed the re-
suits of the recent elections. The President
declared to Colonel Mosby that in his 1.-THE
Presidents opinion the result OF the elections
on Tuesday were in no way influenced by the
clamor OF the newspapers OH the third term.
Rash Burgess also called on the President
to-day to:tafk about the reasons of the failure
of the elections. The President desired to i'm
press on MIR. Burgess that Cesarism had no.
thing to do with it, but Burgess said he would
waive general discussion and talk about his
own district; to which the President replied
that he knew enough about it already. He
pointed to the fate of Ellis IL. Roberts, of
Utica, N. Y, who was the most prominent
among the congressman to denounce a third
term to Governor Dix; to Pennsylvania, which
through hesRepublican Convention had precj-
plated denus-ciaton Of the third term, now
lost to the Democracy; and to South Carolina,
which since, really though lmprudently, en-
dorsed the third term, which has been saved to
the Administration.
'@s.~- TInfON.