The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-07-22
President Grant and South Carolina

The NcW York Herald. in comment
ing upon recent, reported interview
between the President and Judge Mack
Fey, of this State, in which the former
expressed surprise at the doctrine that
Governor Moses could not he tried before
impeachment, and denounced theaction
of the Governor in calling out the mill.
tia to resist the process of the Court
charged upon the Republicans of the
State the existing condition of things
here, and declared that unless q reform
was brought about, the Republican par
| ty would repudiate their associates here,
and affirmed that the Federal troops
in South Carolina were not there "to
enforce the collection of eNorbitant
taxes" remarks:-
F"NNc are glad to sec that the President
shows interest enough in State so sore
ly harassed as South Carolina as to cX-
press even the moderate opinions here
reported. We observe a tendency in
the minds OF Southern men like Lamar,
mond Dispatch, to encourage this dispo-
Isiton on the part of the President by
Suggestions that they will support him
for third term as q refuge against the
criminal ambition Of the colored men
and their INSCRIPTIONS allies. At the
same time the Southern people will have
to show unusual magnanimity before
they can support Grant. The President
and his party are alone to blame, not
only for what we see in the Carolinas,
but for what is seen in Louisiana, Ala
bama and other States. TO his military
genius we owe the suppression Of the
rebellion. From his political genius,
sustained as he has been by the country
as no President has been sustained since
Washington, we have hoped for the re-
construction of the South. Instead OF
reconstruction we have chaos. If Pres
ident Grant can enable us to revive ard
rehabilitatc the Southern States, he will
add another to the many honors he has
achieved as soldier and as Chief MagiE-
trate."
We are not disposed to attach very
much weight to these heated and hasty
utteranccs of the President, ns reported
by partisan interviewers; yet it is very
natural to suppose that he is sore over
the failure of the Reconstruction policy
at the South, and regards its present
condition as rcproach to the admins
tration, and rs an obstacle to its future
success before the people. Whether or
not the President is to become candi-
date fora third term is still mooted
question, but we can conceive no strong
cr motive to quicken his political aspi-
rations than the belief that he only can
restore the fortunes of the South, and
give peace and prosperity to the nation.
With this faith the South would be glad
to welcome him rs the peoples candi-
late, even for the third term. But even
Is President, we are not to expect any
Executive Interference in our affairs,
except through the constituted, legal
md constitutional channels. Congress
lisclaimed any authority to interfere,
md we cannot expect mere from the
President. 1t is idle then to expect the
Of the Chief Magistrate of
;he nation in any effort to resist the en-
Of taxes by the State authori-
les. Relief must be sought at the polls,
md in the only way known to free
governments, by the election of proper
men to office. And in thus inaugurating
;he work of reform, we will doubles
receive all the moral aid and active sup
port which can be reasonably expected
from the authorities at Washington.