The New York herald., 1874-08-31
THE CONFLICTING RACES.
The Attorney neraps Opinion and RECON-
mendation in the Matter-The whit:s the
Aggressors-The Presidents Position

WASHINGTON, August 80. 1874.
The announcement that Attorney General VIII
hams was about to make pilgrimage TO Long
Branch Tor the purpose of laying before the Presi
dent the stories OF Southern radicals of outrages
upon the co'ored people, and that he VIII invoke
action at the hands OF the President, naturally
creates much comment here. What course
Will be advised by the Attorney General whether
an Executive proclamation, or the employment OF
the miiitary, or prosecutions OF whites by the
united states District Attorneys all the cases OF
race CONNECTS Is not yet known. but It Is deemed
certain that he Will recommend
VERY VIGOROUS MEASURES.
ine southern conservatives are Just now watch.
'hs 'ne course OF President Grant with much anxi-
ETY. and with an interest by no means unfriendiy.
many OF them believing that the lately disclosed
treachery and hostility to the President of promt
nent Northern republicans as well as the noto-
rious actions ofsuch politicians as Moses Patterson
and Kellogg, Will make him less ready to accent
partisan statements to the prejudice OF the South
ern whites. Some OF these conservative politicians
now In the city say 1t is no new thing ior Mr. Will
liams to be their enemy, and that from him the
South can expect nothing but prejudice and mis-
construction; that the letters which go to the
Attorney General from the South are written
wholly by one side, and being private, arc
far less trustworthy than the news
paper accounts OF the difficulties to
which they REFER They declare that for the Presi-
dent to take any action on such er parte state
ments or even to allow his Judgment feelings to
be Influenced BY them would be
MANIFEsrLY UNJUST,
and they suggest that before yielding an ear to tho
hostile suggestions OF Judge Williams 1t would DC
well for the President to hear the other version OF
these transactions, either by the reports
OF such representative SOutherners as Gem
erals Kershaw. Gordon, Forrest. Duke and
BristOw, or by reports OF trustworthy agents. In
respect to these disturbances these gentlemen al
lege that it will be found in nine cases out OF ten
that the blacks are the aggressors, and 1t would
not be diflcut by going back for two weeks
TO prepare a perfectly frghttu list of crimes by
the negroes, and they instance the numerous at
tempted outrages upon white ladies by negroes
recently committed within three miles of the Cap
ito and within the hearing OF the moral
and political gospel Of Congress. The
Attorney Generals published avowai taat
he concludes the whites to be the aggresso g.
because they finally get the better OF the negroes
in these encounters is. they say. conclusive proof
of his deep-seated prejudice against them. They
further suggest that even in cases where whites
have been the aggressors, or In resenting
injuries have gone too far, 1t would be well for tho
Executive to wait and see whether the State
authorities and the law-abiding portion OF tho
community are not competent and ready to
punish the law.breakers without recourse
to federal courts and the federal military. so
for not word has reached the War Department.
OF the necessity for troops to preserve order This
War Department officials hope no sucn demand
will be made. The army is now principally occu-
pied in preserving peace on the frontier To
change the station Of troops would imperil tho
lives Of settlers, while 1t would also degrade the
army to the duty OF political police. Yet there
is an effort being made 70 induce the President to
use all authority given him by the Enlorcement
acts, and that without delay.