The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-02
LIBERAL CONCESSIONS BY A
EMINENT REPUBLICAN.

Judge VIM. D. Kelley is the Republica,
Representative in the Forty Fourth Congress
from the Fourth Pennsylvania District, con
sisting Of six wards Of the city Of Philadel
phia. His majority was 1887, the Republican
majority in the whole city at the same cleo
ton being IL, 9G3. He was elected to the Forty
Third Congress bya vote of 20,995 against
1891, a majority Of 1864. He had previously
served as Republican member from the same
District for six successive terms and Will, IN
point Of continuous service, be the Oldest
member of the House. Previous to entering
Congress, he served ten years as Judge OF the
Court Of Common Pleas of Philadelphia and
had been twice prosecuting attorney for the
county.
He was previously an eminent member OF
the bar He was born in 1914; was hrst
printer, and afterwards worked five years as
a journeyman jeweler before commencing
the study and practice of law. he was an
able and popular orator more than thirty
years ago. ard was especially conspicuous as
an emancipationist. When the party IN OPP
o sition to the Democrats espoused free soil
policy and bent its exertions against slavery,
it came to the platform Of men like Kelley,
who had an advantage over men who espoused
Abolitionism as q new doctrine, because it
met with popular favor. His strength is
shown by the strong hold which it has long
had upon the confidence Of the ldicals of
his district.
These facts lend significance to what our
Washington telegram Of April 30 reports, re-
specting recent remarks made by him re-
speeding the condition and sentiments Of the
people Of that part of the Southern States
through which he had recently journeyed at
leisure and with every facility for correct and
and around Richmond, Charleston, Colum-
bia, Savannah, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Augusta,
Akin and lesser cities, that led him, q
veteran Republican Congressman, to
change his opinions on Southern affairs
and on the policy Of the government towards
tbs Southern people. 1t was personal
knowledge, derived from travelling forty days
through six States, that induced him to regret |
his vote in favor Of the Force bill more than |
any other vote cast by him in the course of
his fourteen years Of continuous service in
the Congress Of tho United States, and to de-
clare tn 1t in the States which he had visited
''there was no more necessity for the use OF
Federal military force than there is in Penn
sylvania or Ohio" and that 'there was no
feeling Of fear or dist. ust on the part OF the
colored people,"
Declarations like these, founded on per-
sonal and deliberate observation, coming
from an experienced Northern Republican
legislator and party chieftain, must needs
produce great effect upon the minds Of the
members Of bis party. It is, perhaps, too
early to attempt to anticipate the effect which
Liberal Republicans in the House, where
Democrats will have large majority, and in
the Senate, where the Republicans have
solid working majority, may be able to pro-
duce upon the Southern policy of the Gov
Radical politicians Of the Forty
Fourth Congress still have several months {
o rectify their estimates of public opinion,
md they will not be slow to shift their sails
+ the popular breeze demands a change of
policy.