New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-08
SEN1TOR ANTHONY on THE SOUTHERN
SjTT1 TON

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SEN1TOR ANTHONY on THE SOUTHERN
SiTU1TION.
Senator Anthony of Rhode Island was one Of
the Congressional excursion party which started
few weeks ago ia % Government vessel to
make little trip through the Gulf OF Mexico
and among the West India Islands at the cx-
pcnSr of our bcncficcnt patcrnal Government
The party having broken up Oh account of the
prevalence of yellow fever at some OF the ports
they proposed visiting Senator Anthony
returned by land through the SOuth, stop
ping for short visit on his way from
Washington at the residence Of Senator Simon
Cameron, whom he describes as "a noble Old
"fcllow" who is Gas hospitable at home as a
"baron.' Alr Anthony having had some op-
portunity for observation of the condition OF
affairs in ten Southern States, was waited upon
by the representative of an evening paper
when he reached this city and inquired of as
to his opinions of the political situation at the
South. The Senator seems to have been en-
tilcly willing to communicate his views.
In reply to the question whether he found
"any ItpOsc or good result Of the long peace
"aftcr the war; he said, "Not very much.'
the only difficulty they had was with the car
pc-baggcrs And the calpet~bagecrs, or
Northern people residing in the South, told
him with equal apparent sincerity that the
presence Of the military was the only security
they had for life or property. Not being
able to reconcile these conflicting statements,
he made inquiries of the officers of the
garrisohs, who arc of the regular army,
and cannot be Cassed as either ma
lives or carpct-baggcrs These gentlemen
told him without passion complaint"
that their wives and families wero never
visited socially by the Southern ladies, nor
"dd they receive any OF the conrtesies of in
"tercoursc common to civilization and always
"made the especial boast of SOutherners." 81
"therefOre made up my mind" he says, 6 that
"the feeling of tho people of the South at
"bOttom was rescntful, and their professions
"unsound." In reply TO the suggestion that
possibly tho GOODNESS of the people toward
the wives of the army officers might
be caused by the fact that the families of the
carpet baggeTs, who were not recognized So
cially 10y the Southern people, visited at their
houses, and if the native ladies went there
they were liable to meet the enriched families
Anthony said it was II new idea "that an
"olicer could make the price of his company
1.-THE rejection of somebody else from his
"house." The net result OF his observations
seems to haze been that in his opinion the
Southern grievance is far from ended.
ii is to be regretted that the Senator has no
remedy to suggest for this state OF things.
We presume, however, that he does not differ
with the leading statesmen of his party, who
believe in Force bills, Ku-Klux laws, military
rule, and Federal interference ms the best
treatment for the disorders which exist and
the disaflccton felt by the people. Senator
Anthony's views OF the situation are sOmeWh hat
different from those OF other leading Rcpub-
leans who hayO Travelled through the South
and investigated the condition of affairs
with some care. But even if there is such
state of sullon dissatisfaction as he represents,
we fail to SEQ how the policy of the Admins
tratOn can do any thing to change OF mitigate
il. 1t is unfortunate Of course that the South
em people DO not fraternize with the army
officers who are stationed among them osten
sibly to protect the lives and property of the
Northern advenhircrs who, with the aid of the
negroes, have seized upon their State
Governments and plundered their treas
uries. But it is not SO unnatural by any
means as Mr.. Anthony seems to suppose The
army officers themselves seem to understand
that part of it. and to talk about it without
"passion or complaint" Does Senator Anthony
believe in policy whose object IL to force
these people to associate with persons whose
society is not congcnal to theml Ii seems
to he the present great grievance of the Ad-
minstration wing of the Republican party, that
tho Southern people are resentful, and their
professions of loyalty unsound. And 30 they
are to be governed from Washington and
menacod with q standing army until they fall
in love with the Union and-and- whatl
why, vote tho Republican ticket, of course.
That's the only sure test of loyalty, and we
fear that Mr.. Anthony and other states
men of his sort viii always find the
Southern people Iesentful and will always
distru-t their professions of loyalty until
they make up their minds down there that
military rule is lovely, that the carpet Dagger
is boon, that they themselves are incapable
of self -government, and that Gen. Grants adj
ministration is Heavens Last best gift to man.
IL would be interesting tn know under what
clause of the Constitution these gentlemen pro-
pose to cure the people of q state Of sullcnncss