New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-05
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
HENRY WILSON'S VIEWS.
THE yICE-PREsIDENT on THE POLITICAL
SITUATION

yKRsAL TESTIMONY BOTH OF NORTHERN AND
SOUTHERN MEN As TO GENERAL INVOLVEMENT
SPIRIT or INDUSTRY MANIFEsrHD-CAsrE AND
PREJUDICEs AGAINST The NEGROES oDTGROwN
-PRoGREss IL EDUCAuON-No VIOLENCE Oh
OUTBREAK TO BE FYARED-FUTURE or THE RE-
PUBLICAN PAgTY-A POLICY or CoNCiLIATIoS
ADvIsED-GES. GRANTS THIRD TERM LETTER
THE FIXID CONVICTIONS OF THE PEOPLg AGAINST
THIRD TERN FOR ANY MAN.
President Wilson has inst returned from
his tour through the South and West, and
Is at the Grand Central Hotel in this city.
A representative of THE TaIBpEE called
upon him. yesterday for the purpose OF
obtaining his views the moral, material
and political condition OF the South, and the
future of the Republican party. The Vice
President was found in ms parlor, where,
Judging from the cards which lay scat
tered around, he bad been receiving multi
tude of visitors. He appeared 10 be IN eXcellene
health and spirita and to have unbounded ca
pacity for future work. After the interchange
of the usual greetings, the reporter stated the
objects of his visit and in the conversation
herewith given will be found very full ex-
preston of Mr. Wilson's opinions and jndg-
ments as 10 the political situation, and the
state of affairs in the South.
"Mr Wilson, said the reporter, "TnE TRIBUNE
desires to obtain the result Of your observations IN
the South a. 10 the moral, material, and political
condition OF the people, both white and black
well" replied the Vice President lido not know
that have changed my views any during my trav-
els in the S0uth. / took occasion to talk with all
classes and conditions Of men. | conversed with
army officers, with Government officials and with
the Southern people generally, on the condition OF
the country. | talked especially with the colored
people sometimes individually, and sometimes to
Populations u ho were appointed to wait upon me.
cCnyersedfre,y w.thc leading men # Ill classes IN
Kentucky Tennessee, Arkansas, and all through the
south and the testimony of all was 10 the effect that
aifars were improving, and everything wore bet
ter aspect than IL has done since the war also
conversed with Northern gentlemen who had been
travelling or were living in the South and their tes
tmony was similar. They said that there had been
a decided improvement in every place which they
had seen ; in louisiana Mississippi, aud Alabama
the universal testimony is that there Is a general
and decided improvement throughout these states
Good feeling seems to he on the increase, and the
feeling il better now than at any time since tho
war"
How Is it with reference TO me material pros
perity of the Scrth p
Things look very favorable. The crops this year
working hard and manifest great signs Of industry.
This is one great feature especially noticeable The
spirit Of industry Is stronger than perhaps il has been
at any period since sr even before the / was
glad to hear that more than anything else because
industry is great essential IN the future pros
perty of the country This is one OK the most hope
full signs in the South because with reference To the
question of industry, the southern people
! owing TO their former habits and modes OF
~ ...l. fanA
it up in the North. They don't know anything about
it. was also talking to many people who had been
in Texas and the accounts from that State are ez-
cellent They all tel the stOry-that the pros
poets for Texas arc exceedingly hopeful and tbat
good feeling is also general in that stato'
" What il the feeling between the colored people
and the whitesr
There is some prejudice, bnt the worst of that IL
among the ignorant people. The prejudice against
the colOred man exercising the franchise, l am
/ happy to say. /, chiefly confined 10 this Ignorant
| class There are few men IN Mississippi who stnl
adhere to the horrible doctrine of caste, the line
of distinction in race believe this involves one OF
the most perilous questions in this country. 1t u
doctrine which it is utterly impossible
70 maintain in this age having ground OF foun-
iation in the real principles of humanity, and it
cannot be maintained in any proper sense The man
who will make this distinction between the two
races and endeayOr TO sustain ii, | consider real
enemy 10 his race and to the country But believe
this class of losing ground, and
tho feeling il beginning 10 die out Men
of this class gradually losing more
of their power, while better sentiment
il getting the ascendant. From all saw and could
hear came away with the conclusion that progress
has been made. Such feeling remains in the South
is only natural and what might have been expected
from the former condition of the country. l never
believed that we could overthrow snch great sys-
tenn ~ that Of slavery without such difficulties
these remaining. If the abolition Of slavery had
been made voluntarily, it would have been quite
different thing but il accomplished by force,
such troubles as these must in the nature ut things
necessarily remain ior some time voluntary abo-
lition would have had very different effect the
mind of the people,
.'What did Won find to he the temper Of the South
ern people toward Northern men, more especially
with reference to such old anti-slayory men AZ your
self"
"They were very good to me; they could not pos
sibly have been kinder matter who bad been
| met men there v DO had been actively engaged in
the rebellion. strong Democrats well Republi-
cans who all displayed feeling OF the utmost kind
mes. and sOciabi!ity. They all knew one bing-aH
who knew Me that | had always been an anti
slavery man. When they said 50 me, We know
what your principles have been in tho past-we
know that you were strongly opposed 10 US. but wo
feel and acknowledge that you have adopted
ell kindly and charitable toward Ne, and
advocated peace and good ORDER took occasion to
say to them. in all fran6nees that kind words and
acts toward ne would not be deemed by our people
satisfactory evidence that they were willing to
cord to the black men their rights and that if they
wished to give such satisfactory evidence to the
North, they should show by their actions and by
facts that the eOlored man was accorded his just