The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-12

lay ana Who OF you can tell Ne what We shall DO
called upon nay, orced to submit to, tomorrow.
GROWING ABUSES OF POWER DREADED
Senatorsl We have arrived at a crisis. will
not conceal that cannot contemplate that crisis
without grave apprehension, Tor what has hap.
pened already makes me look forward with anx-
iety to what may stu be In store Tor US. We are
evidently on a downward slope, and the question
Is where shall land. 1t Is not
the success OF Napoeonic ambitions In
this country that fear; for II they
existed they would still nnd IN America not q
French people TO deal with; but what DO have
reason to fear. II we continue on In that course,
Ii tnis-that our time-honored constitutional prn-
cipes will be gradually obliterated by repeated
abuses OF power establishing themselves as pre-
cedents; that the machinery OF administration
may become more and more mere instrument OF
ring rule, tool TO manufacture majorities and 10
organize plumber; that in the hollow shell OF re-
publican forms the government Will become the
mere football OF rapacous ana despotic factions.
THE SOUTHERN POLICY REVIEWED.
have long considered our policy concerning the
6outh as one iraugnt with great danger-not only
danger to the South but to the whole Republic. l
have, therefore. opposed II step by step and
warned you or It's inevitable consequences. |
know that Southern society mas been, and IN
measure Is, disturbed by violent tendencies and
grave disorders. l have never denied IT, and
nobody has more earnestly condemned and de-
nounced the acts Of violence which happen than
I. Those disorders would be the last man now to
palate or excuse; but l also believed that they
were, In great measure, the offspring OF
circumstances ana to be expected When
the war closed a great revolution had sud-
denly, amid general distress and con-
cd W of
Southern society. Not only was that system of
LABOR uprooted with which the Southern people
had for centuries considered their whole produc.
tive wealth and prosperity identified, but by the
enranchisement of the negro that class OF society
which had just emerged IRON slavery with all ig-
norancc-lgnorance Tor which, readily admit, 1t
was not Responsibilities suddenly clothed with
political pOwer-in some States an overwhelming
power; tnat power was exerted at time when,
alter the sweeping destruction OF the war, the
South was most in need OF a wise cooperation OF
all IT'S social forces to heal its wounds and to liiJ
Itself up from its terrible prosrraton. The Justice
OF the constitutional amendments. designed 10 Sc.
cure to The slave his freedom and to enable the
colored people to maintain their rights through
active participation the functions OF selteovern.
ment, shall surely not question; neither Is 1t the
legitimate subject OF this DEBATE.
GREAT PROBLEM.
But as all these tremendous transformations
tame at q time when the turbulence OF armed
CONFLICTS had nearly subsidized; wnen ancient pre-
ua!ces had not yet cOoed when the bitterness
81 the war was still fresh; when the hope OF other
nolutions was still lingering, 1t was deplorabe
Indeed but not at all surprising that grave dis
orders should have happened. No such changes
have ever In free country happened without
them; and 1t was the business of craftsmanship
to deal with them. 1t was great problem. and
perhaps the most critical IN the history Of
the country; Tor II was TO Ovecome
Bistance and disturbance without developing
an arbitrary spirit OF power dangerous to tree
government. There were two methods presenting
themselves to YOU One was suggested by the
very nature OF the republican institutions. 1t
was 10 treat the discovery and development oil the
remedies for existing evils as soon as the nature
OF tue circumstances would permit 1t was that
agency upon which, alter ALL our republican gov
ernment must rely Tor its vltality-the self2ov-
srpment OF the people in the states. 1t was to
inspire that local gell-GOvernment with healthy
tendencies by doing all In your power to make the
Bouthern people-not only those who had prO1ted
By the social revolution In obtaining their
freedom and citizenship but also those who had
suffered by it-reasonabIy contented with their
new situation. Such policy required
early and complete removal OF all those political
disabilities which restrained large and IN.
nuential number Of white people from all direct
participation In the government OF their affairs,
while the colored people were exercising 1t. That
policy did, tnoeed. not preclude the vigorous exc
cutIOn OF constitutional and just laws, and you
will not understand me as thus designating all the
laws that were made, but 1t aid not preclude the
employment OF the powers conferred by such laws
Tor purposes OF q partisan color, which i'm peacbed
she impartality OF the national government and
thus injured It's moral authority. 1t did preclude
above all things every
UNCONSTITUTIONAL STRETCH INTERFERENCE,
which. by an asslduous example, is always calcu-
lated 10 encourage aud incire a lawless ana
revolutionary spirit among all classes OF society.
Thatpoicy required that the national government,
IN all Its branches, should have sterny discounte-
nanced the adventurers and blood-sucKers who
preyed upon the Southern people. so as not TO
appear as their protectors and allies. 1t re-
CURED conscientious employment OF those
moral influences which the national government
had at Its command. 1t was not that, In the dis
tress and confusion which followed the war, the
Southern people, white and black, should have
turned their eyes to the national government for
Aid and guidance-thar aid and guidance
might have been given, not In impeding and
oanling. but in encouraging selfgovernment. and
TO follow It's highest aims and duties. Every
ederal Office in the South should have been care
ully filed with the wisest and best men that could
be found. Now here was the personal character
Of the onicer Of higher Importance; Tor, being
clothed by his very connection with the national
government with extraordinary moral authority,
every one OF them could, without undue inter-
ference with local concerns by the very power OF
his example, make that moral influence most
benedcIally felt in bis surroundings.
TRUE RECONSTRUCTION
am not sanguine enough to believe that had
would OF once have made every Southern state a
perfect model OF peace and order. l know 1t
would not hut 1t is my solemn conviction it would
have been Infinitely more productive of good; it
would have been Infinitely more efficient in
gradually developing satisfactory state of things
than all your force laws. than all the efforts ofgov.
ernment officers to maintain their party ascend.