, 1876-12-21
ALCORN.

An INTERVIEW WITH JEFF DAv1s' SUCCESSOR.
4,fsnatch to Cincinnati Enquirer.
WASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. III spent an
evening with Senator Alcorn this week. Ho
was engaged in correspondents with pho
noGrapher.
~ shall give up my seat" be sald, swith sat
isfaction, yet with fec1foR Of disappointment
that my labors have boon Of no avail. camc
hero to try to get some order and progress for
my stato md section, but tho contend!ng forces
arc too great aud vIllful to stem them. Tlle
system Of reconstruction seems destined to a
complet0 revorsal.n
l asked him II tho negro would DO absolutely
ncutral!zcd at the polls.
" lie has abandoned Ms conflict, practically, Il,
A1sstsstppi. Ills political leaders, looking out
for his security Of lie and property, have as
scented to tho whito mans domination. Amcs,
you know, surrendered tho etato after rcpclllng
myself and others who wanted to bc OF use to
hini. Why, sir, how could tho negro maintain
himself, q hclplcss element turned loose Into
citizenship III tho face Of the fierccst race Of
people on the E1obcf The Southern white nuns
contempt Of 1ife IS not cxccllcd by any savage
race. After withdrawing tho troops the negro
Inevitably LOST tho state, for ho had no moral
dull weight Of numbers.n
Mr.. Alcorn said tbat he had desired to PRO-
sssppt md bring tile two races to cooperate, so
that, With mutual respect for life and lnbor,
they might perceive some compensation IN the
political revolution.
whites arrogant to recover their whole political
power. No compromise was possible. Wo Ind
thetlally development Of outrageous frauds In tho
Legislature, IN tue county otcinls and elsewhere,
negro would not sell bis vito 1t an eieetion, he ho
would sell 1t Immediately after being himself
elected. As partisan lo was stcauiast; as a
Legislator be was thief.
tary and civil Governor young 1nan Without
particle Of sympathy or consideration for tho
white pcoplc Of tho State, Republican or Rebel.
Gen Amcs had no adaptablity for such sttua-
1n n Ms heeusy MA RefSsans Ssss Y % n s4a
unscrpu1ous-as muclr 20 as Ben Batlcr,, h!s
seemed to me, to proceed by force, and, II ncc-
ssssaary. By fraud Thc ola Whfg c'enent Of the
aud tho corrupt negro proceeded With taelr foro-
doomed govcrnsnent. At last Amcs iu IN in
stant abandoned tho helm and the negro was
left with nothing"
l asked N1r. AIcorn II he apprelendcd violence
In the South. He thought not. Tho bclllcoec
leadership OF mon like Jefferson Davis had en-
tircly ceased. There had always been a re-
apcctablc Whfg clomcnt In the Stute. illustrated
by men l!ko 3. s. Prcntiss. Mr.. Lamar was,
porhaps, tho most popular leader In the South
ut tho present moment, and had gained tho
place by advocating peace and concord. ALI
other celebrated Mississip'an, Governor Footc,
sstunpers III the south was decidedly Radical
Republican. In short, among men of indi.
vldual character, tho Gulf States were no moro
clnnntsh than tho North.
asked Mcorn II he regarded Hayes or Tilden
ns the best able to put the Southern Stntea In a
rational and prudent state. lie suId that unyes
had made d silent, but general impression on
tho South by Lis repeated references To her
unfortunate condition, and thnt tho long in
difference Of President Grant to Southern
society only brought OUT tho klndltness Of
Hayes spontaneous ramnrka. Alcorn said that
le beloved Hnycs, with bis social nature and
higher tone, would BE- much more soutllcrncr's
President than Graut, would address himself to
the problems thorc, and take mon Ut homo In
aucnce III tho South into his counsels. The South.
iIo said, did not need political power 80 much
rs a Northern credit, an Infusion OF national
mon frnm abroad who would not 1nake Office scck-
Ing tho first and only motive Of their residence and
tho south needed also the rcpose OF industry In
stead OF the stimulus Of politics. Her wonderful
soil and staples, anu the probable settlement OF
tho labor question on basis Of conccss}pn and
happiness, would gl1o her rapid increase u soun
as the negro WAS weary Of politics and the white
men Of violence. scuatoy Alcorn sud that tho
certainty OF change for tho better sitter 1rantx
term WIS done possessed thu whole South with
ccttatB snlisnctioh. II tho statea of South CaEo-
lima and Louisiana were recovered by tho property
diaesent a. To whether usyea or Tfldeu q . Tres
1 Iirnt