The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-26

A great many people do not like Senator
Morton's political opinions; but no one
doubts that he has an uncommonly clear
and strong head. No one catches SO
quickly as Mr.. Morton important changes
in political situation; and when he hast
ened to give in his allegiance to President
Hayes, directly after the 4th Of March.
leaving some of his slower colleagues
in the lurch, this was evidence to
thoughtful observers that he saw, what
the event has shown to be true, that the
time was ripe for change of policy, and
that, as he writes in the letter we print else
where, to have attempted to support the
carpet-bag governments in Louisiana and
South Carolina "would have been futile,
and the failure disastrous. Mr.. Morton
accepted the inevitable, and now he explains
his course and defends the Presidents policy,
and does both very forcibly from his point
Of view.
He demonstrates clearly that Mr.. Hayes
could not, if he had wished, have pursued
any other course in the two Southern States
than that he adopted. He puts in strong
light the discussions Of the republicans and
the fact that even the republican Senate
would not have cast majority either to
seat Mr. Kellogg or to support the Presi-
dent in a coercive policy toward the South
ern States. No one has shown in pithler
language the weakness and incapacity OF
the republican governments in Louisiana
and South Carolina, existing only in
name, surrounded by enemies, living only
from day to day by the presence and pro-
lection of United States troops = nor has
any one so perth emily exhibited the repub-
lican divisions in the Senate on the South
ern question:-"Five republican Senator'S
voted against seating Kellogg, thus refusing
to recognize the Packard government, and
number of republican Senators, sufficient
when added to the democratic members to
constitute majority, have steadily refused
to recognize the republican State govern
ment in Louisiana since 1873" Thus Mr..
Morton makes it manifest that not only
could not the President do otherwise than
he did, but that in the next Congress he
will undoubtedly have the support of
majority Of both houses for his policy.
That is to say, the Southern question has
passed substantially out Of politics. Fed
eral interference in the local affairs of those
States is a thing OF the past. Persistence in
it, Mr.. Morton hints to his republican
friends, has brought division and disaster
to the party. But while he accepts the fact
he does not conceal but rather, as it seems
to us, magnifes his regrets The letter is
addressed to that portion of his party which
is hostile to the new Southern policy,
and Mr.. Morton shrewdly explains to
these recalcitrants that it could not
be helped; that it had to be done
but that he agrees with them in thinking it
disagreeable, wrong, a misfortune, deplora-
BILE in every view, but yet, he repeats and in
sists, inevitable. Well, these words of COM
fort we need not complain of. That great
part of the publican overwhelming ma
iority of the nation-which believes the
new Southern policy to be constitutional,
wise and absolutely necessary to the peace
and welfare of the country need not be
troubled when Senator Morton undertakes
with soft and conciliatory words to win the
consent of. the s'soreheads.
1t is whan he turns from the past to the
future that his views become most interest
ing He has evidently made up his mind
that the Southern States are going to remain
for some time solidly democratic; and he
thinks it prudent, and perhaps necessary
as well, to raise, so early as this, the warm
ing cry OF ssolid South and of Southern
domination" His fierce and almost fero-
cious denunciation.of the Southern whites,
and his dolorous and, we must
add, absurd prophecies that unless
there is "solid North" the Southern
leaders will some day repeal the consti-
tutional amendments, extort pay for their
slaves and pay the rebel war debt, are really
a confession that Mr.. Morton sees his own
party going to pieces and seeks to hold
them together by danger signal. There is
something of the unreasonable and un-
reasoning haste Of a panic in all this
TRADE of his. 1t may turn out, as
he asserts, that the democratic party will
hold together in all the Southern States
until after $780, But it is entirely too early
for prudent prophets to begin their vaticina-
tions. When Congress has sat five or six
months, when the currency, the tariff, the
shipping laws. internal Improvements,
the civil service, have been debated
and voted on, then it will be easier and
safer to predict what may happen both in
the North and the South in the
way of party arrangements. We are
far from doubling the political shrewd-
ness Of Mr.. Morton; he can see further
into milestone than most men, but in this
case it is very clear that his wish is father
to his thought .'solid South" is neces-
sary to his purposes he needs that buga-
boo to frighten the North with, and if he