Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-28
the SOUTHERN QUESTION,
Special to the 1ntef-Oce

Special to the Inter-Oce.n,
NEW YORK, March 22.-The Times
Washington special says: "At the
Cabinet meeting the material of the
commission was determined upon,
butts personnel cannot be ascertain
ed until acceptances have been re-
ceived from those whom the Presi-
dent has invited by telegraph to serve
upon it. It will represent all shades
Of political opinion, and if possible
it will be geographical in its make. up.
The gentlemen selected will be men
we'll known to the country, and dis
tinguished rather for their learning
and patriotism than for prominence
in partisan politics. A number of
gentlemen were named for this SER
vice during the Cabinet meeting, but
no selections were made. The Vice
President before leaving Washington
was solicited by the President to
serve, but he declined. Judge Davis
was mentioned as one of the commits.
sioners, but 1t is known that he has
not been invited and would not serve
if he should be. 1t ia probable that
the names of those who will consti.
tute the commission will be announc.
ed tomorrow.
"Thc President in an interview, TO-
day, said that for the past eight years
there had been a great degree Of re.
action, retPogression, lawlessness
violence, and murder in the South
especially in Louisiana, where there
were SO many mixed races that VIC.
lence resulted almost spontaneously
that the worst thing that could hap.
pen to the South would be the sue.
cess of the democratic party; thai
either the few troops that are there
should be taken away or more put on
duty; that Packard's case had greatly
improved to-day Judging from dis.
patches he had seen showing the
weakening Of Nichols forees); that
if Packard's case continued to i'm.
prove the commission to be appoint.
ed would see that and so report,
which would simplify matters very
much; that the democratic party OF
the South had better be broken up,
if possible, and the color line OblitcP-
by o new aud better organization of
the republican party; that men who
were in the White League and Kn-
klux organizations were lawlcss and
ignorant, not respectable aud intelli-
gent; that the republican party in the
South needs to he made better, and
he thinks it can be, and that at all
events 1t would be well to try and put
an end to all the disorder i'm the
South by removing its cause.-the
color llre-and atall events he wonld
hold himself ready in case these
views were found leading him in the
wrong direction to change them
speedily. The President continued !:
81 he freedmen will find me their
friend, but they need other friends
from among those who Gro now re-
garded as their enemies because of
the race line The President express
ed himself in terms of great charity
for the South, and yet he was cmphat-
ic in his declaration that there should
be law and order in that section.
The President further said that In no
event would the troops be Withdrawn,
but that on the contrary Gen. Grants
last order respecting the statlis QUO
would be maintained till the conmis-
sion returned and reported, and a
fixed policy should be agreed upon.
The President intimated thatif Pack
ard was not acknowledged Nichols
would not be, bHt probably q new
election held"