Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-17

before we are caught with words We
have lived long enough to see the pres
emit pope enter on his Office with
reforming cabinet, and very soon after
to see his court the centre Of all re-
dictionary governments. We have seen
Louis Napoleon take possession ofthe
imperial throne of France, with the
well remembered words The empire Is
peace and less than year afterwards,
saw him engaged in one Of the most
sanguinary wars that ever afflicted
Europe. We have heard General
Grant, in his first inaugural as Presi-
dent say "let us have peace" and then
institute a ferocious war of ten years
upon the liberties and prosperity Of
the Southern States,
And when Mr.. Hayes makes similar
professions of peace, we decline to
shut our eyes to the fact that he is
virulently opposed in bis policy by
some of the ablest men in his own
party, while the damning fraud upon
which his own title to the Presidency
is grounded, establishes weak point
in the front he presents to his antago-
lists, who can always silence him by
saying if we are wrong you are usur-
per-
The very way in which Mr.. Hayes
sets about redressing the wrongs ofthe
South shows weakness and vacilla-
ton and timidity on the face of it
which furnish a very unfavorable au
curry of success. He sends a messen-
ger to Chamberlain. He asks him
does he notsee the expediency of with
drawing his claims for the good Of the
cOuntry?" He does not see it, and in
Inmates that Mr.. Hayes might as
reasonably be called upon to withdraw
his claims for the good of the country.
And the thing is at a stand-still then
some Southern statesme approach
him and counsel him that without
pronounciag on the conflicting claims,
and so compromising his own title, he
should simply withdraw the Federal
troops and let things take their course.
This was Grants programme; aud in
our estimation the only practicable one
with Fir. Hayes but what is his an
swer-well, not yet; he will wait, he
will send Mr. Wheeler and some gen
tlemen with him to investigate. In-
vestigate what, in Gods name? Every
nook and Granny of the political South
has been Investigated through and
| through by Senate committees from
one point of view and by House COM
mittees from another; for that matter,
| this very Mr.. Wheeler has found it his
duty before now to investigate the
| South and he told some damning truths
/ of the misrule Of his own party in it !;
and yet was ready enough, when his
own election was made dependent upon
that very misrule, to 'eat his own words
and accept heartily that misrule
when exerted in his own favor; very
little is to be gained except delay
by sending Mr.. Wheeler to inves-
tigate, delay indeed is what Mr..
Hayes needs in his perplexities, but
delays are dangerous, and never so
I dangerous as just now in South Caro-
lima and Louisiana.
We say nothing at present about the
prospect of kelloggs admission into the
United States Senate. Surely enough
has been said to prove the utter in
sanity of any pupose of disbanding the
Democratic organization or of relax
ing the strictest vigilance in its policy
1t would be equally insane for Us to
oppose them in any really benignant
measures they may propose in behalf
of the South. For the Democratic
party to do so would be simply to OBJ
literate itself: but occasional discrimi-
mating support is a very different thing
from confidence, still more so from
indentifcation of ourselves with a
party repentant for the moment, but
whose repentance may at any moment
be replaced by backsliding. The posi-.
ton of the Earl OF Chatham towards
the coalition ministry which had su-
perseded him seems to be the only one
appropriate to US in the present crisis.
Il will treat these gentlemen with can-
dor. he said, with support when they
deserve support, but confidence, my
lOrds,-that is a flower of slow growth
in the aged breast,
The Radicals may be repentant, but
we have to wait aud see them bring
forth works meet for repentance, be-
fore we take them to our hearts
Should the proposed policy of Mr.
Hayes be found impractical BILE, there is
no doubt that he would fall back on
the united Republican party with Nor
ton and Blaine, Logan and Garfield to
run the machine, aud the presence Of
Mr. Key in the cabinet would have nc
influence whatever; he would have to
conform or be kicked out without cere,
mOny. And then with q divided De,
mocracy in the South, we should be
more at the mercy Of the carpet bag
ger than ever.