The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-02-20
Gen. Grant OH the Future.

The President while convcrsinr
on the Electoral bill .'branchcd off
upon Il discussion Of what he con-
sldors the present tendency Of po~
ItIcal parties i'll this country toward
q complete reorganization He said
he has observed Il movement in this
direction for several years, and that
nc accepts the reaction OF 1874,
known as the tidal wave, as All iu-
disputable evidence Of it. He then
sad he thinks tho Republican party
VIII be able, in great measure, to
recover its lost ground, and possibly
to maintain it through another
Presidential term; but tho export
elice Of 1876, though favorable to
the Ropublicans in the local cleo
tlons and to Il great degree in the
Congressional districts, proves to
him that, on National questions, the
tlmo FOR reconstruction Of political
parties has come. Ho docs not
mean by this that he believes that
the Democratic party will certainly
secure permanent control Of tho gov
,ernment, but simply that the Re
publican party, shattered Us it iH by
internal disscnsion, will only be
able to rally it's forces and harmon
ize it's diverse clements upon some
new question. He said that, of
course, no one can know, until the
result of the election is officially
declared, which party will secure
control Of the Executive branch of
the government, with it's extensive
and potential patronage. But what
ever the result of the present con
test it will only postpone the ro>
organization of which he spoke.
The President recognizes the fact
that the South now present; y
united front when permitted to eel
mrostlained by the interposition Of
local constituted authority to pre-
vent the white people from resort
ing to illegal means of carrying tho
elections in these States. In those
sections Of the North where the
Democratic victories were gained
contrary to former results tie
means by which they wore obtained
may bo considered eXceptional lie
thinks that before the end Of the
next Presidential term an entire re
organization of parties will take
place i'll the South at least, and that
in the contest of 1880 that section
of the country will not again vote
any more solidly for The Democratic
candidates than the North for the
Republicans. Ir the South, rs po-
litical contests are now carried on,
there is III his estimation neither a
Democratic nor Republican party.
The struggle is simply for political
power between tho white people on
the one hand, who desire to ignore
the blacks entirely, and the colorcd
people on the other. The loss to
the Republican party Of all the
Southern States, under those cir
cumstances, he thought tho natural
outgrowth of the opposition of the
party in power before the war to
that which grew ont of that great
struogc. IiNIr. Tildcn wcr, declared
elected, the President thinks That
the two States nominally yet held
by the Republicans would probably
succumb. The moment this unani-
nifty is established, he believes that
the people of tho South will begin
to discuss measures of State policy,
and. that the result will be division
of political opinion which will
crystalize into political organizn
tons. This condition Of affairs will
be more wholesome If nothing else
caused a division, the jealousy Of
political leaders and the desire to
control official patronage will cause
q division where one party has entire
control. Then he thinks both po-
litical organizations will put forth
their best efforts to secure the
negro vote, as the Democrats Of the
Noltn have cnjolel the Irish and tho
Republicans cultivated the Germans
and the Scandinavians.
Speaking of Floiilo, North Caro-
lima and West Virginia, the Presi-
dent said that he believes the intro
duction of Northern capital and the
emigration of Northern men will
soon deprive them Of their dis
tinctive Southern pec,lliaritics, and
cause on organization Of parties ON
the same principles as obtain in the
North. i'.'. ...