The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-17
The President and his Policy.


We NIT entire faith in the business OF the
conclusion OF Colonel McCLuEs. OF the
philadelphia Times, whea-he saysan- his
cd,tor;a, letter from Washington am
,>orsnaded that the Administration viii not
s.verye from its faith" We take the FOL
lowing passage from this shrcwd letter;
"Thas Hayes moves slowly is common
complaint, but he has hao OCCASION 70 ~.
GIRO, haste In his Baltimore appointments,
ga no "a Iikely 10 err on the side OF caution
anS ,a;sure henccforth. He takes no alarm
a. she hasty threats OF frettcd leaders, whose
formations are In danger, to drive MN OUT
s;dc the Republican organization. ne is
s;ncareIv Republican in conviction, and
means to be so in practice, in ooedicnce 70
: tho r,Iatform on which he was placed rs
.,a,,nn,l candidate, and to the distinct llt-
teranccs OF his letter OF acceptance. lie
will gladly seek to merit the confidence
and friendship OF Republican senators,
congressman. and other leaders, consist
emily with his pledges to the country, and
he has abiding faith that the people VIII en-.
force the support OF the leaders, II ne shall
be true to the republicanism he proclaimed
before the election and in his inaugural.
The appointment OF Lawrence Ito the New
Orleans collcctorship1 wss Intended as q
pointed rebuke to those who have deceived
The President in recommending southern
men for office. Kings name was presented
to him with an array OF testimony as to his
fitness that would have warranted his APP
poinfment to any trust, and yet the Presl-
dent had TO acknowledge that he was grossly
deceived. This nomination will bring the
President and the Senate to much better
practical understanding OF their exact rela-
tions to each other than could score OF III
tervews with caucus committees
Mr.. HAYES. in an interview with Colonel
FoRHEY few days since, most emphatically
declared it to be his purpose to proceed
with his southern and civil-seryice reforms
AS to bis appointments OF Democrats,
which CoIKLISG has raised much "gob-
bling" about, lie has not done enough OF
that to indicate any intention on his part
TO go over to the Democratic party. All
reasonable and liberal persons understood
that In the few cases that have occurred the
President was governed by the manifest
propriety, il not necessity. OK the case. and
they should have met the appreciation OF
the Senate. But the opportunity was good
for show OF indignation from the fretting
New York Senator. From what we have
heard we have no idea that ne Will drive
Mr.. HAYES.
It j. as idle 10 impugn Sir. HAYES OF De-
mocratic proclrites detrimental TO the party
that elected him as it was with southern
Democrats to expect that Mr.. HAYES would
apDoint Democrats from the South to office
al
the interest OF the public service. We all
know that where he maze appointments
without reference to party, that although
he did so under Il sense OF compulsion IN
some sect ons because OF the absence OF
proper men of the Republican stripe TO
serve the Government, he hoped that they
would assist in the work of conciliatng and
barmonizing the different sections OF the
Union. Still. he never, to our understand
ing, had deliberate purpose OF entirely
disregardng party in making his appoint
ments. In the rivalry Of applicants, all
things being equal, he has appointed Re-
publicans, and this he has ayowed to be his
purpose.
We have not been at all surprised at it,
and we have by no means regretted it.
Those who remember what craze took
possession Of the public mind in the South
upon faith Of the eXtravasant representa-
ton OF Mr.. HAYEs's disposition with regard
to appointments can form pretty correct
idea OF the grand march of son to Wash
ington from the South had there not been
mistake on the subject. AS it was, the
railroads made good deal Of money by the
running to and fro OF the southern office
hunters. From the beginning made, had
the Administration encouraged the eXpedi-
ton to Washington there would have been
such 4 rush to the Federal city as has not
been seen at any former time. Nor could
the fact be interpreted as exceptionally ad-
verse to the public virtue Of the South. Any
other section, under similar circumstances,
would have sent hordes OF ofice-hunters
Just as hungry as any that could come from
the South.
This whole question about offices, office
hunting, and the discussion thereon, is scan
dalous to the United States. 1t impresses
all rejecting people with the importance OF
the Presidents ciril-service reform. For
the protection of the virtue OF the nation
and the integrity Of the Government Mr..
HAYEs's policy is one Of the most impor-
tant matters OF Government reform that
could possibly be undertaken by the Presi-
dent.
But we have no right to expect MT.
HAYES to be appointing Democrats to office.
We never had, and we, for one, never so
expected, save in peculiar and clearly-iusti-
fable cases-iustifable, we mean, upon po-
litical grounds. And we repeat that we are
glad he did not; for the time hasn't come
to let loose the southern office-hunters upon
the Government. The southern people are
like wrecked seamen-so long starving for
food that it is perilous TO feed them save
in the most limited and prudent manner.
A liberal distribution of Federal offices
amongst them would be as fatal in moral
as to oyergorge starving sailor would be
in physical sense. 1t would have de-
bauched community which had exhibited
so much constancy and manhood under adj
yersity that it would have dimmed in the
ewes Of the world one of the brightest ex-
amples ever shown. >
National Parties.
Yesterdays Wing, in commenting upon
nm article on apersonal Politics., which