The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-23

that those troops have orders to inter-
fere in no manner with the affairs OF
those States or their people, save only
to prevent violence by either party. 1t
would be difficult to imagine any more
useful purpose to which troops could be
put than to prevent furious partisans
from cutting each others throats and
doing like harm to innocent people. The
troops certainly have right to be
there. They are not quartered
upon the Inhabitants. Nothing
is required of the citizens for their sup
port. Their presence can have no possi-
BILE influence on the decision OF any po-
litical question. They merely preserve
the peace and keep matters in stdtu quo
pending investigation and consultation
upon the impoWant and complicated
questions involved in the condition Of
affairs in those troubled States. To de-
mand their immediate withdrawal at
moment SO critical to the best interests
of all concerned must be con strued as
indicating criminal purpose to seize
the occasion for the violent enforcement
of the claims of one party or the other
to the possession of the State Govern
ment. To prevent this is a sworn duty
of the President by his taking the oath
for the faithful execution of the laws.
| But, behind all these matters Of pres
ent expediency, there remains the
knotty problem as to the just and proper
policy to be pursued for final and
peaceful adjustment Of those State diff
culties. That the Democratic states
men of the South desire this result is
unquestionable. That they hope for it
is equally certain. That the Republi-
can party, both North and South, look
for this at the hands Of the new Admin
istration has been emphatically ex-
pressed by every form of endorsement 80
abundantly vouchsafed to the Presi.
dent. And that Mr.. Hayes himself ar
IDENTIFY aspires TO be the successful me-
diator and official instrumentality for
effecung this result every utterance OF
his, from his letter OF acceptance down
to the present date, all abundantly at
test. Then, with all this array Of int1u-
ence in it's favor, what are the obstacles
in the way of its consummation2
One embarrassment lies in the insult
cheney of harmony between the Federal
and State laws and constitutional pro-
visions bearing upon the matter. The
General Government is restrained by
the irrevocable policy of non-interfer-
ence in purely State affairs. The State
Governments are embarrassed by the
uncertainty of their own laws in regu-
lating matters involved in the present
ENHANCEMENT Of their elective franchise.
And yet they turn to the General Gov
srnment for recognition and support of
| their several claims to be the State Gov
ernments. 1t were absurd to urge that
the General Government should deter
mine such an issue without full investi-
CATION into the facts constituting the
merits of the controversy on the re-
spective sides.
1t may be said, to be sure, that there
are divers and sundry "reportsH on the
subject of these difficulties, to which the
President could have ready access. And
it is true. But what manner of Gre
ports" are theyI Some of them are from
Congressional Committees, majority and
minority, hastily compiled, cursorily ex-
amined; and, what purports to be facts,
are arrayed in a purely partisan garb,
serving no purpose but to conceal the
! truth. Others are "reports7 of "dis-
tinguished politicians" who volunteered
to post themselves through from the
North to the South to secure "fair
count" of the votes that were to make or
unmake political dynasty. Would any
prudent man request the President to
pronounce his judgment and determine
his course on such testimony as this?-
testimony that even Congress disre-
garded! What step more proper, then,
than for the President to institute an
independent Commission to Investigate
and report directly to himself the facts
needfuI to be known for the determine
tion OF these grave issues?
Another obstacle that hinders this
consummation so devoutly to be wished
by the whole country is found in the in.
tense jealousy Of the North by the white
population of the South. This jealousy
is so inveterate that no persuasion can
convince them Of friendllness Of feeling
in the. North towards the South. That
this is an utter misconception of the
sentiment of the Northern people we all
know. And yet the prejudice exists
Now, while we would denounce this
prejudice as mischievous and unwar
ranted in fact, we can not condemn il
as unjustitied by circumstances. We
must remember that the representative
men" in the South during the last de-
/ cade, and longer, have not been proper
, exponents tof Northern character ant
feeling. They were almost entirely o
that genus known as "carpet-bagser.'
f They were adventures. Far be it from