New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-27
UHlT Is THE "POL!CT?7

Words do not amount to much, unless they
have fixed and definite meaning. In these
times, in which so much is sad OF the prc>i
dents Southern policy" isn't it worth while
seriously to consider whether he has any, and,
if so, what it is? Whether he has any, we
mean, except the policy Of administering pub
lie affairs in all the States in the same way,
and according to the Constitution? There is
no mystery about the matter, and there need
be no misunderstanding, if only we judge the
President by what he says and does. Perhaps
the speech made at Charlottesville, Va, on the
18th inst, was as good an illustration as we
can have Of the matter. The President al
luded to the fact that during his recent tour
he had passed through four States which
were once largely slave-holding, and that he
had found in them all growing and increas-
ling sentiments in behalf of the Union, the
"Constitution, and the Administration, which
"regard alike the interests and rights of every
"section and every State lie spoke further
of the equality under the laws of all citizens"
as 1.-THE cornerstone of the structure of re-
"stored harmony, from which ancient friend
"shp is to rise" Here, grumblers and growl-
ers of the conventions, is the Presidents
declared in the State of Washington and JEFF
ferson, of Madison and Monroe, as it had be-
fore been declared in the State of Hancock
and the Adamses.
The fault may be found most unustly, that
the expression Of such sentiments is indefi
mite. 1t is quite the contrary, albeit it is
necessarily simple, as all opinions are, which
90 back to first principles. Is the President
to be set down as heredcal and Enthusiastically
in his Union doctrines, because he avoids
bewildering and intricate distinctions, and
comes directly to the pOint2 1t Is this very
directness which gives hypercritics their OPP
portunity. The President is looked at askance.
because he has no plan of military coercion ;
no scheme of upsetting and rearranging every
thing; 40 notion of sending down an army of
satraps and tetrarchs to govern people
which has constitutional right to govern
itself He is censured because he is a thor
ough believer in the American system of self
goyernment-that is all
Col. Venable said at Charlottesville, that the
best men in his State were sedulously g seeking
"the things of peace, which brave men accept
"without dishonor n-"peace," he had said
before, "between the people of the two great
sections of our common country" 81 can very
"wel say ditto to Col Nenable" answered
the President, cheerfully. All this may be
sneeTed mt as sentiment. but the passionate
love which saved the Union in the days of its
peril was little more than Il sentiment. SO must
be the popular feeling which restores it to its old
integrity and efficiency. Why, the very men
VINO think the President too lenient, and for
giving, and forgetful are themselves men OF
sentiment. Their talk is Of the past, of battles
fought Yesterday, and of men men VINO drew
their swords for the Republic. The sentiment
which goes still further back to the days of Il
harmonious s.sterh0ol Of States, is surely quite
as natural and unite as credltlble, and some
thing much more than sentiment, IN the ordi-
nary acccptation of the word.
Kindness, good feeling sympathy, with g
clear idea of what the Constitution demands
and what it iOrblds constitute surely n better
policy than never-ending quarrel. Ii ali amounts
to this If the majority of the Southern people
are ready to pay respect and obedience to tho
General Government. shall they be Hospitality
welcomed back, or shall they be harshly re-
pelledl AS Col. Venable said, we do not want
a peace made up largely of suspicion, dis
"content, hatred, bayonets and blood y that,
| indeed, would be no peace at all. The desire