The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-21
Settlement OF the Louisiana Ques-
GiOn.


After sixteen years the great war is at
last over. The last rebel laid down his
arms in 1865, twelve years ago, but in one
way or another the constitution has re-
NAMED suspended since then and the coun-
try has been kept in condition OF con-
structive war, until now, at last, federal SOL
diers cease everywhere to interfere in the
State governments, and the people OF all the
States are once more happily to rule them
selves in accordance with the fundamental
organic law Of the land, and thus the great
war is over; the people of the United States
live once more under the shelter of the con-
stitution. The withdrawal of the federal
troops to their barracks in New Orleans will
deserve to be remembered as great event
in our history. 1t signalizes the hnal ana
complete return to constitutional govern
ment. When the federal interference ceased
in Arkansas at the command Of Congress, in
1876, the people of that State, OF both par
ties and races, celebrated the event
by day of joyful thanksgiving
for the restoration Of peace, secur-
ity and prosperity; the whole American
people might very we'll mark the restoration
of self-government to Louisiana by q similar
celebration, for President Hayes undonbt-
edly, by this last act Of his, gives a new lease
of life to the Republic, new feeling of per-
manence and security to all interests in
every State; he adds to the value of every
piece of property in the Union, because he
opens the way to renewal OF confidence
and to revival Of business. He has made
the future safe, as it has not been safe in all
the long weary years since the first gun was
fred at Sumter
The President has redeemed his first and
most important promise-that he would SO
govern as to abolish "the South" in politi-
cal sense, and make of us all countrymen,
equally living under the same constitution,
and with no motives to sectional divisions.
For the first time in more than half GEN.
fury there is no ''South." For the first
time since 1861 the people Of all the Southern
States are left at liberty to rule themselves
in their local affairs as their own interests
and wisdom shall dictate No doubt there
are people at the North who sincerely be-
lieve the Presidents experiment hazardous
one, and who would have preferred, from
mistaken but honestly entertained motives,
to see continuance of federal interference.
We do not speak now of such men as Blaine
and Wendell Phillips. self-seeking politi-
clans or fanatical humanitarians, but Of
earnest, honest, but ill-informed citizens,
who are DESTROYS only Of the country's good.
1t remains for the people of South Carolina
and Louisiana to prove to this not inconsid-
emble and by no means uninfuential class
of Northern men that their apprehensions
are groundless; that equal justice, general
security and prosperity are safe in the hands
of the predominant party in those States.
We believe they are, and we find the reasons
for our faith not only in profound convic-
ton that natural laws and natural interests,
undisturbed by violent extraneous inter-
ference, will best solve all the So
cial and industrial problems in the
Southern States, as they are doing in the
Arkansas, in Alabama, in North Carolina, in
Georgia, everywhere, the cessation of fed
eral interference with the local governments
has been the beginning of lasting peace,
order, general contentment and good feel
ing, security and prosperity.
The settlement of the Southern question .
removes one, and the greatest, of the i'm
pediments to renewal of prosperity all
over the country. It is not merely that the
removal of long existing cause of irritation
will stimulate the industry and greatly in
crease the productive power Of the South,
though the Importance of this is not to be
undervalued, for the men of both races
down there have been so preoccupied by
the long and bitter political struggles that,
notably in South Carolina and Louisiana,
but in some degree in all the Southern
States, regular and productive industry has
been seriously checked. But the whole
country will feel the stimulus and benefit
Of the cessation of q strife which threatened
us constantly with serious internal troubles,
and which, while it lasted, made needed
reforms impossible and demoralized our
politics. Until the Southern question was
out of the way no other question could have
proper consideration, and all interests suf-
fered neglect Now, at last, after waiting
many tedious years, we can come fully to
the discussion of real questions-of matters
which have been pressing upon the country
for long time. We see this already in the
prominence given at the Treasury Depart
ment to the question of resumption and
to the more rapid and profitable
ref,nding of the debt. We see it in the
newspapers, where questions of internal i'm
provements, OF the tariff, of civil service re-
form, already take the place of mere politi-
cal squabbles Congress, when it meets in
extra session in June, will find itself for the
first time in many years at leisure to con-
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