The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-04-19
THE SOUTHERN SITUATION a.
BROAD.

Mr.. Hayes is placed in peculiarly
painful position by the appeals which
Packard and Chamberlain are making to
him Ifthe "carpet- bag" governments
are the lawful governments of the State
of South Carolina and Louisiana, he is
bound under the Constitution, to assist
their executive chiefs in curbing domes.
tic violence and securing respect for the
legally chosen authorities. But neither
Mr.. Hayes, nor any one else, honestly
believes that Mr.. Packard aud Mr.. Cham
berlain are the choice of the majority Of
the citizens in the State of Louisiana and
South Carolina. 1t is undisputed that
large majority was given to Mr. Nichols
in the former State and to General Wade
Hampton ia the latter. Why, then, it
may be asked, should not Mr.. Hayes re-
cognize the candidates who were known
to have been supported by the majority
of the electors2 By doing so he would
effectually terminate the danger of civil
war as General Grant did when after
many hesitations, he recognized one of
the Contending claimants in Arkansas.
But, unfortunately, Mr. Packard is Gov
ernor of Louisiana, and Mr.. Chamberlain
Governor of South Carolina, by precisely
the same title which makes Mr.. Hayes
President of the United States. Ifit was
proper to strike out thousands OF Demo
cratic votes recorded in November last
for Mr. Tilden, it was indisputably the
right of the Returning Boards at the same
time and by the same authority to dimi'
nish the Democratic majorities actually
polled, and to give Mr.. Packard maio-
rity in Louisiana and Mr.. Chamberlain
majority in South Carolina. A decision
by the President adverse to the claims of
Packard and Chamberlain would assert
for the Executive power the right ITO go
behind the returns" which the commits
sion offifteen refused to admit. But to
that refusal Mr.. Hayes owes his own
success. These considerations, we have
no doubt, have been pressed upon the
President by the Republicans ofextreme
views, who are averse to surrendering the
Southern States to tie Democrats. Yet,
at any cost, Mr.. Hayes is bound to hold
to his pledges. The country is utterly
tired--as General Grant said few weeks
ago-of sending troops to the Solth to
back up Republican State governments
which are altogether weak and discred-
tied. If Mr.. Packard and Mr.. Cham
berlain caunot stand alone, they must
make way for these who can. Further
more, there's a general desire to sea whet.
her the Southern whites are, in fact, as
black as they have been painted; wheth-
er, if they obtain the control ofthe State
governments of Louisiana and South
Carolina, they will cruelty persecute the
negroes and craftlly re-introduce slavery
in a slightly-disguised form. These are
the assertions of fanatical and partisan
Republicans in the North, who know
nothing of the actual condition of the
South, but they will find credence with
many until they have been disproved by
experience. The President will probab-
ly be compelled to decide one way or
other before long; for the double gov
ernments" cannot last without leading to
a deadlock or a collision, to refusal TO
pay taxes or resistance to executive Or
ders.-LOndOn Economist, March 81.