New-York tribune., 1877-08-09
THE SOUTHERN POLICY.
A Talk WITH EX.SENATOR WADE.


! GFRoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT THE TRBUNE.l
! JEFFERSON, Ashtabua Co.. Ohio, Aug. 3-Many
| years ago. when Joshua Il. Giddings in the
House and Benjamin I. Wade IN the Senate, an
Eastern man, supposing a town that produced two
such celebrities must be place of some importance,
asked the Senator what were the advantages of JEFF
ferson. None except political" replied Mr. Wade.
Its political advantages attained in the period
Of the Anti-Slavery agitation, of which it one
OF the most important centres. They have departed
in great measure No men have arisen to take
the places of the giants Of those days, but the inn
mense Republican majority in Ashtabula County
makes its capital place of rather more
consequence i'll politics than most county
seats, and it is rarely without its represen-
tatiyes in State and Federal offices. It's adj
vantages other than political little noticeable
now as twenty years ago. The place is rural vii
| lage of about 1000 inhabitants, without much
wealth much business. 1t has a few small stores.
two hotels between which. like the rotten apples in
| the Scotch proycrb there's "sma' choice" and two
long, pleasantly Streets bOrdered by pretty
! New-Engand cottages. There Is, besides a weed
! oyergrOwn public square, and red-brck courthouse
with stately columned facade, standing in little
! grove. The Giddngs homestead burned some
! years ago, and is replaced by large modern brick
residence, occupied by of the two of the old
statesman. HIS little wooden law Office is still
standing however, and looks inside just it did in
his lifetime. The son, who lives III the adjoining
son. Is lawyer by profession but is not in practice,
and uses the office only quiet nook for reading.
He is an old man himself now, with white hair and
! beard, and fine, genial countenance. Neither he
nor the other son, who is farmer and lives few
miles from Jefferson, ever developed either taste or
talent for public affairs.
The home Of the Howells family, a generous, old
time house, half hidden by trees is occupied by Mr..
J. 4. Howells, brother of the poet VIM. d. How
ellis. He is the village postmaster and bookseller,
aud the editor of The Sentinel once famous for the
vigorous part it took in the AntI-Slayerv agitation,
aud the principal Republican paper in the
| county. The father, veteran editor, is Consul at
! Quebec and one Of the sisters, Annie, whose name
is familiar to magazine readers, is married and living
IN Ottawa Canada.
l came to Jefferson to see cold Ben Wade or
Judge Wade, as all his townsfolks call him, prescry-
ing the title Of the first important office he held.
found him in a little one-story building Overshad-
/ owed by horse-chestnut trees. His house, large
/ frame structure, robbed of its original pic
turesqueness by mansard roof, stands few
steps away and the little building used office,
shares with it the delights of spacious lawn, dotted
with clumps Of flowers. The public square, where
centres the placid life of the village is but stones
throw distant the bank is next door, the post-ofice
just around the corner, and the courthouse near
! at hand that the ex-senator can almost hear thc
/ speeches Of the lawyers without leaving his easy
! chair.
TUE TRIBUNE correspondent received a cordial
greeting, and when the talk settled down into the
expected channel If politics. he said: You are re-
gariel as the most prominent representative in Ohio
OF the element in the Republican party which
strongly disapproyes of the Southern policy of the
| Administration"
THAT'S a mistake" replied Mr.. Wade, " I'm not
! in politics at all-no man Is less so in fact-and
! don't know that represent anybody but myself. |
wrote letter to old friend az Washington not long
ago, and marked it private. in which | gaycmy
views of the course Of the Administration. 1t got
into print and that set all the newspapers to talking
about me-"
" Have you modified the opinion you expressed in
that letter."
Not at all. | think Hayes made great mistake
| in surrenderng Louisiana and South Carolina. He
is honest man, and have great respect for him,
but lie misjudged his duty shockngly. Why. it was
a complete surrender TO the South. | can compare
it TO nothing else than the course of Buchanan in
the last days Of his administration when he gave up
the forts and Government property to the rebels
| The plea was the same then as nOw-the rights Of
! the States to local selfgOyernment. Yes,
! local selfgovemment! That means that the
Southern whites may do just they please
and violate with impunty the Constitutional
Amendment which gives the suffrage to the negroes
There is Republican party lett in the South now
| The negroes may vote, if they want to-they'll not
be bulldozed any more think-but their votes will
| not be counted, if counting them makes any differ
ence The South profits by negro suffrage to get in
creased representation and power; but we have no
authority according to the new policy, to that
the negro enjoys his guaranteed rights of citizen
ship"
"Was there any better way than the one the
| President took"
ayes: he ought to have told the South that he
meant to uphold the legally elected Governments
in those two States by all the force at his command
| That would have been enough Packard and Cham
berlain could have been kept in Office without
troublc The South busters a good deal, but Is
easily cowed"
"The Packard and Chamberlain Governments
could only have been maintained by the constant
presence of troops just as the Kellogg Government
was"
'Then I would have used troops | would not
| have surrendered without a struggle what we had
fairly won. would use troops everywhere II
necessary to protect the negro in his rights. Nhy'
| look at these railroad riots. Everybody, Democrats
a. well as Republicans called on the President to
send soldiers protect them and enforce the laws
bnt when a eorporal's guard was stationed in some
Southern State there was great outcry about NH
itarv interference and bayonet rule, and down
trodden communities
"Do you remember, when you blame Hayes, that
Grant set the example of ceasing uphold carpet
boo Governments when he left Gov. Ames and the
! N,.;,s;,,, Peuuhlicaus to shift for themselyesW