New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-09
The Addresn and the souIh.

The chief interest in the inaugural adj
dress of President Hayes centres In his re-
marks on the condition of the Southern
States, and the disprOpGrtiOnal space 0ecu-
pied in the brief message by this topic
shows that The President 10 fully alive 10
it's importance. His message barely touches
upon other topics, and hardly enables one
to say with confidence what his policy viii
be on any public question; but it shows that
he not only takes a. deep interest in the
prosperity of the South, bat that he has an
intelligent understanding of the difficulties
of the situation and OF the needs of the
people. It has been the easy fashion To
abuse the "carpe-bag Governors" Caesar"
and "the troOps" for the blight on Southern
prosperity and the Lnieru)e in Southern ter
Fitory, but tue truth is that the Southern
people are themselves chiefly responsible
for the sad condition of aftairg by their go
acting as to render any Other condition Of
affairs Impossible, aud they need not hope
To he materially relieved until they come
to their. owu re.ef bS coming into accord
With tbs spirit Of tue aye and with the
changed condition of the times,
The era of past prosperity to which the
Sonth looks back with longing regret was
in reality an era of mysery, degradation,
shame and crime. There YVES no prosperity
about it save such as was built upon the
unpaid labor of slaves, and%he vulgar and
gaudy ostentAtion of their owners was but
a poor compensation for the wrong done to
humanity by the system which enriched
them. Better, q thousand times better, the
uncertainty, the loss, the confusion, even
the absolute anarchy which has sprung
from the attempt of four millions OF freed
men to assert their citizenship, than the I'M
holy prosperity which existed only because
these four millions were ground down and
oppressed under the iron yoke of slavery.
The condition of the Southern States is
the most important question before the peO-
pie of this country to-day, Just ss it was
the most important question eight years
ago, or sixteen years ago, or twenty years
ago. But there is nothing in the situation
TO. day to make US desire to return to the
situation of twenty years ago, and the
question ia not what we can do for the
southern StHtta, but what the Southern
people can do for themselves. At present,
in the language of President Hayes, "the
inestimable blessing Of wise, honest and
| peaceful local self-gOveTnment is not folly
enjoyed" That this unfortunate picture is
true can not be denied, yet this state OF at
fairs is brought about not by the carpet
baggerF, nor by Caesar, nor by the troops,
| but by the logged determination of the
| Southern people to oppose the constitution
al amendments, and to oppose civil rights,
as they had.oppoaed emancipation and re-
| construction.
Now q Republican President comes for
/ ward, and when asked TO declare his policy
with regard TO Southern States, says they
/ must have "a government which decides
/ the interests of both races carefully and
equally-a government which submits
| Loyalty aud heartily to the oOustituJiOpand
| laws of the nation and TO the laws of the
/ States themselves, accepting and obeyine
faithfully the constitution os IL isl If the
Southern people are prepared to show thai
they are really citizens OF the United States
/ by establishing and supporting local gov
i ernments on that basis, they will not have
| any room for complaint from Republican in
| reference, or even from Republican opposi
| fion. Bat they must remember that neV
| order of affairs has come in, and they woult
do we'll TO note the language Of the Pfesi
dent who represents that new order, whel
| he says: "a moral obligation resta upon thu
national government TO employ its constitn
| tiOnRl power and influence TO establish tn
rights Of the people il has emsnoipated, an'
| to protect them In the enjoyment of thOs'
| rights.n-Sl. Louis Globe Democrat.