Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-20
AY MORNING., JULY 90. 1877.

been borne away from our true relations by
the glamour Of Presidential policy, when
we hear such 4 defence As this put forth. If
Governor Packard was the lawful Governor
of Louisiana, what, | ask, had the
success or failure Of President Grants
policy or course of action to do
with determining the duty of President
Hayes? Nothing whatever. But let us
see whether this claim, impcrtincnt as it is,
has any foundation. What was President
Grants policy? cannot say. 1t was one
thing in South Carolina in 49, and in Louis
lana, in 1872. 1t was another thing in
Mississippi in 49, and in Louisiana again
in 1871. But suppose it is intended by
this claim, that the course of President
Grant IN sustaining the lawful governments
of South Carolina and Louisiana against
domestic violence had proved unsuccessful.
How or in what respect unsuccessful?
Politically No; for the fact is that those
States alone remained in the hands of the
Republican party and alone rescued the
party from defeat in the last election. Or
is it meant that President Grants policy in
Mississippi in 1874, which President Hayes
has followed in lS11, was successful? How
or in what respect successful? Politically?
No; for Mississippi, with an actual Repub-
lean majority OF So 1000, gave in the last
| election a majority of over 80 600 for the
Democracy. If this is political success, that
word has new meaning. Perhaps it is
meant that in Mississippi, under Democratic
rule, the fruit of President Grants policy in
that State in 1874, the political and civil
rights of all citizens are better secured and
guarded than under Governor tmes or Gov
ernor AlcOrn If this he the aim, let that
unparalleled tragedy which b Just taught
us new lessons of human hat, md ferocity
he onr answer-a tragedy in hich neither
the tenderness of infancy, /. + the beauty
and innocence and self-sacritce of maiden
hood, nor any nor all of those feelings whic =
are wont to appeal to the hearts of the
basest and most brutal of our kind, could
save that brave father, that frail boy, that
devoted, heroic daughter from the political
assassin. Great God, are We to be told that
this is success ? Sir. there were, in my
Judgment, many errors in the course of
President Grant toward the South. | have
| heretofore been a free critic of Some of his
acts but when the evil consequences of
those acts are made defence for the treach-
erous policy of President Hayes, answer
that whenever, during his eight years of SER
vice, President Grant firmly executed the
| laws and upheld the lawful governments of
| the Southern States political success was the
result. Whenever, as in Mississippi, ma
Ign Influences caused him to shrink from his
duty, defeat, lasting, complete defeat was
the result.
But We are told, among other apologies
for this policy, that it was forced upon the
| President by the necessities of his party
| that defeat was inevitable if any other
policy was adopted. Sir, the best answer,
to this is found in the fact that no such ne
cessity was discovered until the policy was
adopted and the ingenuity of men began to
he taxed for excuses to support it.
In closing, Gcv Chamberlain said
If have to-day spoken the sentiments OF
none but myself, be it so. Silence is for
me cowardicc. If, as believe, the heart
of the nation is true to the old cause, to the
principles of free government, to the prin-
ciples of the Constitution and the Decara-
ton of Independence. then let it he heard.
In the charge of "treacherY' brought
against President Hayes, by Gov. Chamber
lain, We do not sympathizc. We doubt not
that the President honestly considers that
he has acted in consistency with his own
purposes and pledges, in accordance with
the wishes of majority of the Republican
party, and Of the people of the country, and
fer the lasting good of the Nation. Yet ii
may prove to have been mistaken action.