National Republican., 1877-04-23
TIE SOUTH AND ITS OBLIGATIONS
TO THE PRESIDENT.

~ 1Hk PRESIDENT. ...
The history Of government will contain
no grander example Of duty done In the
performance of executive trust, against the
protests offrisads and the threats Of enemies
--in the face Of all opposition-than that OF
President HAYES to ward the Southern peo.
pie. And though IL was but the execution
of duty, and so far a. the Government is
concerned, tardy enough at that, 1t never.
theless involved heroic action, and evinced
faith and fortitude Of firmer qualities
and deeper growth than have had
illustration In the United States since the
morning Of the first Revolution. The
spirit that gave US independence was Of the
same inspiration, and its copsummstions
were Of similar character. The one es
tablished the liberties Of the people, and
the other has restored them. The one
created nation, the other has rendered its
perpetulty possible. Both alike impelledt to
duty only, and II either Is to be diminished
in the popular estimation, because virtue
could do no less. both must suffer from the
conclusion. But, as apropositio In morals,
Is 1t true that because the character Of the
act Ia no higher than the demands of duty
It Is not entitled to special merit under cir
cumstances tending to discourage per,
fornance2 No code Of ethics has sought
to dispsrsge virtue by such rule. and the
tsst Of merit is conceded to be tbs hero'sm
Of the deed. The question In such case
10 not whether more thsu duty has been
done, or whether true principle could do
lese, but whether. In the ordinary course
Of human action, the performance Of
duty alone was to have been expected.
Ifnot, and IL be found fully discharged,
distinguishing credit Will be awarded. AZ
II Is impossible for man to do more than
his duty, 50 his honor waits upon the do,
grees OF performance. and the highest
awards crown Its completeness. The
question should be not whether virtue
could have done less, but whether Its
sublimest impulses could have prompted
more. But We leave this discussion to the
cssuists, only insisting that the Northern
Democracy shall not detract from the glory
Of the administrative act which has &C.
complished the restoration OF the Union,
by asserting that 1t was only the dictate
Of duty, when the circumstances of It's per.
torrance give it rank among the greatest
deeds Of time.
The implicit trust which the President
has placed In the people of the South in
making the advance toward the pacifcation
Of the country imposes upon them an obi.
CATION they will be jealous to discharge;
and those of the Republican party in the
Northern States who have prophesied the
oppression of Republicans and the colored
race generally in the States Of the South
will have opportunity TO see the fallscy of
their conclusions and the injustice OF their
assertions. We look to see even hotter
order In those States than in some Of
the States which have never suffered
from the distractions they have en-.
dured. There will be no violence, no
bad faith, and justice will be meted out
with impartiality. But we do not
expect or wish to see those Of
the party recently in control Of the
disputed States. who have been guilty OF
peculation in Office or speculations at the
expense Of the credit of those States, go
unpunished. II the evidence OF their
alleged malfessance exists they should be
speedily brought to trial aud receive
merited penalties. 1t is more than likely,
however, that before this writing all thus
implicated have gone beyond the jurisdic
ton, and that they will not return thither
without the offices of u writ of requisition.
There is another duty we hope to see
recognized and performed by the South,
and that is the obligation to sustain an Ad
ministration whose chief solicitude has
been the welfare Of her people; nor In this
do We believe we shall be disappointed.