St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-13

and vitalize organizations into fresh life
after every defeat; but woe to that
party which bends silently under the
blow of treachery to its own principles! !!
am to discuss a Presidential policy.
1t is one of the peculiarities, as well as
mlsfortunes, of our political life that
heretofore, as well as now, we have
heard of Presidential policies. The ex-
preston discloses dislocation of the
proper relations between a President
and the party which he represents. IF
you say the President should represent
no party, but the whole people, the
answer is, he must represent the whole
people through fidelity to principles ap-
proved and accepted by him as the
representative of his political party.
Political parties, in the sense in which
we use the term, are the outgrowth of
freedom. The experience of free peo-
Piles has devised no other effective mode
of steadily influencing and controlling
public affairs. 1t is essential to the life
OF a party, to an honest or useful rela-
ton between party and its leaders,
that the latter should faithfully repre-
sent the principles of the former. No
man is ever trusted as party leader
upon any other basis. A Presidential
policy, if the term is descriptive, is an
anomaly and offense. 1t savors of bad
faith. 1t has a native and historical
Odor of treachery and intrigue.
But, fellow citizens, what is the Pres
ident's Southern Policy?
In point of physical or external fact,
it consists in Withdrawing the military
forces of the United States from the
points in South Carolina and Louisiana
where they had been previously station
ed for the protection and support of the
lawful governments of those states.
In point of immediate, fOreseen and
intended consequence, it consists in the
overthrow and destruction of those state
governments, and the substitution in
their stead of certain other organiza-
tions called state governments.
In point of actual present results, il
consists in the abandonment of Southern
Republicans, and especially the cOlored
race, to the control and rule not only OF
the Democratic party, but of that class
at the South which regarded slavery as
Divine Institution, which waged -four
years of destructive war for its perpet-
uation, which steadily opposed citizen
ship and suffrage for the negrO-in 8
word, a class whose traditions, princi-
pies and history are opposed to every
step and feature of what Republicans
call our national progress since 1860.
In point of general political and mora
significance, it consists in the proclama
tion to the country and the world thai
the will of the majority of the voters o
state, lawfully and regularly ex'
a pressed, is no longer the ruling power
, in our states, and that the constitutions
; guarantee to every state in this UnioI
of a republican form of government ant
of protection against domestic violence
is henceforth Intellectual and worthless
Does not such policy challenge at
tention Does it not justify free dis
cussion The statement which | have
now made is drawn with a fair ant
judicial hand. 1t contains nothing bu
clear, visible, actual facts. And yet
, ask you, fellow citizens, does it no
: sound like an indictment?
In discussing such policy it will no
be necessary to do more than to recall
i well known and undisputed facts.
a When President Hayes assumed hi
office he found in Louisiana a state gov
ernment complete in all its departments
= executive, legislative and judicial, witt
Governor Packard as its chief eXecu
9 tive. That government rested for 1T
q legal title upon an election held ant
conducted according to law, the result
n of which had been ascertained and de
+ clared in the manner provided by law
I Those results and the mode of thei
, legal ascertainmenta and declaration ha'
o been subjected to the examination ant
:. Judgment of an august special tribunal
= By the Judgment of that tribunal tn
agencies established by the laws O
Louisiana for the conduct and declara
|, ton of that election had been declare,
: legal and competent for those purposes
= That Judgment was an indispensable
a support to the Presidents title to hi
: own office. Without it he was himsel
: a usurper, without a shadow of lega
right or semblance of lawful authority
1t is another unquestiOned fact tina
4 by the same election and the sam
o agencies which had thus resulted in sc
h curing the electoral vote of LOuisian
+ for President Hayes, Legislature ha
been chosen composed of large ma
jority, in both branches, of Republi
cans. This legislature had assemble
d and, with an unquestiOned quorum {
W lawfully elected members in bot
,r branches, had proceeded in exact an
al unquestioned conformity to the COnst
rs tuition and laws of Louisiana to declar
d Governor Packard the lawfully electe
Of Governor. He had assumed the Office
II and was in its lawful exercise. Not a
Y, element of legal regularity or validit
I, was wanting to his title. From the me
m meut Governor Packard became clOtf
is ed with that office under the COnstitu
= ton and laws of Louisiana, no lawfl
authority existed in Louisiana or else
n where to destroy or mar or impeach b
lr title. 1t was irrevocable and unassai
l. ed by any lawful agency.
j. President Hayes found the state gov
,e ernment, as | have said, complete in il
g. organization, unquestionable in its Vi
rs lidity, except upon grounds which d
10 rectly and equally impeached the Va
to lidity of his own title. He found i
es however, menaced and beleaguered b
Is an armed, violent and revOlutiOnaI
of organization, calling itself state goN
ID ernment, which had already forcibl
is seized considerable part of the publ
T. offices and property at the capital, an
stood in avOwed readiness to cOmplet
ID its usurpatiOn, whenever this could |
IN done without actual collision with I'll
Is military forces of the United State
De Not only was every feature of this 81
? uation known to President Hayes, bl
E. he was subsequently, in due constitl
it. tional form, informed of it by the legi
ty lature of Louisiana, then in session,
lr its demand, under the fourth section
aft the fourth Article of the Constitution