Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-14

Thrice elected Governor of the State by the suf-
fages Of the people, giving Endorsement 70 Republic
can nominations, and now Senator of the United
States by virtua of legislative choice affirming
emPhaticay expressed Republican preference, great
weight must inevitably be attached 20 yonr views OF
Republican party policy. This fact now lnos par
ticular emphasis Your name is being freely cited as
that Of leading Republican who is in direct hostility
to what is now spoken of as 1.-THE Presidents Policy
towards the South.p More than that, your name is
being used to strengthen what appears to be pur-
pose to array the approaching State Convention In
opposition to the said "policy" Of the Republican
Administration. In view of these circumstances
respectfully solicit, for publication in the Gazette
brief statement Of your views as to the duty Of Re
pubIcans Of Iowa in the present emergency, with
reference to the duties owing TO the National Repub-
lican Administration by all true Republicans and by
all good citizens. 1t would also be desirable, If
agreeable to you to learn your views direct TO the
Respectfully yours.
EDWARD RUSSELL
LETTER OF SENATOR KIRKWo0D
Editor Davenport Gazette:
In your letter of the 29ih ultimo you ask
me to furnish yon, for publication, my views
of the proper policy TO be persued by the Re-
publican party in this State touching what is
called the Presidents Southern policy. | am
not at all sure your readers will care to know
my opinion on that subject, but as you seem
TO think they may, comply with your re-
quest.
In my judgement any action by the Repub-
lican State Convention either approving or
disappearing the Presidents policy would be
untimely and unwise. 1t is evident that an
attempt to pass any resolution on the subject
would produce division and dissension in the
convention, and any such resolution,f passed :,
would not be held as binding by those who
did not favor it.
The action of the President is final in this
matter so far as he has acted-what he has
done connot be undone. Those who do not
approve his action may find fault with it, but
they cannot, nor can he, reverse it. They
may scold bitterly, but my observation has
been that scoldIng is not a very oseful or very
decorous employment. | feel perfectly sure
that in doing what he has done, the President
has done that which he believed would best
promote the public welfare, and | sincerely
hope that time will show that he has Judged
correctly. But if the result shall show that
he has made a mistake, could not condemn
him for having done what he honestly believed
was the right thing TO do. On the other hand
if, as think all good men hope, the Presi-
dents policy shall prove success, would it
not be rather awkward for the Republican
party in Iowa if it should have denounced
tina. policy in advance? The truth, as | I'M
derstand, is that the President himself regards
his policy as to some extent experimental
experiment rendered necessary, in his judge
ment, by the failure of the former policy to
effect what all desired and desire, the restora
ton of good feeling between the different
sections of our country and the protection of
all parties, races and persons IN all their
rights, civil and political, and he and his ad
visors have great hope for happy result. |
confess am MT very hopeful-my tears of
failure are greater than my hopes of success,
but | am willing to wait, and no ono will re-
joiee more than myself if it shall appear that
my fears are unfounded. The result now rests
largely, if not wholly, in the hands Of the
Southern Democrats, and it seerls to me that
in view of the experience of the last twelve
years, it requires a very vigorous exercise OF
all three of the virtues of faith, hope and
charity to count confidently upon such con-
duct on their part as their own good and the
good of the country require. There is one
| thing connection with the Presidents action
from which good must necessarily result. He
had, before he acted, the positive pledges OF
honor of the Southern leaders for the protec-
ton of all the civil and political rights of all
persons in these States. If those pledges shall
be kept, good must result. If those pledges
shall not be kept, if it shall appear that the
Southern leaders and the Southern people
have had in view in making these pledges on
ly party success and not the pupllc good, and
their hands for the purpose Of cppr esslon and
injustice; still, think good must result The
persistent but utterly uniounded assertion that
the Republican party has acted towards the
Southern people in spirit of vlndlctlveness
and hate has produced an effect on many well
meaning people. In my judgement the history
Of the world does not show an instance in
which Government after putting down re-
bellion against it has dealt as generously as
has our own with those engaged IN rebellion.
Now if il shall appear that this additional act
of generosity and confidence by our President
shall be misconstrued and disregarded, and
has been used only to make and keep "solid
South think we shall find it not difficult to
make and keep a''solid North" gnd ''s0lid
North" is the stronger. | should regard the
division of Our people into parties upon sec
tlonal lines only less unfortunate than
restoration to power of the Bourbon Democ>
racy. But if il must be so, we must make
the best we can OF it, and in the end the
country will be safe, and the party that seeks
to do the right and just thing 10 oil our people
will triumph. There is one thing that must
not be forgotten. We all know that but for
that firm, manly and honorable stand taken
during the Presidential count by some OF the
most prominent Southern men IN Congress,
the count would not have been completed and
W
the condition of anaic hy that has so lately
ceased in South Carolina and Louisiana. If
they shall continue to act in the same spirit
and shall be able to carry the people with
them, it will be happy thing for the country.
But whether the pledges given to the country
through the President shall be kept or broken,
it will surely be unwise in US to furnish by
our acts, TO any who may be disposed to break
them, pretext for so doing. l repeat, then,
that, in my judgement, our State Convention
will act wisely in letting the matter alone,and
that we should wait patiently, and so Tar as
we can. hopefully, the event.
You also ask for my ''views direct as TO the
policy of President Hayes" That is much
more difficult question one that | have
neither the time, the inclination, nor the in
formation necessary to form an opinion upon
There is one point in connection with it upon
which have not seen any discussion, and
which seems TO me vital. The President did
not decide whether Chamberlain or Hampton
was the lawful Governor of South Carolina =
whether Packard or Nichols was the lawful
Governor of Louisiana. Was ii not his duty
under the Constitution and the law TO decide
these very questions? Take the case of LOU
isiana. There were in that State two persons
claiming to be the lawful Governor. Each
of them was supported by what claimed TO be
a lawful legislature. Each had behind MIN
full list of State officers and a Supreme Court,
all claiming to hold their Offices lawfully.
One of those "Governors" had, by armed
force seized the Supreme Court room, elected
the Judges claiming to hold under the other
'Governor," and installed his own Judges. 1t
is well.known that he had at his call large
body of wel-drilled and we'll. harmed troops
ready TO do his bidding. The other "Gov-
erner" held possession of the building used as
a State House and containing the executive |
offices, had barrcaded the building and main |
tanned it by defensive purpose and armed |
force. The Constitution provides, in sub |
stance, that the United States shall protect |
each State against s'domestic violence," on /
application Of the Legislature or Executive |
when the Legislature cannot be convened, and,
as understand, Congress has By law devoly
ed this constitutional duty on the President. |
Now, one of these Governments was lawful
government: the other was usurpatlcn. One
of these Governors was a lawful officer; the
other was a rebel. II was not the case OF an
ordinary contested election, where one Of
fcer held the Office by prima facle title and
the other contested his right before the fri-