The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-03-08

I douS revolution which has passed owe
the Southern States still remain. Tn,
unreasonable benefits which will sure
Il follow sooner or later the hearty anC
generous acceptance OF the legiumat,
results of that revolution have not YET
been realized. Difficult and cmbaTrass
ing questions meet as at the threshold
OF tins subject. The people OF those
! States are still Impoverished, and the
inestimable blessings of wise, homes,
and peaceful local self government are
| not enjoyed. Whatever difTeren.g OF
opinion may exist as 10 the caus. o:
this condition Of things, the tact is
clear tha; IN the progress of even,s tie
time has come when such u govern.
meut is an imperative necessiivItuu.rcd
/ 10y all the varied interests, rubGc and
| private, of these States. Bl. Ii mus,
not be forgotten that only a local gov
eminent, which recognizes and main
tains inviolate the rights OF all, Is Il true
self-government.
With respect to the two distinct
races, whose peculiar relations to each
other have brought upon us the depjor-
able. complications aud perpleXities
which exist in those States, it must be
4 government which guards the inter
ests of both races carefully and equal
". 1t must be a government which sub
mits loyalty and heartily to the Consti-
tuition and to the laws, the national
laws and the laws of the States them
selves, accepting and obcying faithful
ly the whole constitution. Resting upon
this sure and substantial foundation,
the superstruc of beneficent local
governments can be built up, and not
otherwise. In furtherauce of such
obedience to the letter and
the spirit of the Constitution,
and in behalf'of all that its attainment
implies, all the so-called party in
teIestS lose their apparent Importance,
and party lines NAV we'll be permitted
to fade into inSignifcsnce. The ques-
ton we have to consider for the imme-
diate welfare of those States of the
United States is the question OF gov
eminent or no government, of social
order and all the peaceful industries,
of the happiness that belongs to 1t, or
a return 10 barbarism. 1t is question
in which every citizen of the nation is
deGply interested, and with respect to
which We ought not to be, in parti-
san sense, either Republican or Demo
crat, but fellow-citiZens and fellow
men to whom the interests of a COM
mon country and common humanity
are dear.
The sweeping revolution of the en-
tire labor system of a large portion of
our country, and the advance of four
millions of people from condition of
servitude to that of citizenship, upon
an equal footing with their former
masters, could not occur without pre-
sentIng problems of the gravest mo-
ment, to Be dealt with by the emanci-
pated race, by their former masters,
and by the general government, the
author of the act of emancipation.
That it was wise, just, and providen-
tial act, fraught with good for all con-
cerned, is now generally conceded
throughout the country; that a moral
obligation rests upon the national gov
eminent to employ its constitutional
power and influence to establish the
rights of the people it has emancipated
and to protect them in the enjoyment
of those rights when they are infringed
or assailed, is also generally admitted.
The evils which affiict the Southern
States can only be removed or remedied
by the united and Harmonious efforts OF
both races, actuated by motives OF
mutual sympathy and regard, and while
in duty bound and fully determined to
protect the rights of all by every con-
stitutional means at the disposal Of my
administration, am sincerely anxious
to use every legitimate influence in ia
vor of honest and effective local self
government as the true source of the
States progress, and of the content
ment and the prosperity of their citi-
zens. In the effort shall make to &C
| complish this purpose | ask the cordial
| cooperation of all who cherish an in
terest in the welfare of the country,
trusting that party ties and the prsju-
dice of race will be freely surrendered
in behalf of the great purpose to be
accomplished in the important work OF
restoring the South. 1t is not the pc.
litical situation alone that merits at
tention; the material development OF
that section OF the country has been
arrested by the social and political rev
olutios through which it has passed,
and now needs and deserves the con-
siderate care of the national govern
mcnt within the just limits prescribed
~ the Constitution, and wise public
economy. But at the basis of all pros
perity for that as we'll as for every
other part of the country lies the i'm
provement Of the intellectual and moral
condition of the people. Universal
suffrage should rest upon universal
education. To this end liberal and
permanent provision should be made
for the support of free schools by the
State governments, and, if need be,
supplemented by legitimate aid from
national authority. Let me assure my
countrymen of the Southern States that
it is my earnest desire to regard and
promote their truest interests - the
interests of the white and of the
colored people both and equally,
and trust that my best efforts
in behalf of civil policy which will
forever wash out in our political affairs
the color line and distinction between
the North and South, to the end that
we may have not merely an united
North or an united South, but an uni
ted country. ask the attention of
the public to the paramount necessity
of reform in our civil seryice-a re-
form not merely as to certain abuses
and practices of so-called official pat
ronage which have come to have the
sanction of usage IN the several depart
| ments of our government, but a change
in the system of appointments itself
q reform that shall be thorough, radi.
cal and complete-a return to the prin-
ciples and practices of the founders OF
the government. They never expected
nor desired from public officers any
partisan service. They meant that
public officers should owe their whole
service to the government and the pso-
! pie; they meant that the officer should
be secure in his tenure so long as his
personal character remained unfair
| nished and the performance of bis
duties satisfactory. They held
that appointments to office were not
to be made nor executed merely as
rewards for partisan services nor
merely on the nomination of members
of Congress as being entitled in any
respect TO the control Of such appoint
ments. The fact that the South and
the great political parties OF the coun-
try, in declaring their principles prior
to the election, gave a prominent
place to the subject of reform of our
civil service, recognizing and strongly
urging its necessity in terms almost