The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-06-29
MR.. CURTIS AND THE POLICY.

Weekly exhibits an injudicious zeal i'll
bis advocacy of the Presidents South
ern Policy when he censures those
Republicans who merely advise ''giv-
ing the President a fair trial He
may be right in thinking it would be
better for Republicans to speak out
plainly, in approval or disapproval;
but has he reflected that possibly the
result of such expression would be I.
verdict of condemnation? Or is that
what he prefers2 Does he, like the
two Tribuue's, desire dissolution of
the Republican party? His method of
sustaining the Administration is surely
from any other point of view, a serious
blunder.
And what are we to think of such
reasoning as the following, in the last
leader of Mr.. Curtis:
There are undoubtedly some honest
Republicans who feel that somehow
the President has deserted the color
ed men," How has he deserted them?
He has all the polOer he ecer had. He
can act upon any proper occasion in
Louisiana and South Carolina precise
ly as in Georgia or Alabama His
declining to settle a difference in the
two forlrer States does not Increase or
diminish his constitutional authority
to intervene in any State. He has &C.
GctLy the same pOl0er to protect the col
ored people in South Carolina iOIC
that he had to protect them in GI the
other Southern States before he SOitlt-
dreI0 the troops from the State House
in Columbia"
We invite special attention to the pas
sages we have printed in italics. In all
candor, we ask, does it make no differ
ence, inrespect to the power of the Pres
ident to protect the Southern Repub,
licans in South Carolina, in Louisiaua,
whether the Governor of that State is
q Democrat or Republican, Does Mr..
Curtis fancy that Democratic Legis-
lature and Democratic Governor are
just as likely to call upon the Presi-
dent for aid, in the manner prescribed
in the Constitution, as Il Republican
Governor and q Republican Legisla-
ture would DE? This will not be pre-
tended The point will be evaded,
after the sophistical method which
peryades all Mr.. Curtis reasoning on
this matter, by replying: "My prop
osition is that only the mere act of
Withdrawing the troops has not di.
minished his power to protect South.
ern Republicans, on proper occasions. y
Precisely, and there was uo need to
say that, if no other meaning WIS in
tended to be conveyed.
The subject under discussion is the
Presidents Southern Policy. You
seek to contine the discussion to the
simple facts of a withdrawal OF troops,
whereas the great burden cf the Re.
publican complaint, the chief ground
of Republican dissatisfaction, you well
know TO be something altogether ,iif
ferent. Speaking Row of the State OF
Louisiana only, the rock OF ofTer>e i,
what, had its origin been less exalted,
and had its instruments been less dis
tinguished men, would have been
called, in plain terms, political i'll
trigue, by which the lawfully elected
: Republican Governor was crowded
out to give place to Democrat who
had not even the form of legal election
a lawfully elected Republican LegisIa
ture was disintegrated and a clailnin:
Democratic Legislature (after giving
seats to five members not elected by
Democratic returns) was brought up Il
a quorum; and a Republican Suprem,
Court, OF indispu;abIe validity, wa
deprived Of its power, and IA Demo
cratic one erected on no legal fouuda
ton whatever. To assert tha;, afte
thus Transforming every branch Of til.
Government of Louisiana, the Presi
dent will have just as little difficult,
, as before in exercising his constitution
: al authority for the protection of Re
. publicans in Louisiana-and that i
, the idea Mr.. Curtis means to convey
! or his words are idle-wiil be of littl
avail in allaying dissatisfaction witt
the Southern policy. Such represen
tations and such reasoning will rathe
, hurt than help the cause they wer
meant to defend.-Cincinhat Gazette