The daily gazette., 1877-11-01
!, t<dm he Paaa. hnsnsr~.
The Old Policy and the New.

The Old Policy aRd the New.
MrWilliam Lloyd Garrison has, always
been an trreconctld6le, and he Is probably
too old and too firmly set In his convic-
tions to suffer change now. Daring the
old barbarous days OfslAvery In the South
he was an agitator ~ well az an irrecon-
service in the cause of human freedom.
1t was his great fortune to live long
enough to see the thing he worked for
accomplished, 10 see the shaCkles stuck
from the last slave upon American soil,
aud, not only all civil rights under the
law given to the men whom he helped to
free, but the inestimable privilege OF the
suffrage and the chance OF education also.
Having helped to the achievement ofso
much, and have seen effected so much
more than he and his associates fought
to achieve, 1t might be expected that he
would be content with 1t all
But he is Just % far from contentment
now with the policy Of the government
as he was when it authorized the fugi-
tive slave to be dragged from the shadow
of Bunker Hill Monument, through HPF.
ron's streets, back to the old slave pen
In the South. He declares that the Presi-
dents Southern policy ''indicates child
ish creduilty, a blindness of vision, an
imbecility of judgment equally surpns-
ing and deplorable," and he adds. "the
Republican party cannot sanction II
without impeachipg its entire conrss
from the opening of the rebellion to the
close of President Grants administra-
tion." The are no soft words of condeDa-
ration here, but very hard ones, and a
conclusion that, If correct, must place
President Hayes quite without the ranks
of the party that made him President
1t has never been considered good argu-
ment to call names, and Mr.. Garrison
does not improve his case by such phrases
as 'tchildish incredulity." "blindness OF
vision" and "imbecihty OF Judgment
As to the party not being able to sanction
the Presidents Southern policy, that is
anotheramatter, for 1t means something
while the indiscriminate flingiDg OF
corrse epithets Is but sound and fury and
signifies nothing.
III the war of the rebellion is not yet
ended. after nearly thirteen years of Off
cially recognized peace, then Mr. Gsrri
son is partly right; but II the reverse oi
that is true, and the Southern Common
wealths are really lntregal parts OF the
Union, and not merely conquered prov
| inces to be held in subjugatiOn, then Mr
Garrison is all wrong. Mr.. Lincold wa
quite as good Republican a. Genera
| Grant--a better one, most people vii
think.-and he clearly indicated, imme
diately before his death, that his policy
| in connection with the States of the Con
federacy was to be one of reconciliation
and he been permitted to carry 1t out, l
would, without doubt, have been tuunt
| to be as nearly similar to that Of Presi
dent HAYES as one thing can be like an
other.
The policy Of President Grant was ON
of mere political expediency, unrelieve'
by a single CLEAN of true statesmanshil
or Justice. His policy was to hold tn
States which had seeded as mere COZ
quered PROVINCES; their lawmakers wer
made at Washington, and those alen ao
iventurers who held control OF the South
sern governments were kept1 IN place foE
mere political purpose py tne anim'.e %
use of national troops commanded ac th
White House. The thing was wron
upon any and every principle OF free gov
ternment; and it was not only wrong bt
caus.- it was unconstitutional and unjus
hut wrong because it was not even SUI
oessful in accomplishing the object
| was used to accomplish, viz, protectlo
| to the colored population.
1t was wrong, and 1t was q iaiinr'
While it lasted 1t continued in full fore
the bltterest feelings of the rebelllon;
made any real union between North an
lSouth of interest or sentiment lmpoes
ble;.and it was the most fruitful source
outrages upon the poor col0red peoPi
Had il lasted longer it would have Dee
1.-THE cause of a color war which cOul
have had no other termination than tn
| extinction of the Southern blacks. Ii
chief fruits were the licensed robbery {
the Southern people, white and black, b
hordes of political lcarpet-Daggers anu tn
| continued oppression Of the blacks by th
/, whites. II placed the former not onl
above. hut in direct conflict with the la
ter. and they being the stronger tn
blacks suffered, if we may believe M
Garrison and his friends, massacre an
] all forms of outrage. The Northern pre-
teemed day after day with stories OF I'll
wrongs perpetrated upon the oolored PEI
nile. and their condition was pi5iI'
beyond expression.
President Hayes pelicy has change
all this. The carpet-baggers nave cease
to rob whites and blacks alike, or co 81
! up strife and cause bloOdshed anon
them; the massacres are no longer recor'
ed; the "bloody shirt" has ceased 20 wav
and the "outrage mills" are all closed; u
Southern people, white and Diack, a
, working Instead of fighting togethe
they are gathering in crops OF unexann
led fulness, and are prospering togeth
exceedingly.
A policy that effects such changes; tn
is not only just which by results, PROV
its expediency. is at once good pom
and in full accord with the best pr1nl
y ples of the Republican party Is Lincoi
Chase, Stanton and Sumner undefstot
and enforced them.