Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-05-04
SECRETARY McCRARY.
His Views on the Southern Situation

No public man Of our State has
earned better right, by high char
acter, consistent public record, and
eminent service, to stand as rep
resentative of Iowa Republicanlsm,
than Hon. Geo. w. McCrary. Ac-
cordingly, his views on the political
situation will be read with much in
terest, and have great weight with
sober, thinking men. He recently
accorded an interview to a repre-
sentative of the New York Herald,
and the following is substantially
his language on that occasion. 1t is
truer and more creditable reflex
of the healthy Republican sentiment
of Iowa, than the frothy declama-
tons of a few rabid newspapers, that
aspire to have. the party in this State
run muck against the President:
81 see no good reason for disor-
ganizing the Republican party; but
on the contrary, there are strong rea-
sons against such course. Never
theless, in my opinion, the time has
come when the people of the South
may, if they will, change the nation
al issues. They can accomplish this
by simply doing full and complete
justice to the freed people. The Re.
publican party has stood for the pro-
lection and education of these peo-
pie. The wise and patriotic policy
proposes to the South reconciliation
and peace upon the basis of local
selt-government, with equal rights
for all, including the entire freedom
of the ballot and the public school.
If the South accepts this magnan-
imous and just offer and the coun-
try becomes satisfied that the rights
and education of the freed people are
secured without federal intervention
the Southern question will disappear
forever from our politics. But let
it be remembered that the North is,
and will continue to be, unit IN IA
vor of the Republican doctrine upon
this subject; and the negro question,
so called, never will and never should
disappear from our politics until the
colored man is as free and as fully
protected IN the South as in the
North. So long as the full protec-
ton and fair treatment of the colored
people is a matter of doubt, the
Southern question will remain a
prominent issue, and upon it the
North will be solidly Republican.
"The recent success of the opposi-
ton to Rcpublicanism, in a few of
the States of the North, has not
been because the people have aban-
doned these great principles, but be-
cause many of them have come to be-
lieve that the South, if left alone,
would protect, care Tor and educate
all citizens alike. The President
has, as l think, wisely offered to the
white leaders of the South, the op-
portunity to show to the world, if
they can, that this belief is well
founded. These gentlemen who are
persons of acknowledged intelli-
gence and influence, have solemnly
promised justice, protection and ed
ucation to the freed people. If this
promise is acquiesced in. and kept in
good faith by the Southern white
people, new issues must arise, upon
which, it is to be hoped, the color
line may be broken and eventually
obliterated. But, if reactionary and
proscriptive measures are adopted
by the Southern States, the feeling
of the North upon the subject will
become more intense than ever and
old issues will continue paramount.
eff, as | hope, the South will ac-
cept the overture, and will heartily
abide by and faithfully execute the
Constitution amendments, the peo-
pie will soon begin to divide upon
the question of finance, taxation,
transportation, internal improve
ments and civil service. But, even
in that case, l do not see any good
reason for aband onlng tho organiza
ton of the Republican party. In
spite of its imperfections it is the
greatest and best party ever organ
lzed in this country, and it contains
the elements of strength, progress
and self correction, in an unexamEl-
ed degree. If it be SAID that it has
accomplished its mission, l answer
it has accomplished several great
missions, and is therefore the better
fitted to go forward and undertake
other great duties. Its uniform sue
cess and its wonderful achievements,
are not arguments in favor of its
abandonment, but emphatically in
favor of its continuance. | believe
it is prepared to take the right side
of new issues as they arise-to lead
the people in favor of sound cur
rency based upon and redeemahle in
coin; a well regulated tariff; gen
erous system of internal improve
ments calculated to develop our re-
sources and cheaper our transporta-
ton; a thorough and radical reform
in the civil service; a perpetuation
of the humane policy OF arbitration.
rather than war, in national affairs
and just and Christian-like treat
ment of the aborgines of our coun'
try.
at has already, in my Judgment
taken the right ground upon these
and other important and vital ques
tons, and l believe that its great
history and bright record, and the
hold it has upon the affections OF the
people of this generation will make
it invincible in the future as in the
past, whether it fights its battle up
on the old issues or the new"
nADcnN1 pD0uyrr 0vu rDnr