Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-26
Che FREEMAN.
MONTPELIER VT.
WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 26, 1877.
The Presidents Southern Visit.

The president returned to Washington
Tuesday er having spent len daysamoni
the southerners of Kentucky, Tennessee
Georgia and Virginia. While crowd
turned out at all places on the route to SCI
the presidential party, the receptions Il
Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knox
vile, Atlanta and Lynchburg have beer
the main features of the journey.
OF course the great majority of whites
who have thus received the president are
confederates, and their reception of him
is peculiarly interesting as showing the
temper and intentions of themselves in the
present and for the future.
The first thing noticeable is the respect
for the man which has been universally
shown by the .confederates. They are
I'm accustomed to being enthusiastic over
northern soldiers and republicans. They
have made break in their old habit this
time, however, and have cheered them
selves hoarse over the president his
good wife has come in for u full share of
the cheers, and has received cordial re-
ception from southern women.
This might have been done, however,
with some notion that they had "captur-
ed" the president were it not that the
speeches made by him ut every place
where crowds have G nhered W, re so plain
that this suppositon is untenable The
president has everywhere talked plainly to
his audiences. And il is we'll for us at the
north 10 ponder carefully what he has said,
and TO realize that it has been in response
to such sentiments that southern whites as
well as negroes have cheered vigorously.
The plain common.sense talk of the
president has amounted to this-that the
citizens of tho whole country shall be
equal, be treated alike by the general gov.
eminent, and themselves treat their neigh
bors as themselves. He has talked to his
hearers of love and reverence for the cold
flag of living straight along in quiet OBJ
servanCe Of the constitution with all its
amendments He has talked of the aboli- |
ton Of the section line and of the color line
and of his faith that the colored people will
have all their rights rs citizens.
In short the burden of his speeches has
been the practical equality of all citizens
whether white or colored, union or CON
federate. The thing which he urges is the
thing the republican party has always said
it was ft rmed to obtain. 1t is the thing
which is needed TO make this country
true republic with the men and women Of
all sections loyal to it and loving it.
While this wholesome doctrine has been
urged upon the whites, their reception OF
it has certainly been as enthusiastic us
could be asked for, and while the negroes
have heard it they have evidently not
thought that the "policy" of the rresi-
dent has injured them in property or polti-
cal rights.
The speeches of the president have
urged towards good citizenship, towards
industry, towards education, towards peace
and good will. The men to whom he has
talked have apFlauded him, and so hearth
ly that they show that they like to be duti-
full citizens of the United States. Mean
time the great mass of people throughout
the country are glad Mr.. Hayes is the
kind of man he is, and believe he is doing
a good work.