The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-05

Where are We2

For a period OF time. the length ofsWhicn
is in the mind prop6rtioned to the trials ana
suifersngs 1t has brought upon the South
particularly, and the North through the
force OF the rebound, we have been tossed
upon the sea of discomfort, danger, ana
uncertainty, and we may we'll initiate the
immortal WEBSTER in the opening OF nus
reply to HAyNE, by examining the sn'ps
apparatus and record, to ascertain "hc'e
we are. Our trials have been such as our
ancestors never dreamed OF in their mos.
Jealous speculations as to the causes .la'
might initiate against the freedom OF tnc.l
successors. Our people have endured theif
expressions heroically; and by the'f s'elh
manhood. constancy, and forbearance, nave
cnt;t|ea themselves to the relief when their
conduc. has in all probability won ioi
them.
Tho history of the presidential election
Is so fresh in the memory as to rendef tne
recits, unnecessary. Suffice it TO say that
President GRANT, by faithful fultilment OF
tho nlan which was framed for the purpose
of continuing the power OF the Govern
ment IN the hands Of the Republican party,
succeeded in compelling three southern
States to vote for the presidential candidate
OF that party-that it was evident to all re-
f,.ctine men that these States would be heid
as captiye. and counted for the Republican
pres!dent-that disagreement on this point
would certainly take place between the Sem
ate and House OF Representatives; and that
that difference would be settled by the usur-
patton OF authority and the installation OF
HAYES as President.
This usurpation and violent Inaugural
ton OF the Republican candidate, 1t was
clearly settled, would not be resisted. The
leaders OF the r1LDES party had excluded
the prospect Of the least possibility OF
any such resistance. Such being the
case the suggested Commission or Ad-
yisory Board, to which questions In
dispute between the houses should be
referred. was hailed by every lover OF law,
by oil men who desired to maintain the SUI
prcmacy OF civil authority, with JOY. We
know all about the Commission-and our
knowledge is none OF the pleasantest. But
we did avoid the apprehended usurpatlon
and violence. and in submitting to the de-
cisions of the Commission we but obeyed
the requirements OF good faith to the pledge
given by us.
HAYES gets the presidential seat He will
be inaugurated to-day. So soon are we to
have from his own lips the chart OF general
policy ne means to pursue that it would APP
pear to be supererogatory to speculate
about it. But still we have the prelude
that is quite agreeable in the frank and I'M
reserved measure Of General GRANT, which
not only withdraws the Federal interference
with regard to the opposing governments in
the southern States, but confesses that pub
lie opinion will no longer maintain any
such thing as the bolstering by Federal
power of any State government that cannot
sustain itself, and receive the approval OF
the responsible southern people. ...
This we know. The final communication
to General NICHOLAS, under the authority
OF General GRANT, explaining his orders so
that they cannot be misunderstood, appears
under the Geographic head OF our paper this
morning. The 'let-up TO use strong
but expressive phrase-is thus far complete.
We interpret this to be a rictory-a victory
for the constancy and fortitude Of the
southern people. Its magnitude is great ;
for while the wrongs OF the South were in
descrlhably grievous to southern people,
they embraced exclusively the outrages
upon republican liberty, which were fast
eating away the /" life OF the republic" itself.
And now it is interesting to US to know
what sympathy for this final act OF the out
going President we may expect to find in
the policy OF the incoming President. On
that point he will soon speak for himself.
But, still, we shall not be censured for a
brief allusion to what we consider entirely
creditaDle. From a gentleman who had a
frank and confidential interview with a
member OF President GRANTS Cabinet a
few DAYS since we learn that this Cabinet
officer assured him that General GRANT had
no intention of interfering with the COM
plications in the southern States, and his
statements have been so completely sus-
tanned that we are compelled to regard the
additional assurance given by him with
respec.-viz., that General GRANT had re-
solved upon his course "with Il pre-
knowledge Of the course that his success
"sor would pursue"
With this before us we cannot say that
all is lost. We have southern victory,
won by southern fidelity and integrity.
Therefore we should like men Of tried con-
stancy bear whatever we deem unfortu-
nate with fortitude, and endeavor to turn
to the best advantage the circumstances in
which we are placed. A people Injured to
misfortune and oppression should at least
have learned how to do this.
In this hour and under the resentments
that naturally enough excite our minds we
are too ready to give time to deploring
what's past curing and specializing about
what "might have been DONE" 1t is better
to give that same time to improving the fu-
ture. Suppose that the pledge implied in
appealing to the Electoral Commission had
been disregarded and the scheme OF run
ming out the life Of the present Congress
before the decision Of the presidential ques-
tion-had been successful. What then
A Republican President of the Senate
would have been left in command Of the
situation until new election, and that
new election would have been conducted
under this improvised Republican Presi-