The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-06


TuEspA - n arch
The inaugural ssl,,ess,
The address OF President! HaYRs, deliy-
cred Yesterday from the eastern porch OF
the Federal Capitol Is cenciliatory IN l us
tone and SO free from party faint that,
taking it as sincere, it is hardly open to OBJ
lection. 'sstsS
Such is the general bias OF the paper to-
wards fairness and harmony that 1t SOUNDS 9
as though, the Republican party were not
in existence. When We remember tnat
that .party had itsyery being through its
fsnaticisn, its raneorous passion ana sew
tional aeitations, this gentle paper READS AZ
the funeral discourse over its dead ooay. -
tells as that peace and harmony ana pros
rar,sv are only attainable by apolicy pre-
c;sely onnos;te to that WI ich the Republican
nartv has pursued; III its sentiments are
crrstallizcd into measures, assureoty lucy
must be entirely different from the past . %
Republicanism, and that party can no longer
lind that sustenance In the pubic admins
tration upon which it has heretofore hVed.
r the HAYES administration shall be
faithful 10 the sentiments OF the HAYES IN
aurural, either the Republican party must
/. perish or il must display capacity Tor COM
rlete revolution in opinions ana po'icy
which no previous party ever eXhioitea.
with frankness and consistency in his
mblic teclarations-in bis letter accepting
his nomination rs we'll as in his inaugural
addrcss-it would be ungenerous to throw
ont EXPRESSIONS Of distrust in the man at
this time. We should all wait for the acts
that may give shape and form to his ADMIN
istrat;on before forming our own opinions
about il. We have thought, as have others,
tha. since JOHN SHERMAN, the stealthy ana
acrimonious partisan senator from ONO
first named HAYES for President, and was
chiefly instrumental in his election, it might
be unprecedented that HAYEs,s measures
would receive vicious bias from his couh-
sells. But then JOHN SHERMAN'S influence
has not been seen in either his letter OF ac-
ceptance OF his nomination or his inaugural
and we are therefore called upon to suspend
our apprchensions.
That Mr.. HAYES has had great trial IN
arriving at the general conclusions winch
apnear in his inaugural address is not to be
doubted for moment. He had on either
hand the counselS Of opposing divisions OF
the Republican party, widely different IN
their opinions and inclinations. The Liberal
Republicans had found out, as Presl-
dent GRANT had done, that the policy OF
prosecuting the South, and sustaining the
governments Of aliens, rascas, and barba-
rians by Federal interference, could not be
pursued any longer consistently with pub
lie sentiment and national peace and pros
perity, not to say republicanism. They, no
doubt, pressed the policy OF Cancellation
and according to the southern States clearly
and emphatieally the right OF seh-govern-
meut in local affairs according to the Con-
stitutioi. To these the President, it seems,
lent willing ear.
On the other hand, there stood the bull
doing, bloody-shirt" thunderers, who
no doubt tried upon President HAYES the
virtue Of bulldozing. They Haunted before
him the southern horrors, and pictured to
him the fatal consequences to the Republic
can party OF leaving the Republican thieves
and barbarians in the South to their fate.
And yet more effective and more perpleX-
ing to the President must have been the
circumstances OF the counting OF the dis
puted southern States for him. He could
not shut his eyes to the fact that to the dis
honest men controlling the count he was
indebted for his election. That indeed was
a great e-ial. He seems thus far to have
triumphed We must award him credit for
it, and fairly wait for his measures.
There are expressions in the inaugural with
regard to the races which are peculiar TO the
times, and which Mr.. HAYES could not, we
are sure, if he would, avoid. So it would
seem hypercritical to refer to them. The
paper he has put before the American peo-
pie is fair, and now, IL that proves to be his
chart for the future, all will be well. If it
does not, it will be regarded as the most
false official paper that was ever proclaimed
by President of the United States.
We approve sincerely OF what the Presi-
dent has to say about civil reform. With a
show OF bravery in this partisan age, he
takes the ground that the public officer
owes not his services to party, but to the
country. He refers approvingly to the
principles and practices Of the founders
of the Government" who "held that ap-
"pointments to office were not to be made
'as rewards for partisan service, nor
sSmerely On the nomination Of members Of
"Congress as being entitled in any respect
g to the control Of such appointments"
Sound doctrine; but President HAYES will
find members of Congress entertaining q
rery different opinion, and if he desires to
carry out his opinion they will give him
trouble.
President HAyEs's opinions about civil
reform are good and he is sustained in
them by both the great parties, who in their
presidential platforms expressed themselves
clearly in favor of this civil reform.
Our own opinion has always been that
there could be no permanent civil reform
without an amendment to the Constitution
prescribing that the tenure OF Office shall be
only limited by life, capability, and fidelity
The inaugural is acceptable upon the pre-
sumption that it is sincere. Measures in
pursuance of it will be national blessings.
Weneed not say what sort OF consequences
would follow the forfeiture OF such fair