The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-29
Especial dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
The Southern Policy

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Especial dispatch to The Baltimore SUM-
The "southern Policy
INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS AT THE WHITE
HoUSE-FRANK INTERCHANGE OF VIEWS
WITH TIE PREsIDEST-HIS PLANS STILL
PENDISG-THE SOUTHERN MEN STILL HOPE
FCL.
WASHINGTON, March 27.-Thc President,
in long and interesting conversation with
Colonel r. A. Aston, Of Georgia, has made
use OF certain expressions which induce
the opinion that, notwithstanding the appa-
rently temporizing policy which he is now
pursuing. he may after all adhere to the
pledges which were given in his name by
his confidential friends, Messrs. Matthews
and Foster. The President stated that his
appointments to Office in the South would
be made without regard to former party
affiliations, that he would carry out the old
.Jeffersonian rule, and ask only, SIS he
honest: is he capable?" He then turned
to Colonel Aston and inquired, "Shonld l
appoint YOU marshal OF Georgia would you
obey the Constitution 7" Colonel Aston
said "ccrtainv." The President said, Il
mean a strict observance of the spirit as
well as the letter OF the thirteenth, four
tecnth, and fifteenth amendments to the
Constitution :" Colonel Aston said. " Mr..
President, had ~ well deal frankly with
YOU. The southern people have accepted
| those amendments to the Constitution as
absolutely as the people Of the North, but
the negro must always stand in his re-
latons to society in Just that position to
which his brain and his muscle will cntitlc
him. and no amount OF legislation can
change it." The President remarked that
| this was just us far as he desired or lntcnG-
cd to 60. Colonel Aston said: /" Mr.. Pre-
sidcnt, I may rs well say that the white pco-
pie OF the South meyer intend to be gov
| crned by negroes" The President then in
CURED how long 4 man hadto live the South
to escape the stigma OF being carpet-bag-
ger! Colonel Aston answered that car
pet-bagger was not constituted by the length
of his residence, but by the motives which
induced him to come to the South. The
northern man who came down there to en-
gage in business and identify himself with
the interests Of the community was Us
welcome as he would be in New York
or PENNSYLVANIA, and was treated with as
much hospitality and social kindness, and
no one ever thought OF applying the term
carpet Dagger to him. But the northern
man who came down to work upon the Gre
dulty and the passions Of the negro, and
by stirring up strife between the races to
ride into Office, was essentially what the
southern people called a carpet-bagger. The
President remarked, "Ah, / understand
the distinction entirely" He then inquired
what would be the effect upon parties mt the
South il his policy disregardlng party lines
in appointments and abstaining from Fed
cral interference in State affairs was
carried into effect? Colonel Aston re-
piled there would be but one feeling
| ~, would
hailed with universal Joy. The party appel
Iation OF "Democrat in the South had for
the last ten years simply meant opposition
to the Federal policy in forcing upon the
South as rulers men who were aliens and
enemies to the best interests OF those among
whom they resided. If, us lie (the PrcSi-
denU had promised in his letter OF accept
ance and reiterated in his inaugural, this
obnoxious policy was hereafter to be aban-
doned, there was no part OF the United
States where his administration would re-
ceive more hearty cooperation and sup
port than from the people OF the South.
! The President here remarked, with en-
phasis "Wcll, you shall certainly not DC
disappointed Colonel Aston then said
to the President that there was no way
in which he could inspire more confidence
in his assurances than by removing
the present carpet-5ag ofticc-holders and re-
placing them with men whom the people
could trust. The President would appre-
ciate the Importance OF this when he re-
membered that Federal othce-holder at the
| South derived much more power and con-
sequence from his position than did the
Federal oftice-holder at the North; that the
people OF the South had become so much
accustomed in the last ten years to depend
upon the Federal Government for whatever
of goud or evil came upon them that the
Federal otfice-holder stood in the position to
them Of an ambassador Of the General Gov
| crnment.
In conclusion the President said g. All
YOU gentlemen have got to do is to be a lit
tie patient, and it will come ont all right.
am steadiast in the course l have marked
out, and you shall not be disappointed"
Subsequent to this conversation another
gentlemen who called to see the President
on southern affairs put to him the direct
| question what the Louisiana-commission
project and the invitation to Hampton and
! Chamberlain meant. Whether they meant
Packard and Chamberlain or not. The
President smiled, and answered in such a
way that his visitor left him with the belief
that Nichols and Hampton are the coming
men,. The President in conversation to-
day with still another gentleman ndi.
Gated to Linn his proposed southern
policy in pretty much the same terms
as he conveyed it to Colonel Aston. He
also said that, in his belief, such policy
would have the effect to split up very
considerably the solid Democratic .organi-
cation 10 the South; that he thought many
old Wings would leave the Democrats and
help to form an Administration party, and
that there would in consequence be no diff
Guilty i'll wrestling both North Carolina and
Tennessee from the Democracy, and in di-
viding that party very much In Virginia
and Georgia, to say nothing OF other States.
1t was very evident even before Presi-
dent Hayes went into office that he and his
intimate friends and advisers were much
impressed with the idea Of building up an
Administration party in the South, having
some othcr backing beside the negroes and
the carpet-baggcrs. The conversations here
detailed show chat he still very strongly en-
tertans this idea. So sagacious politician
as he must know that the only possible
chance for him to carry out his scheme Is to
cut entirely loose from the carpet-bag pre-
tenders and :usurpers in South Carolina
and Louisiana. Therefore, as he says,
cit will come out all right" 1t may be
conceded that the southern leaders who
wee parties to the. Foster-Niatthew agree
menr are talking the proper view in &C.
.clininsi 20 charge that the pledges maze
have been violated In advance Of hi final