The New York herald., 1877-03-21
Presidents Hayes and the South.


President Hayes and the South.
The country will regret the failure of the
Cabinet to reach any definite conclusion
yesterday respecting the unfortunate polit-
ical condition of Louisiana and South Caro-
lima. We trust this appearance of vacilla-
tion will not continue much longer, because
it tends to undermine confidence. not in
deed in the sincerity, but in the steadiness,
of President Hayes. 1t will not do for him
to let the country get the impression
that, having decided on course Of
action as right, he quails before OBJ
stacles, ''letting I dare not wait upon I
would" The easiest way to dispose of
opposition is to meet it on the frontier
and annihilatc it before it has time to
gather recruits. The southern problem is
simple enough. The President has only to
withdraw the federal troops from Columbia
Governors Hampton and Nichols that they
will preserve the peace and maintain order.
They have every motive to keep their
pledges, and tho President has no good
reason to doubt their ability. The more
promptly he acts the less formidable will be
the preparations OF the recalcitrants. Cham
berlain and Packard are making an indus
trious use of this period of delay. They are
marshalling and combining their abettors
both at home and in Washington. They are
able to diffuse an impression that the Presi-
dent wavers and that q resolute onset may
cause him to abandon, or at least modify, his
declared policy All this delay gives them
izing body of allies They think they
have accomplished q great deal in getting
him to consult and deliberate on ques-
ton upon which his mind was made up
before he came to Washington and pro-
claimed to the country in his inaugural
address. Politicians are too apt to reason
like adventurous lovers, and think their suit
is substantially gained when the object Of
their opportunities begins to hesitate. AS
the lady says in the play
When love once pleads admission to our hearts,
In spite of all the virtue we may boast
The woman that deliberatcs is lost.
The true sentiment of virtuous woman
-,
MED !" in other words the true course is to
listen to no proposals We think President
HAYES would have done better had he turned
deaf ear to Packard and Chamberlain after
the public declarations in his inaugural. If
his mind was not fully made up he should
not have made SO public a pledge if his
mind was fully made up on this most i'm
portant Of all the questions which met him
ut the threshold, he should not have strength
ened the opponents of his policy by signs of
vacillation.
The menace Of Packard to precipitate q
conflict with the Nichols government is a
natural fruit Of the Presidents delay and
indecision. Had the President "taken time
by the forelock' and acted ut once the
trouble would have been all over more than
O week ago. Every days procrastination
will increase the difficulties Of the situation.
s"There is tide in the affairs of men" and
it behooves Mr.. Hayes to take advantage of
the great flood tide of popularity which sets
SO strongly in his favor to float him over
obstacles on which he will get aground if he
waits for it to recede Packard acts on the
maxim that while there is life there is hopc;
but when the troops are once withdrawn he
will subside.