Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-31
The Southern Commission.

We hope the President will not for
| get that the favor and support he has
met with from the whole country, re-
gardless of party lines, was given, not
| to Mr.. Hayes, but to the policy Mr..
! Hayes announced In his inaugural
| Message. The Herald, in common
with almost the whole people of the
| United States, has given very earnest
and, indeed, somewhat enthusiastic
support to that policy, but it was with
the understanding that it would be
carried into effect. We want no more
irredeemable promises. The country
welcomed President Hayes because it
was led to believe that he was not one
Of the kind of politicians who soar
into the infinite and dive into the un-
fashionable" " but one of the rarer kind
who pay cash.
The new President has been now
seventeen days in the White House.
He entered it with a solemn promise
on his lips to restore the country to
constitutional government. He could
have given US that great boon in five
minutes, for it needs only an order
from himself as Commander-in-Chief
| of the army to the officers command
ing in South Carolina and Louisiana
to cease to interfere in the local affairs
of those States. That is absOlutelyall
One of the most prominent republican
statesmen remarked ten days ago in
Washington, The President need not
do anything He needs only to stop
doing in order to bring US back at
once and completely under the shelter
of the constitution" On the 9TH of
March he sOlemnly promised to do
this, and the country answered him
with joyous and universal acclaim.
After seventeen days of hesitation and
delay we at last hear-what? That
it is now, at last, to be done? No,
but alas that it is now, at last, still
further put off. We trust the Presi-
dent does not fall into the error of be-
lieving that what the country expects
of him in this Southern business, and
what be has promised, is only favor
to the people of the two States. He
has promised, not favor, but justice,
to the people down there. On what
excuse can he delay justice? But they
are not alone interested. This is a
matter in which the whole country is
vitally concerned. When he suffers
the people Of Louisiana and South
Carolina to enjoy once more what he
so solemnly promised them, local self
government, then, and not until then,
the nation will know that the war is
at last over then, and not until then,
business men will think in earnest of
new enterprises then, and not until
then, industry will begin to revive and
confidence to be -esta blished. Why
delay the good time for which every
American who is not a demagogue
longs?
Governors Hampton and Nichols
have given him the most positive guar
antees that they are able to maintain
peace and order, and that they will do
so. The business community of New
Orleans has given him the same assu-
rance. The people North, East and
West have heartily approved Of his
policy. A few unscrupulous dema-
gogues in his own party alone opposed
it ten days ago, and their opposition
was beaten down at once by tae voice
ct the nation. But he ought to know
that every days delay makes these
demagogues more dangerous to him
and to all his plans and hopes. He
ought to know that until he settles the
Southern question be can do nothing
else, and that his delay here imperils
all the other reforms he promises. Of
what use or authority or force or con-
sequence is a commissionq Boards
are screens" said Jeremy Bentham.
Is there something to be hidden then ?
One thing the President may depend
upon-when he sends a commission to
Louisiana he pleases every demagogue
who hopes to keep the Southern ques-
ton open for another four years, and
be disappoints every maa who wants
to see the country back safe under the
shelter OF the constitutioa.-NeU York
Herald, March %.