Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-12-28
From Gen. Buffers Speech.
The SOUTHERN QUESTION.

10 a talk with the President last March / found
he was imbued with the idea that be could build
up the republican party in the Soulh. thought
afterwaid he might know more about IL than did
ard would not interfere with fair trial OF the
experiment. lie still seems To have that belief,
and is honest in il. do not believe it can sue
coed, and probably almost all republicans have the
same feeling. There is probably not a man here
who understand how one can be thoroughly
mbued with that notion. We must remember
that the truth is spoken in the White House.
The President never has an opportunity of hear
ing the truth. When people 90 TO the White
House TO ask favors they naturally say to the
President that he is all tight and that the people
are with him and are supporting him. They GER
tapy would not think their chance of obtain
ing office any better if they should say to the
President. you are all wrong IN your policy and
the people are opposed TO you" If q man wants
a post-offce in Hogtown he Is very sure not to
adopt the latter theory Mr. Van Buren, told an
intimate friend ia 1910 that you can never hear
the truth in the White House. To illustrate,
Mr. Van Buren, said; THE next morning after
election, | woke up with a. firm conviction that
| had been reelected President as that was to
have my breakfast. l had been told by eve, body
that it was al right, aud WAS sure of good ma
jority. did not find out that had been beaten
until fortnight later" ! here was probably not
another man IN the United States over twenty-one
years of aye who had not known for three months
pr, vious 10 the election that Mr.. Van Buren, was
beaten. ] have appeared in the unusual role of
pacl6cator. People have come to and remon
strated against the Presidents course, and |
have said. wait little while and see how it W II
work. That has been the attitude of the repub
lican patty ia Congress. 1t is strange that the
President does not see the true state Of things
1t is said that the President is to be CONNIE nded
Tor Withdrawing the troops from the States OF Lou
isana and South Carolins. l do not see how any
one is to be commended for sending hundred
men from one barracks to another, or for not
sending them. 1n one Of the fall conventions n
a great STATE, the orator said that the President
was TO he praised because he Withdrew the troops,
and in another part of the same speech he said
The President was obliged t, 10 it. l do not see
what merit 1t is for man to do what he is obliged
to do. Ii man kicks me down stairs, it cannot
be any great merit in me because l go down An
other topic may mention is
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
This is generally ignored in Washington. l do
not see that 1t has served any other purpose than
to give some one an opportunity TO deliver pub
lie cture upon that topic | hardly know what
10 say about il. / do not know what 1t means
TLaugbter.l Since | have been in Congress thi,
time have never heard IT mentioned in Washing
ton only and then as q butt for joke. Since
the Massachusetts, election even the President APP
pear to have abandoned tha, plank of his platform
so Tar as II refers to the action of Office holders
assisting in elections. l do not think there il any
man ,tupd IN politics, not even james Free
man Cake who cannot see that If the republican
democrats come int power, that they will remove
every republican office holder in the country and
put democrats in their places, regardless of civil
service reform or auy other reform. There are
certain ideal reforms and principles which will do
for Utopia, but IN practical every day lie we
must consider what is necessary aud practical,
and govern ourselves accordingly.
THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Ia conclusion may say that sm hopeful as to
the futuie of the republican party. tell YOU
gentlemen. there is no disun ion 10 the republican
party in Congress. The republican majority 10
the Senate aud fouf-hfths of the re-
publicans of the House consider the present
Sonlhern policy of the 7 ,esident mistaken one.
But the general feeling ha- been to prevent any
collision. The President was honest in his inten-
ZION, and we were Wilt to see 1t tried. We
have iet this subject that the least said is the
soonest amended. We hope that the President
will IN time see his mistake aud join hands with
the repuhl cans. We have kept silent on these
questions, but they must be met sooner or later.
Tue President has had an opportunity to ascertain
the trnlh Of course 1t must be considered that
be has Cabinet a majority of whom when ap-
pointed were not known as republicans. l think
that viii have to be reorganized and that il soon
will be. The President will soon have to elect
with which of the two great parties be will 60
by next February he will have TO decide whe Their
he will take the republicans into his counses or
! join :he democrats. The present state of things
cannot continue. No man can successfully ride
two horses going in opposite directions. however
KIDD or wise he may be. IL he joins the demo-
cratic patty there will be great breaking up of
parties, and there will be the issues Of finance,
! the tariff, economic questions Of government aud
other matters to divide upon Ii the President
decides TO JOIN the republicans the party will be
as powerful as It ever has been. The republican
party north VIII be united, and we can undoubted-
ly carry New York State. and this would give us
victory in 1880. IApplause1