The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-21
HAYES And rHR SOUTH.

ishing He is trucking to southern men
and influence, and would, therefore, proba-
bly, desire D see Nichols and Wade Hamp-
ton established. But instead of being bold
and decisive In his movements and convic-
tons he seems to desire that they should Sc
cure themselves in some such a back-stair-
y-through-the-kitchen style as he himself
was guilty OF in getting into the white
house. 1t is a very mean way, to be sure,
but about the only way left for man that
has no natural pluck or grit, nor ability to
define and carry out bold, decided policy.
His friends claim for him what
they call "amiable obstinacy," very good
quality to have when eight or ten thousand
postmasters or pension agents are clamoring
around him for offices and position, but for
a president of the United States it is very
travesty on clear cut decisions of character.
Now Mr.. Hayes has no right to play the part
of great father to the two southern
states-Louisiana and South Carolina-to
use the language of the New York Nation,
which applies il to the negroes. We substi-
tute by using the names of the two states re-
ferred to, as it seems to be Mr.. Hayes's idea
that he is occupying the position of a sort of
patron saint or great father" His
duty is to treat the two southern states as
he would any other two states. They are
sovereign states. in the union and repre-
sented in both houses of congress. Their
citizens are the same as other citizens. The
negroes have been nursed and fostered,
especially in South Carolina, for 10 or Is
years. They have controlled the state legis-
lature, taxing the people beyond en-
durance, piling up an immense state
debt etc., etc. The system as
understood by them has been fully tried
and wofully found wanting. Louisiana has
had much the same experience. Now let us
have revival of craftsmanship under differ
ent conditions. Mr. HAYES is the president
of the United States-fraudulent though his
title is, nevertheless president. The consti-
tuition defines accurately his duties, let him
attend to them and do no experimenting.
The first experiment was Stanley Matthews
in the character of great nltional letter
writer. suggesting that the governors resign,
and that something else-some good position
would be assigned them. He had no au-
thority, so he said, which we do not believe.
But however that is, the proposition failed
completely. Now Hayes is talking about
sending Mr.. Wheeler down south again to
patch up a compromise in much the same
way as he did before, which secured peace
for a while, but led to the swindling of Mr..
Tilden out of the presidency. This issue
was foreseen by Mr.. Wheeler when the
Louisiana adjustment of 1874 was effected
through him. He spoke of it, deprecated it,;
but afterwards his manhood shrank away into
weakness which lacked strength enough to
repel the questionable fruit which the
faulty and rickety adjustment bore into his
own gamers. Hayes in this southern matter
is betraying the weakness which even some
of his best friends barely concealed during
his candidacy. He lacks the boldness and
decision which the times demand, now
above any other times in our history. He
seems to be busy in buying up southern
influence by bribing some of their weaker
leaders; by dazzling others with second place
appointments Lie biAnCS dCihdnO a OOiu,
clear cut policy on this southern question.
Hampton was elected-recognize him, with
draw the troops He asks no more, not even
50 much. He says he don't care whether he
is recognized" or not, so that the troops are
withdrawn. He is a bold leader, popular
with black and white alike; he can take care
of himself This boldness, this self
reliance is in wonderful contrast
with Hayes's timid, Matthew's let
ter-writing, back kitchen sort of policy.
We commend Wade Hampton's way of doing
things to his fraudulency. What of Nichols
or Packard? Packard holds the same Gre
dentials as Hayes. If Hayes thinks they are
good, why not recognize" Packard? Blaine,
Morton and the old radical set generally
want this done. Hayes is absolutely afraid
to do it. We say Understandings, afraid to
recognise Packard.
What of Nichols? We believe he wants
to recognize Nichols because he is trucking
| to influential southern leaders. They aided
| him really in his transit to the white house,
after he got beyond a certain point. If il
had not been for Gordon, Hill and Lamar.
the recent confirmation of Fred Douglass as
marshal OF the District could not have hap
pened Hence he is anxious that
Nichols should sustain himself, ia
please leading southern men and
their constituents. Now. we say, il
he we're not timid, and lacked pluck, he
would have taken some decisive stand be
tore this. II business is suffering anywhere
il is suffering in Louisiana and South Caro-
lima, because of the failure of the genera
government to take some decisive step il
their affairs. The last we have in the way
of intimations as to Hayess southern pol