The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-11-22
NEWS OF the WEEK.
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE
SOUTH.

The Washington National Republican of the
18th inst prints an editorial interview with the
President on the Southern situation. Omittng
the questions he is represented as saying
sThe time for discussion has passed. 1t is now
TOO late for anything but the most determined
and vigorous action Tho determination was
reached several days ago, and the deliberations
of the Cabinet ON this subject since then have
been comparatively brief, and confined mainly
TO the consideration of the duty of the At
torney General in the premises. When
the Southern policy was originated it
was with an earnest desire to conciliate
the Southern leaders, to round off the sharp
angles of sectional differences, and to soften
the asperities of political strife. No one will
deny that the attempt to enforce this policy was
most earnestly made, nor that it was carried
out with a conscientious desire to accomplish
the result for which it had been inaugurated.
OF the personal and partisan sacrifices l made
in this effort, and of the consequent interrupt
ton of certain relations which had previously
existed between myself and some Of my sup
porters, have nothing to say just now. But
it appears that the leaders who made those
keep them, or were unable to do 80. In
fact, 1 am reluctantly forced to admit that
the experiment was failure. The first cleo
ton of Importance held since it was attempted
has proved that fair elections with free suffrage
for every voter in the South are an impossibility
under the existing condition of things 1t is
not because the Republican party appears as
sufferers in these results that complain 1t is
because free suffrage and freedom of political
rights have been interfered with that am called
upon to take cognizance of these disturbances.
If the facts were exactly reversed, and if the
Republicans had committed these outrages
upon the Democrats my duty would be the
same 1t will not do for me or for any official
before whom the questions may come to treat
them otherwise than in an bipartisan way.
The partisan press will naturally take parti-
san view of the case, and will be held to &C
count for aiding the Republicans in Haunting
the bloody shirt" as it is called; but for all
that shall do my duty as Chief Magistrate of
all the people, to Democrats and Republicans
alike, and in the faithful execution of the
laws Justice shall demand the punishment of
this or that man, whatever his political connec
tons may be, l shall not be deferred by parti-
san criticism. All that l know is that great
crimes have been committed, and it is my duty
TO aid in the punishment of the Grim
mails / do not think the Southern leaders
who have promised to protect the blacks in the
exercise of their rights are responsible for these
crimes Gov Hampton, for example, has tried
repeatedly to repress the violence which has
characterized the campaign in South Carolina,
and failed. Such Republicans as Judge Lee, Mr..
Rainey and ex-State Senator Swails, of that
State, have advised me of these facts They
say that Hampton cannot control the red shirts,
rs they call them, and they have repeatedly in
formed me of speeches he has made deprecating
violence in the conduct of the campaign, and
it appears that Gov. Nichols, in Louisiana, is
earnestly opposed to these proceedings or the
same kind of violence in his State The officers
of the Department of Justice have been in
structed to carry out the proceedings already
begun against the depredators- only against
those who have already been arrested, but
against others who will soon Ne arrested. 1t is
proposed to make clean sweep of this bust
ness, and exhaust every legal resource in the
execution of justice. The integrity of Ameri-
can citizenship has been grossly violated in
widespread localities 1t must and shall be
tol