The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-02-06

W. H. Lancaster, Esq:
SIR-Your letter of the 14th inst has been
received, and / have no objections to answer
ing your questions freely and frankly. In
the first place, l must say that it is very APP
parent that we take different views of what
you call the presidents policy as marked
out toward the southern states" Very evil
IDENTIFY you think the wisdom of that policy
is dependent on the question whether "the
southern people as a whole accept such a
policy and live up to the requirements of
the constitution and laws of the country
without resorting to the terrible kuklux
remedy" L presume you mean by the pol
icy of the president toward the southern
states the withdrawal of the federal troops
from active influence with the Inauguration
of the legitimate governments in the states
OF South Carolina and Louisiana.
My opinion is that there was no warrant
Oh authority in the constitution of the United
States for the employment of federal troops
on the occasions referred to, and that the
oath of the president to preserve, protect
and defend that instrument imperatively
demanded of him the order for the with
drawal of the troops which was so tardily
given. The fact that 1T required the report
OF commission specially sent to New Or
leans to satisfy the president of the necessity
of that order convinces me that it was not
dictated so much by regard for the obliga-
tons OF the oath taken by him, Or respect
for the rights of the south, as by the appre-
hension that the question was one of too
much hazard to be dealt with in the manner
that had been before pursued on several
similar occasions since the war by the federal
government L see no reason to doubt that,
if it could have been done with impunity,
the president would have forced the Cham.
berlain government on South Carolina and
the Packard gogernment on Louisiana; but
the democratic house of represen-
tatives had refused to pass an
army appropriation bill unless coupled
with provision forbidding the employment
OF troops for such purpose, and it was very
evident that the next house 1.-THE present
one) would adopt the same course unless the
troops were withdrawn from the state houses
in South Carolina and Louisiana If, there
fore, the president had attempted to forcibly
install the Chamberlain and Packard govern
ments, he would have inaugurated a war in
which he would not have bad the support of
congress, and that war would have involved
his own title to the presidency, and have
assumed such proportions as he would have
deem unable to deal with While, therefore,
the act OF Withdrawing the troops, so as to
leave the legally elected governors and legis-
latures of these states in the exercise of their
legitimate functions, was in itself a proper
one, yet it was too long delayed and was
unaccompanied with any disavOwal of the
power of the federal government to interfere
organization of the legislatures of states.
think it a misnomer to call the conduct of
the president, in regard to the two states
named, his southern policy" or his policy
towards the southern states" Is there any
thing in the constitution authorizing or re-
quiring the president to pursue different
.poicy towards the states of the south from
that pursued towards the states of the north
or the states of the west?
If there is anything else in the conduct of
the president entitled to be called his
southern policy" L am not aware OF 1t.
1t is true that his clarations in favor of
civil service reform and the order discount
enancng interference by federal Office hold
ers in state elections are very proper things
in themselves, but | have as yet failed to
discover their fruits in the character OF the
| appointments that have been made. If there
has been the slightest improvement in that
respect | have not ascertained 1t.
Now, in response to your inquiry whether,
in consequence of the presidents policy,
the southern people will live up to the re-
| quirements of the constitution and laws of
| the country without resorting to the terrible
kuklux remedy, will the southern people
at the next presidential election allow the
negroes and other republicans of the south
| ern states TO vote their sentiments without
| molestation, or will the United States be
| compelled to send federal troops again
among certain states to insure peaceable
| election?" l have to say that the people of
the south have as community lived up to
| the requirements of the constitution and
| laws of the country. In resisting the invSS
sion of their territory by the United States
government during the late war they fought
| for the principles of the constitution as they
| understood them, and l think they were
| right in their Interpretation of them; but as
we differ on that question | will not discuss
it. Since the war they have desired and
endeavored to conform to the requirements
of both the constitution and laws, and faith
fully to fulfill their obligations to the federal
| government. They will continue to do so,
/ not in consequence of the presidents so
called southern policy" but because they
recognize the fact that In the strict observ-
| ance of the constitution and laws is the. only
| safeguard for their liberties and rights; but
| they claim also the protection of the consti-
tuition and laws against all usurpations and
abuses of power by the federal government
| or its agents AS long as that government
confines itself TO the limits of the constitu-
ton and the laws passed in pursuance there
| Of, there need be no apprehension of
disregard of them by the people of the south.
As 10 the "kuklux remedy" l have read
| good deal on the subject from northern
republican journals and the speeches of ora
| tors who fiaunt the bloody shirt" but
have never, TO my knowledge, seen a men,
| Der OF any such order as the "kuklux,"
| though have been in every southern state
since the war, except Kentucky and Florida.
| There have doubtless been acts of violence
| in some of the southern states, but these
| have been mostly in those states in which
the governments have been under the con-
| troll of military authority,o r of the radical or
republican party upheld by military power,
and the people have been goaded
| to them by the wrongs and aoutrages
| committed on them by those In
authority. Even in such cases the
| violence committed has been exceeded in
atrocity by that which has occurred in some
| of the northern states since the Inauguration
i IL h. ito 10 III no