The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-25
HAYES SERENITY.
THE PRESIDENT GREATLY ALARMED
AT THE POTTER INVESTIGATION.
his Feelings Toward southern Demo-
crats-What He Did for the south and
what He Expects In Return,

What He Expects In Return.
Especial Correspondence Of the Democratl
WASHINGTON, May %, 1878.
1t is reported on indubitabe authority that
THE PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
are at last convinced that all is not serene.
This may not amount to much as a fact of it.
self; but, as q symptom, it Is important In
view OF tho recent action Of the representa-
tives Of the people, Mr.. Hayes and his Cabi-
net differ. in no respect of their situation,
from ordinary criminals occupying and en-
joying, In contempt Of law, property which
| they may have acquired by defiance Of the
statutes, and awaiting judicial dislodgment,
Whatever may be the light in which 1t has
been expedient to view the tenure of the
| fraudulent administration, and whatever
| may be the good-natured fiction of respect In
| which it has been convenient for men to hold
Mr.. Hayes as a de facto President and his
| Cabinet as de facto heads Of departments
| hitherto, the time has now come
when 1t is improper to regard him
and them In any other light than that of
| accused criminals under inguisition prepara-
tory to being put on their trial If an indict-
ment be found. SO long as the fraudulent
administration held It's sway unchallenged
by constituted authority competent to take
cognizanee Of It's irregularities, either of
origin or Of conduct it was the de focto
governing regime, charged with the con-
seryation Of the public welfare and with
the management OF the public business.
| Hayes cared little about the manner In which
he had gained the Presidency as long as he
could draw his comfortable salary and exercise
| the desirable prerOgatiyes Of the office With
nothing but the clanor Of a few newspapers
l &y. hpr. =
serenity that characterized his demeanor was
not TO be wondered at. But now the case is
altered. It ls no longer by unorganized and un-
official utterances alone that his title is ques-
toned, butby the duly constituted depositaries
or representatives of the might and sover-
| eighty Of the people. If, under these altered
circumstances Mr.. Hayes still preserved his
| serenity" the fact would argue either that
| his mind was too Obtuse to comprehend the
majesty Of the power that confronted him or
| that his moral sense was too blunted to real
! ize the terrible character Of the calamity
which impended over him. Such an attitude
ment and Indignation Of the people against
Mr.. Hayes personally; for it would have sa-
yored OF effrontery, and effrontery on the part
| OF accused criminals Is not relished by law
abiding men.
1t is, therefore, satisfactory and pleasant to
| learn that
MR.. HAYES SEEMS TO APPRECIATE HIS ST.
UAIIoN,
| at least to an extent sufficient to relieve him
| from imputatiOn OF brazen effrontery or re-
pulsive impudence. We are glad of this, be-
cause az the pending proceedings ought, above
| all things, to be conducted with dignity and
| decOrum, and it will be much easier to pro
ceed In that manner If Mr. Hayes deports
himself with the humility that ought to
| mark q person in his situation than If he
should assume an air OF offensive indiffer-
| ence, not to speak Of intoierable impudence
Mr.. Hayes may as well make up his mind
| that
HE HAS GOT TO FALL;
| and he should address his resources not tn
| the vain task OF circumventing or defeating
| Fate, but to the more sensible and decent en-
deavor TO fall with as much grace, with as
| little personal discredit and with as few un-
seeml struggles and contortions as possible.
BY observing these Kind suggestions Mr..
| Hayes may avoid the unpleasant fate Of pass
| ing into history as man who, having
dishhonored himself by entering upon
a,nd fTaqdaent h Presidency disgqsted man
| in making his exit. That is to say, In
homelier phrase, Mr.. Hayes will appear in
history to much better advantage Ia the act
White House when the time comes, than
under stress of forcible dislodgment with
subsequent vigorous assistance in the rear
during his progress down the front steps.
:, But while Mr.. Hayes displays something
IKE becoming sense OF the fitness Of things
In his peculiar situation, he has certainly
allowed himself to betray feeling toward
| THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS
that Is entirely unwarranted He has been
heard to say that he regarded the action OF
the Southern Democrats, in supporting the
Potter resolutions, as ungrateful;, This state
ment is unfortunately beyond the reach OF
successful contradiction. 1t puts Mr.. Hayes
In the position OF affirming that he had or
thought ne had @ reason to rely on the, South
ern Democrats for support In a bad cause,
| for aGSiEfancp in npfViDD Iavg
ing the outrage upon the constitution, which
was perpetrated when he was counted in.
The reason which Mr.. Hayes alleges for his
misplaced confidence In the Southern De-
mocracy is that
| HE GAVE PEACE TO THE SOUTH"
to use his own words. 1t is not necessary to
| discuss the rhyme or reason OF such ridicu-
lous assumption, because it has neither the
one nor the other. The whole thing can be
sumLned up In ten words. The peace which
Mr.. Hayes thinks, or affects to think, he
gave to the South, was a peace that he could
not have hindered if he had desired to, with
out stationing an army corps In every State
and declaring martial Law in all the country
south Of the Ohio river. The Southern peo-
pie were the guarantors Of their own peace,
and Mr.; Hayes did nothing but accept the
inevitable with what appeared to be good
| grace; grace however which his present
whine about the "ingratitude Of Southern
Democrats In Congress" dispels most effect
uaIiy.
| The South Is safe enough. And there has
| never been, nor is there now the slightest real
reason why her Representatives should con-
slider themselves tied to the decaying corpse
OF a fraudulent administration. That they
did not SO consider themselves is matter Of
history, and speaks volumes for their good
| sense; while it certainly does not lie with
person in Mr.. Hayes situation to question the
honor Of anybody. A.C.B.
|