Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-13
The Pre- sident,s Southern Policy.
WHAT FRED. DOUGLASS SAYS.

Walking up and down his private Office Mar
shal Frederick Douglass talked freely to a STAR
reporter this morning He said:
1.-the attitude OF President Hayes in respect to
the southern policy, implied in his present
effort to protect all citizens alike in the exercise
of the right of suffrage in South Carolina. Lou
iSiana and elsewhere, does not surprise me II
is precisely what have expected ever since the
experiment OF conciliatiOn has failed, not
thl ough any lack of earneStneSS and sincerity
on the part OF the President or his Cabinet in
commencing it to the SOUTH but through the
WrOng-headedneSS and
IRRECONCILABLFNESS OF THE SOUTH ITSELF
have known from the beginning that what has
@ oeen called the pacitcation policy was not. like
the laws OF the Medes and Persians, unchange-
abie. but that 1t would be abandoned or modi-
fed as the public veal might render it neces-
Sary.
DOUGLASS INTERVIEW WITH GOV HAYES
TWO weeks before President Hayes came to
Washington to be 1naugurated, it was my good
fortune TO meet him in the statehouSe at COIum-
BUS ONO, and to have a free and full conversa-
t1on with him on what had already been fore
shadowed as his southern policy. I began the
conversation with him by expressing sense OF
alarm at the outgivings of the press through
sundry reporters as to the course he meant TO
pursue towards the late rebels. / asked him
directly if the report which had reached me
that lie meant to appoint southern men. not
republicans, to Office in the south was true
WHAT THE PRESIDENT ELECT SAID
His answer was frank and to the point. He
said that was his purpose and gave as reason
that something must be done to break uD the
race line and color line in the politics of the
south. The fact that the colOred people were
in one party and the whites in another was pro
vocatfve OF race hostility and bioodShed, and
something must be done to put an end to Spl.l
strife; that he had had assurances from fnfuen-
tal men at the south that such q policy as ne
proposed would lead to a correction of this evil
and to the organization OF such independent
political action as would conduce TO harmony
in the southern states. The President said but
very little by way of argument. but invited me
to speak my whole views frankly in respect to
his proposed policy.
WHAT DOUGLASS SAID.
This invitation was not very slow to accent
For an hour or more argued against it SHOW
ing. as Well as | could by a brief review OF the
conflict between freedom and slavery during
the last forty years, that every concession which
had been made TO The south had been followed
Ey increased eXactOnS and arrogance: that
there was no satisfying or appeasing the ruling
clement of the south; that there had always
been class OF men in that section Who eS-
teemed themselves ard were esteemed as above
law, or law unto themselves: who We're not
Impressed with any just sense OF the SacredneSS
OF human ll1e and thought that negroes. eS-
recally, might be killed with ifhpunty | in
ssted That policy OF Cancellation would be as
pearls cast before swine: that cur concessions
would be treated as cowardice: that what the
south needed Was TO be taught that there is q
Gcd in Israel; that the laws OF the land will be
enforced in South Carolina as in Massachusetts,
and Ohio.
TIE PRESIDENTS PURPOSE TO CHANGE HIS Poi
ICY, IF EECESSARY.
sald much more to Governor Hayes to the
same effect. and after giving me patient hear
ing the governor assured me that he still in
tended TO give the south fair chance to right
Itself ard to remove all cause OF complaint if pos
sibe But said he 'if what propose shall fail of
the GOOD results at which aim shall certainly
adopt some other course. In no event do in
tend TO abandon your race or to fail in extend
ing TO them the protection of the rights g,iaran-
teed to them by the constitution
left Governor Hayes impressed with the idea
That tie is an honest and courageous mana
man welded to no policy to the extent of plII'-
suing it without regard TO consequences. and
controlled by patriotism as 1irm and in:leXibie
as that which controlled the action of the wise
and good Abraham Lincoln himself.
TIE NEW DEPARTURE.
" What do you think viii be the result OF the
new departure Qf there is g new departure) OF
the administration in dealing with the south? =
"M0St salutafy,' was the reply - think
TIE south itself viii see its errors and correct
them. 1t will, believe, find out that solid
south" IS dangerous, even TO itself. when
secured bs dsfianchising freemen. 1t will |
believe, after learning the lesson, be ready to
grant equal rights TO ALL"