The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-12
The President and the Sonth.

lHc president and The SOnth.
One of the most just and concise criti-
cisms upon the course pursued by Mr..
Hayes in his treatment of the Southern
question, comes from the New York
Jonnai Of Commerce., y paper not prcdis-
posed in favor of the South, but gener-
ally fair in its conclusions. We make
the following extract:
AS the message nowhere bears the i'm
press of the authors own thought and
Will, we attach little Importance to any
part of it. Take his remarks about the
alleged Southern election troubles us an
illustration. The President evidently
did not speak from his own knowledge
of interest in the subject lie merely
took the Attorney Generals report rs
brief and made 4 case out of it. Gen
eral Dcvcns is not an impartial or calm
Judge of Southern aflnirs. lie is clearly
prcJudlccd against the South and anxious
to strain every point to put that section
IN the wrong. His language is censor
ious and harsh. The construction of
motives he assigns to the Southern peo-
pie who do not support the administra-
ton is wholly unwarranted by the evil
dcnce he produces. Iii fact, he presents
no sufficient testimony for any of his
charges. His information comes mostly
from public sources, which are common
to ALL"
We take this to mean the newspapers.
But in our files of Southern exchanges
we have vainly looked for the proof, of
those outrages which the Attorney Gen
cra finds so common. Perhaps he reads
only the political sheets which are anx-
ious to return the army to the South and
and restore carpet-bag rule there. Such
organs can most readily pave the way
to such restoration by exaggcrating or
inventing "outragcs" inflicted by the
white Democrats on the Republican
blacks. If General Devens is correct in
his statements, the Presidents recon-
mendations are fully justified. But
when the Attorney General SAYS, as he
does, that his "oilice is not provided
with the means of any general system Of
investigation of intractions of the laws"
the President might have paused for
confirmation of that officials assertions
before reopcning the unpleasant and dis
turbing subject in his message. He has
done so at the risk Of being convicted
OF Inconsistency, if not of more Sc
rious fault.
A year ago the Presidents message
highly complimcntcd the Southern whites
on their treatment Of the freedmen. He
seemed then to be satisfied that the col
orcd voters were not driven or frightened
from the polls. He was then willing to
trust the South to govern herself without
| an army or any c0-ercivc or restraining
measures. But for Il long time previous
to the publication of that nessagc, the
Northern organs of one party had been
ringing with accusations against their
opponents of the South exactly similar
to these now made by the same paners
and repeated by the Attorney General
y year ago the President satisfied him
self that the allegations against the
South were generally unfoundcd, and his
message glowcd with trustful and con-
ciliatory sentiments toward that section.
Now, he tacks sharply in the other di-
rccton. He believes now where he had
good reason to place but little confidence
before. Has he any new or better evil
dencc than formerly, or what is the mat
ter?
No one impeachcs the Presidents hon
csty of purpose. His intentions, we
presume, are just and honorable. But
he Is not strong man, and is easily in
iiuenced by the more rcsolute persons
uooue nun. nc also likes MS ease. fle
has had hard time of it for year,
IuaTTc''ing with tic radicals &C BE par.y.
They lave attacked him venomously on
account Of his past kindness to the South.
He now acts like one who is anxious to
make friends of these bitter enemies of
his own household. His references to
Southern matters in the message read
like concessions to Blaine and the rest
a bid for peace. He thinks he went too
far on one side in his last years message.
Now Ec seeks to restore his political
equilibrium by q little excess on the 9th
eT side: That probably explains the -ca!
Inconsistencies of the two messages. II
the design of the President is such rs We
have indicated, it will miscarry. His
latest suggestions about the South, though
differing widely from those of his previ-
Gus message, are too moderate and rea-
sonable tn suit The extremists. They
want nothing less than revival of army
rule and carpet-hng governments ut the
South.
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