Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-01-11
The President Cheerful and Hopeful.

The President Oheertui ana hopehni'
Mr.. Charles Nordhoff. who is one of the
ablest and best informed of the Washington
correspondents reports President Hayes ms
having recently said in conversation with old
personal friends that thus far in his admins
tration he has met with no surprise or disap-
pointment What has happened was fore
seen by the President before he left Columbus,
and he has seen no reason to change in the
least the course which he laid out for himself
before he came to Washington. The results
of the southern policy have been such as he
expected. He is not surprised that part of
the republican party opposed that policy nor
at the vigor of this opposition, and, as he
foresaw and expected this, he is not disap-
pointed that greater political results have not
been reached in the southern States as the
fruit of that policy. 1t was inevitable that an
attempt to arouse and create solid North
against the policy of reconciliation should
maintain, so far as possible a solid South. If
the republican leaders had at once heartily ac-
cepted the southern policy, he is reported to
say. the solid South would have crumbled to
pieces before this; but he did not expect
that, and he is satisfied with the bencfccnt
results so far attained. He believes that the
present excitement ON this question will not
last. No party could be formidable or could
hold the confidence or support of the people,
which should plant itself ON dead issues, and
he believes that the republican leaders will
soon see this and will cease their agitation of
this subject He has entire confidence in the
future of the republican party. and believes
that it has the brains and capacity to take UP
the live and new questions and to deal with
them as the best sense of the nation demands.
Those who refuse to do this and who cling to
old and dead questions will inevitably drop
into the background. The American people
do not stop to look backward Their desire
now, he believes, is for harmony between the
sections for revival of industry, n renewal
of commerce and new period of prosperity,
to be secured by intelligent legislation and not
by empty disputes over sectional issues
If the President is rightly reported, he at
taches but little importance to the angry OPP
position of the republican leaders, 1t is main
ly personal in its nature, and personal issues
cannot have lasting life or important results
in the face of real questions. He appears to
have made up his mind to suffer certain, u
perhaps uncertain amount of annoyance but
he believes that it takes two sides to make a
quarrel, and he does not quarrel with any one.
He thinks most of those who oppose him dc
so under a misconception, and will by and by
see this. He sees that he has made mistakes
in details, but his general policy, he is per
suaded, is not only for the best interests OF
the country, but has the sympathy of the PEG.
pie and of the body of the republican party
and he believes that the people will presently
openly adhere to this policy as necessary tc
their security, welfare and prosperity.
The reform of the civil service is necessari
ly slow work it requires cautious action in q
great number of cases. But though, in the
opinion of some friends of reform, he has act.
ed too slowly, he believes thoughtful men will
soon recognize the fact that a new spirit has
begun to animate the public service that the
work is better and more efficiently done. be.
cause the old officers whom he has not re-
moved feel that they are watched and that
they must attend more carefully than ever tc
their public duties. He believes that the pub
lie service is now more correctly and effect
lively conducted than it has been at any peri
cd since the war, and while he is by no means
satisfied that the highest standard has beer
reached, and while he does not mean to relax
his efforts to improve it, yet he is satisfied
with the results so far attained.
1t follows from all this, if he is correctly re
change his policy in any respect, and it is re
garded as certain by those best informed thai
he will make no change in his cabinet either