New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-03
COMMENTS ON THE MESSAGE.
THE PARAGRAPHS ABOUT THE SOUTH THE CHIEF
TOPIC OF DIsCUssION-FoUR REPUBLICAN oPIN-
rONs-sENATOR HILL RABID.

THE PARAGRAPHS ABOUT THE SOUTH THE CHIEF
TOPIC OF DIsCUssION-FoUR REPUBLICAN oPIN-
IoNs-sENAToR HILL RABID.
IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSE.i
WASHINGTON, Dec. q" The Presidents South
ern policy seems providentially to have been the
means of strengthening and uniting tho Republican
party" said Republican Representative from the
West, to-day after listening to the passages of the
Message which refer to the elections in South Caro-
Ina and Louisiana. never believed in It, and have
spoken against it both here In the House and at
home. and / have always thought that the
President was honest and patriotic, but mistaken.
But it now seems to me that the behavior of the
Southern Democrats III the last election, while it
does not vindicate the Presidents policy, but the
opposite has revealed the real character of those
men in such light that it has united and solidifed
our party, as it could not have been united in any
other way"
"Ih have always given the Presidents Southern
policy the best support could" said another very
prominent and influential Western Republican.
" although was doubtful about the wisdom of it,
The events of the past few months have convinced
me that nothing could have been more fortunate
for the country and for our party than the with
drawal Of the troops from South Carolina and
Louisiana and the remission to the people Of these
States Of complete control of their local affairs
You must remember that the President did not
decide that Hampton and Nichols were elected or
put them into the places they now occupy. He
simply took his hands off and allowed the people to
settle the matter themselves. Well, they have now
shown themselves mp in their true colors and be-
leye the people of the North will understand them
better in the future than they have ever done be-
fore. They had no longer any excuse for behav-
ing badly and the country will SO decide.
The Republican party would have been seriously
divided if the President had attempted to sustain
Chamberlain and Packard, and we should have lost
these last elections beyond doubt. As it Is, the
Republican party is stronger to-day than it has been
for years, and may reasonably look forward to a
great victory in 1880. This would not have been
So the Presidents Southern policy had been diff
ferent."
An Eastern Republican said yankee voters
will never consent that the citizen of any other
State shall have more influence at the ballot-boE,
through fraud or otherwise, than themselves in the
election of Representatives to Congress If that IS
the question at issue in the next Presidential
election it can have only one outcome"
These three quotations from the remarks of lead
ing Republicans represent as fully the drift of party
sentiment upon the one feature OF tho Presidents
Message as hundred reports Of interviews could
do
IL may be said that the Republicans generally like
the tone of the Message Southern affairs. IL any
of them desire 1t changed in any respect, it would
only be to make it stronger in the same direction in
which it tends.
The Democrats are not pleased with the Presi-
dents discussion Of the Southern question. They
would not be pleased with any discussion of it that
contained criticism of the methods practices of
the Southern Democracy. They want to be let alone
to manage their elections for Congressman. well
as for State and local officers, they please stuff
- Sec Fifth PAGE