Salt River herald., 1878-11-23
HAYES AXa) THE s0UTIs.

The Chicago TriJ1ae's Washington special of the l2th has a report of an important interview with the presi- dent, in which the latter in a measure confesScs the inadequacy of his south- crn policy. The president says sub- stantially: The time for discussion has passed. Determined, vigorous action is imperative. The cabinet reached this determination several days ago, and lately has been consid- ering the duty oi the attoFney-gcneral in the premises. His southern policy was inaugurateJ with an earnest de sire to conciliate and round of the sharp angles and soften the aSperitics of political strife. Nobody will say the attempt was not made to most earnestly carry out this policy. Of the personal and partisan sacrifices I made iu this effort, and of the c0nse- quent Interruptions of certain reia- iions which had previously existed between myself and some of my sup porters, ! have nothing to say just now; but it appears the leaders who made these pledges did not exert themselves to keep them, or were un- able to do so. In.fact, I am reluct- antly forced to admit that the expert ment was failure. The first import ant election held since it was attempt cd has proven that fair elections, with free suffrage to every voter in the south, are an imposSibility under the existing condition of things. It is not because the republican party ap- pears as sufferer in these results that I complain. It is because free suf- frage and freedom of political rights have been interfered with that 1 am called upon to take cognizancc of these disturbances. If the republi- cans had committed these outrages on democrats my duty would have been the same. It will not do for me or any official to treat these questions otherwise than in an bipartisan way. The partisan press will naturally take a partisan view of the case, and I will be held to account for aiding republi- cans and Haunting the bloody shirt but for all that shall do my duty as the chief magistrate of the whole na- ton, and if in the faithful execution of tie laws, justice demands the pun ishment of this or that man, what. ever his political connections may be shall not be deterred by partisan criticism. All that 1 know is that great crimes have been committed and it is my duty to aid in the pun ishment of criminals. 1 do not think southern leaders who promised to protect the blacks are responsible fol these crimes. Governor Hampton for example, tried repeatedly to re ! press the violence which characlcriz ed tine South Carolina campaign, aud failed. Prominent republicans O.
 that state advised me that Governor ! Hampton cannot control the Ret Shirts, and that he has made specche. deprecating a violent campaign Governor Nichols earnestly opposed ! like proceedings in Louisiana. Off cers of the department of juslicc hay,
 been instructed to carry out proceed
 inas against the dcpredators, not only
 against those who have already beer
 arrested, but against others who wi
 soon be arrested. IL is proposed {,
 make a clean sweep of the business
 and exhaust every legal resource il the execution of justice. The integ
 rity of American citizenship has beer
 grossly violated in widespread local
 itics. It must and shall be yindicat cd. The president closed by saying
 "Ir it is discovered that any distric attorney in the south is not earnestly
 endeavoring to do his whole duty il this matter, he will he speedily re placed, to secure a vigorous prosccu ton of these cases"
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