National Republican., 1878-10-16

" HAYES was graci0usly permitted 70 DC
inaugurnted that the Constitution and laws
were to be regarded by him as utilities, and |
the Republican citizens Of the South were |
to be abandoned to just such fate as the
bull-dozers and rle-clubs might be pleased
to devise for them. This gross slander upon
the President has been permitted to run too
long without proper rebuke on his part,
and has nearly been accepted as part of
the verified history Of the period relating to
his election by commission, aud his in
auguration as Presidcnt-by his protracted
silence on that point, which has by many
been accepted as his tacit consent
to its accuracy. Tho President, how
ever, had trusted q class of men
who had given him every as
surance that the Constitution and the laws
were to be respected in their entirety by
the people of the South, and he was slow to
be convinced that gross deception had
been practiced upon him. If there was any
tacit or explicit understanding 1t was, no
doubt, to the extent that the troops should
be withdrawn from Louisiana and South
Nhluilhtt puslbiNN '''N Wv
requirements of the Constitution and the
laws of the United States were to be re-
spected and observed in those States by the
people and the State governments without
the intervention of the Federal power. To
this understanding, il such existed the
President has subordinated his action too
long rs is made apparent in history. He
trusted, and was slow to discover that his
confidence had been triacd with. lie he
| lieved that NICHOLS aud HAMPTON and
the people of their States would keep faith
with him, and hence he was tardy in with
drawing his confidence. But now he dis
covers that he has been deluded by false as
surances. The logic of events begins to open
his vision to discover and appreciate the cN-
tent of the deception that had been practiced
upon him to gain an important advantage.
1t has not taken two years to develop the
startling fact that the Southern Democrats
are utterly fIithless and cannot be trusted,
and the President begins to see and nppre-
| cate the situation. That time has come
| The President is discovering the fraud that
has been practiced upon him, and begins to
draw his official vcstments of power closer
around him. lie now proposes to yindicnte
the Constitution and the laws, and to throw
the protecting arm of the nation around
the rights of the oppressed people Of the
South. This action on the part of the
President Is now characterized by bad and
disloyal men rs "dragooning the South
and as a hoistnS of the bloody shirt" and
our Baltimore cotemporary INDUCES the
vaporing threat that when the next Con-
gress meets it may open q sort OF bloody
shirt campaign for the fraud in the White
House" The President should respond
to this menace: Il thank thee, Jew, for
teaching me that word" for "out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth
" spenkcth." 1t is none too
early for the President to take
warning from these vaporings aud place
his heel upon the serpent before it is more
fully grown. He should put such threats
to the test without delay and ascertain
whether the rahblc or the Government are
to rule. If this thing goes on, and til,
popular majority in the South Is dislran
J chiscd in this election, no fraud who come!
up from that section Of the country undo
prcteuse of election should be permitted
to desecrate the halls of Congress with hi
presence. The Democrats have set an cx
ample in both Louisiana and South Caro-
lima which teaches the country how
: National Legislature can be organized by
: minority. 1t is as feasible to put Congress
S in line with the Executive of the nation a
n it was to put minority Legislatures Il
!, line with the usurping Executives of thos
: States for a special purpose and as usefu
T party cxpedent; and most assuredly, if W
+ practise strict Democratic tactics in reach
c ing that end, the Democrats should be til
C last to complain. When the Democrats II
| sort to revolutionary cxpedents the Rcpul
licans must fight fire with fire.