The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-20


81 3 ,6 al,in,ore Sun.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS orr tlie RresftaefHs's
Policy assh she Hscastacas Condition
0f The @4ntIls..s,Er Bystem OF Gov.
tionaa Finances, De.
q WAsHrSGToN, November is. Secretary
EYaris has had animportant Interview with
the editor OF the National tRepabl ican In
exposition OF the Presidents policy. The
editor said the people are beginning 70
think that the much-derided bayonet rule Is
after all the best southern policy. Mr:
Erarts answered -" They are now assured
that the President is doing everything IN
bis power to yindicate the laws. and main.
tain the integrity Of the Government. Ihat
should satisfy them, and | believe It does.
The Editor: /" Yes; there is generai
feeling OF relief at the recent change ID the
Presidents policy"
Mr.. Evarts: "There youfali into popu-
lar error, and use popular phrase lilustra-
tive OF the methods OF political managers,
but not applicable to the present Admins
tration in the conduct OF it's official affairs.
President Hayes has never surrendered.
abandoned, or changed any policy, because
he has never lad any to change. The
equality or parity OF the States, all
the States, was reInstated when ne
came into Office. The same admins
trative functions were to be performed
in all of them under the rehabilitated
condition OF things. The results OF the
war had been embodied in the constitu-
tions OF the southern States and that OF the
General Government, as we'll as In their
laws, and reconstruction was an accom-
plished fact. The troops had been, or were
very soon thereafter, Withdrawn from
the South, and there was no occasion for
especial or particularizing methods differing
in one section from those employed in an
other. The Constitution of the General Gov
ernment was and is yet his only guide, and
YOU will admit that being controlled by that
document could not be properly described
as being controlled by policy. Nor were
his endeavors in the nature OF an expert
ment, unless it Is an experiment to adhere
closely to constitutional requirements. 1t
is true that he treated the southern leaders
in friendly spirit, believing that they were
in earnest in their professions OF deter
mlnation to preserve the integrity Of Anne
rican citizenship in their respective States.
But the first election has passed, and he
discovers that bis trust has been betrayed
that is to say, that the southern leaders will
not or have not been able to keep their
pledges. They were the natural and legal
representatives OF the southern people here
at the capital, and the proper persons DIN,
cially and otherwise with whom he should
have consulted regarding southern affairs.
SO you see even his consultations WITH them
were not in the nature of an experiment.
Editor: "Eut he appointed Democrats
to Office on their recommendation"
NIr. Evarts: Ibid he? Well, I do wish
some one would take the trouble to make
up a list OF his southern Democratic APP
pointments, and then the public would un-
derstand exactly how much truth there IS IN
that CHARGE" ....-...
Editor: "There was Fitzsimmons."
Mr.. Evarts: eyes; there was FitZsm-
mons, as you say. Now, let ne tell you,
appointed one Democrat from Georgia
Hilliard-to be Minister to Brazil. That
was the end OF it-of such appointments,
mean-so far as / was concerned, as in
tended it should be. And then the Presi-
dent appointed FitZsimmons to be United
States marshal in Georgia. But billiard and
Fitzsimmons are like Fallstaf's men in buck
have been exaggerated into an
unlimited number"
Editor: "How will the southern leaders
feel now towards the President, in view OF
his expressed intention to vigorously prose
cute some OF their followcrs?"
Mr.. Eyarts: "That is not q question
which can have any weight with the Presi-
dent You may rest assured, however, that
the eXertons now being made to execute
the laws will be controlled by men who are
in sympathy with those laws"
Editor: ''That means that the laws will
be enforced by Republicans"
Mr.. Evarts "Precisely. No man who
is reluctant to obey the instructions OF tue
Administration regarding the punishment
or prosecution Of the perpetrators OF these
outrages in the South will be trusted in the
performance OF that duty. TO be vigorous
in the performance OF such an important
duty, the official must be in close and earn
est sympathy with the underlying motives
which inspire its direction and disclose its
Editor: "And after all, Mr.. Secretary,
those prciudiced iuries will settle these
matters"
Mr.. Evarts: "But how are you going to
avoid that? The law interfcres to prevent
its own complete execution, and the Constl-
tuition, which guarantees protection to Its
subjects, also contains provisions which en-
able the States, in their sovereign capacities,
to take supreme control OF those subjects or
citizens under certain contingencies. Or
course it will be the duty OF the Admins
tration to avoid those contingencies as far as
possible, and it may succeed, as the Govern
meut did in many OF the kuklux cases tried
in 1S72-'73. I expect. however, that the
most earnest endeayor will be made to the
punishment Of the perpetrators OF those
atrocities. No words that | can command
are strong enough to depict those atrocities
in their true light. They are horrible be-
You'd description, deprayed and noXious.
Editor: land from what causes do these
atrocities arise?"
Mr.. Evarts: "Thcre is no use denying
the fact that the southern people have suf-
fered greatly-thc southern whites, l
mean-from the sudden bouleversement of
their social system or fabric.-the sudden in
terjection into their voting aggregate OF all
element of ignorance, and the consequent
domination Of uneducated and ineNpe-
rienced power in their political affairs. 1t
was perhaps mistake that this was done
by the Republican party OF the North. But
all this does not justify murder and whole
sale disregard of existing law"
Editor: "Mr. Secretary, first came the
Abolition party, then the war, then enamel
patton, and then REIMBURSEMENT for the
blacks. 1t has been supposed that the act OF
enfranchisement was accompanied by pro-
mise or guarantee Of protection"
Mr.. Eyarts Every true, but we now
find it very difficult to keep that promise OF
protection. It is because Of this difficulty
that have said it was perhaps mistake to
cnfranchise these Ignorant or inexperienced
people in the way we did. Nevertheless,
the lazy is the laW, and the execution Of it