National Republican., 1878-11-12


comes contest between right and
wrong, between fidelity and treachery. be-
tween loyalty and treason, between the
rights of citizenship and their overthrow,
between q respect for the Constitution and
the laws and total disregard OF them, and
between the preservation and the overthrow
of the principles and stability Of a free Gov
crnment This is the aspect of the future
political controversy, as the case Is made up
by the Democratic party and its organs,
and the Republicans have no alternative
but to accept it as presented.
TUE PRESIDENTS SOUTHERN POLICY.
We are constrained to acknowledge that
we have never, since its enunciation, been
able to unravel the mysteries and compre-
hend the purposes OF the Presidents South
ern policy with any degree Of satisfaction
until the revelations Of the recent elections
have become q matter Of public notOriety
When that policy was inauguratcd we could
not understand why all restraint should
have been removed from the South, leaving
that people, In view Of the atrocities of 1876
to act themselves under their own wicked
volitions In carrying out evil inten.
tions against the rights of citizenship,
the rights Of persons, the laws Of
Congress- and the public peace and
welfare. We could not then divine the wis.
dom which prompted the President 10
abandon the Republican party and prnci.
pies in the South which had Just elected
him, and all the sacred interests involved
TO the mercy Of relentless, cruel, and
lawless enemy. We then wondered and
gricvcd thereat, but time has, we con-
fess, brought what seems TO be rational
solution Of the dark problem. We no longer
see the conduct Of the Executive in the in
ception and execution OF 10 southern policy
as through glass darkly. We begin
though somewhat family, TO discern the
wisdom and forecast that led the President
to adopt mysterious and somewhat un.
natural policy toward the South.
We now assume, under the new lights
afforded us-for no other solution can be
reached without impcachng the integrity
or wisdom, or both, of the Executivc-thnt
it was his purpose, on assuming the duties
and responsibilities of the Presidency Of q
nation of 100000 of people, to regard
all the States within the Union alike
in the adoption of general policy for
the government of the whole people,
thus ailording each an equal and
fair opportunity of establishing respec-
lively their loyalty and devotion to the
Constitution, the laws, and the Government
Of this great and powerful country. We
must unless we would challenge the intcg.
rty of the President accept this as the
basis Of his policy, and, in view Of history
made more recently, we do now recog.
nze it's wisdom and forecast The Presi.
dents policy placed every State alike OH its
good behavior, leaving each to work out Its
own destiny and establish its own loyalty
under it's relations to the Constitution and
laws Of the country, and to develop its
true inwardness" under its own yoition.
The President gave full measure of rope
to each State and section alike, and less
than two years have sufficed to satisfy the
whole country save those blinded by
prejudice, passion, and hate that the South,
without exception, has premeditatedly
and with malice prepense, detled the laws,
despised the Government, and set all the
principles Of O free nation and the laws
adopted for It's government at open def.
ance The confidence of the President has
been abused every pledge Of submission to
the laws every assurance given that the
equal rights Of oil the people should be re.
spected have been violated, and the spec
tacle is held up to the view of the civilized
world revealing the sad fact that the
States which took part In the rebellion
have no more respect for the laws or the
Government now than they eyinCed during
the bloody war which followed secession
In this they have voluntarily revealed
themselves and their true dispositions, ant
nothing is now left for the Government bu
10 regard them in the light they have pre-.
sented themselves as outlaws and thei
people Rs utterly wanting in good faith and
loyalty.
II does not become us to advise as to the
future course of the Administration, but
we would respectfully suggest that the in
tegrity of the Government would seem t
demand Of the Executive that he shal
cause every offender who can be reached 4
be punished to the fullest extent of the law
no matter at what cost, though it shall re
qure every soldier In the army and every
dollar in the Treasury to enforce th'
majesty of the Government over the red
handed crimes that have characterized tn,
late election. If the Government does no
assert its power In enforcing the law and II
furnishing the long calendar Of atrocitie,
that have outraged the principles Of civil
zItion, then the miscrelnts will regard the
immunity as license for tho future, and