The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-28
always considered very nursery of cor
ruption. Now, what you call the South,
meaning all the lately rebellious States

always considered very nursery Oh COT
ruption. Now, what you call the South
meaning all the lately rebelllous States
wherein outrages occur habitually in elec
ton campaigns, 1 call comparatively small
strips here and there along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts. In the two States
have mentioned the great trouble lies. 1r
the others, as 1 have said, matters have
settled down into comparative quiet"
Editnr-"And this partial success you
maintain would not or could not have
been accomplished under what was known
as bayonet rule Of the previous admins.
tration? ?"
MIR. Evarts-"I have not described it as
bayonet rule or anything of the kind, for
know that the bayonet was perhaps
necessary so long rs reconstruction was IN
progress. We had conquered the rebel,
lion, and we were replacing it with civil
government. 1t could have been done in
no other way, especially as regards the
establishment of black suffrage. But
the idea of force, however empty it may
have been, was repugnant to our people
in the North and all over the country.
1t was natural that the copper-head SYM
pathies of the Southern Contedcrates in
the North should make headway IN that
section for the Democracy by their con-
stant use of such an idea in our cam
paigns; it was also natural that any par
ty having been in existence for nearly
twenty years, as the Republican party
mas, should begin to lose its hold upon
the people. This was the situation at
the beginning of the present administra-
ton, and l consider it providential that
matters have since then shaped themselves
SO as to take the obnoxious question Of
force out of politics. When twas taken
out the idea of sectional administration
was also eliminated. and what is the re-
suit? Here we have the South consoli-
dated against us, it is true, but Southern
influences are losing ground in the North
where they were gaining ground before.
The Republican party has most assured
ly been the gamer, and its gains now are
certain. They are assured for all time to
come. Confederate encroachment, as
you call it, has been circumscribed, and
there are reasons, certainlics, might
say, for the belief that the Republican
party will maintain its supremacy in the
government for long time to come"
Editor-"Then you are not apprehen-
sive of danger in the futureF"
Mr.. Evarts-"Certainly not. The
country was never so prosperous as it is
now; the governments of the old world
look at us with amazement. Here we
have performed the miracle of paying a
thousand millions of dollars of our debt
when they thought we were exhausted
BY our prolonged civil strife, and at the
same time have turned the balance of
trade in our favor. Our system of gov
ernment, as I said before, is good one;
good enough for any people to live un-
der, and strong enough to control its own
existence, that is to save itself from de-
struction. The world knows and ac-
knowledges this fact. OF course we
have our troubles, like the Southern
question We have been talking about, and
the silver question, but that is about all,
and we have survived them.