The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-14
TIE NEW DEPARTURE.
FIRED DOUGLASS APPEARS IN THE
aUAsE OF A PROPHET.
An EntervIew with Hayes In HS7G-The
"P0ilcy" Outlined and Its Failure EeTe-
hicted by the Sable Orator What
Wnyes TEaen Promised,

Hayes Then Promised.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12. = Mr. Douglass,
United States Marshal Of the District of Co
lumbia, in speaking to-day Of the President
and his Southern policy, said:
The attitude Of President Hayes In re-
spect to his Southern policy implied in his
present effort to protect all citizens alike in
the exercise Of the right Of suffrage in South
Carolina, Louisiana and elsewhere, does not
surprise me. It Is precisely what have ex-
pected ever since the experiment. OF concilia-
ton has failed, not through lack Of earnest
ness and sincerity on the part OF the Presi-
dent and Cabinet in their action to the South
but through the wrongheadedness and irrec-
oncilableness Of tho South Itself. | have
known from the beginning that what has
been called the paciticatlon policy was not
like the laws of the Medes and PeFsians, IN,
changeable but that it would be abandoned
or modified when necessary.
Two weeks before Hayes Inauguration it
was my good fortune 10 meet hlrn IN Coi'lfn~
bus Ohio, and to have free and fntl conversa-
tiOn with him on what had already been fore
shadowed as his Southern policy. expressed
my alarm at the newspaper reports as 10
the course he meant to pursue towards the
late rebels, and asked him directly ii 1t was
true, us reported. that he intended to appoint
Southern men, not Republicans, to Office 10
the South. II answered frankly yes, and
gave as 81 reason that something must be
done to break up the race and coler line ID
Southern politics.
| one party and the whites in another, was pro-
vOcative Of race hostility and blood shed, and
| something must be done to end such strife
| He said he had had assurances frOm ln1luen~
| tial men at the South that his proposed policy
would correct this evil and lead to the organi-
zation Of such Independent political action as
would establish harmony in the Southern
| States. He said but little by way OF argu-
| frankly. / was not slow to accept the invi
taton, and for an hour or more argued
against such IL policy, showing as we'll
as / could, by brief review Of the
| conflict between freedom and slavery during
| tho last forty years, that every concession to
the South had been followed by increased OK
actions and arrOgance; that there was no
satisfying or appeaslng the ruling elefnenb OF
| the South; that there always had been a
class OF men there who esteemed themselves
and were esteemed rs above the law, or q law
| unto themselves, who had no just sense OF the
sacredness Of human life, and thought that
negroes, especially, might be killed with i'm
punfty.
be as pearls before swine; that our conces-
eiOns would be treated as cowardiCe: that the
South needed to be taught that there was n
God in Israel, and that the laws Will be en-
forced In South Carolina as well as N n vi assi1,
| chl1setts. ! said much more to the same
effect, and after giving me q patient hearing
Gov. Hayes assured me that he still intended
to give the South Il fair chance to right ltsell
and to remove all cause OF cOnplalnt, II pOSSl-
bic; but said he: EFF what propose shall fail o
tho good results ut which | aim shall Ger.
tanly adopt some other course. In no event
do intend to abandon your race or TO foil In
extending to them the protection OF the rights
guaranteed them by the constitutlon.'
| left Gov. Hayes impressed with the 1des
that he waS an honest and courageous man
welded to no policy to the extent Of pursuing
it regardless Of consequences and controlled
by o patriotism rs firm and inflextbe as the
wise and good Abraham Lincoln.
In reply to II question as to what would bf
the result Of the new departure OF the ad
ministration in dealing with the South, Mr.
Douglass said:
Most salutary. / think the South itsel
will see It's errors and correct them 1t will
| believe, find out that solid South IS dan
gerous even to itself when secured by dis
franchisng freemen. 1t will, believe, afte
learning the lesson, be- ready to grant equa
rjphts to alI 1"