The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-12-05
THE SOUTH.
Interview with the PTesi-
dent on the Attitude of
the Government Tow"
ard Southern Affairs.

Cn6 government Q"'
ard Southern Affairs.
The Washington National Repub-
lican prints an editorial interview
with the President on the Southern
situation. Omitting questions, he
is represented as saying:
"Tbe time for discussion has pass
ed. It is now too late for anything /
but the most determined and vigOr-
GUS action. This determination was
reached several days ago, and the
deliberations of the Cabinet on this
subject since then have been com |
paratively brief, and confined main
IL to the consideration of the duty
of the Attorney General in the prem
ises. When the Southern policy
was inaugurated, it was with an
earnest desire to conciiate the
Southern leaders, to round off the
sharp angles of sectional difference,
and to soften the asperities Of pOlit-
ical strife. No one VIII deny that
the attempt to enforce this policy
was most earnestly made, nor that
it was carried out with a conscien-
tious desire to accomplish the result
for which it had been inaugurated.
|. OF the personal and partisan sacri-
fees I made in this effort, and of the
consequent interruption of certain
relations which had previously exist
ed between myself and some Of my
supporters, I have nothing to say
Just now, but it appears that the
leaders who made use ofpledges eth
er did not exert themselves to keep
them, or were unable to do so. In
fact, I am reluctantly forced to ad
NIT that the experiment was fail
ure. The first election of import
ance held since it was attempted has
proved that fair elections, with
lree suffrage for every voter IN the
South, are an impossibility under
the present existing condition Of
things. It is not because the Re
publican party appears as the suffer
er in these results that I complain.
It is because free suffrage and free
dom of political rights have been in
terfered with, that I a m called upon
to take cognizance of these distur-
Dances. IF the facts were exactly re
versed, and if the Republicans bad
committed these oUtrages upon the
! Democrats, my duty would be the
same. It will not do for me, or fol
any official before whom the ques-
| tons may come, to treat them other
wise than in an bipartisan way. The
partisan press will naturally take
partisan view Of the case, and I viii
| be held to account for aiding Repub-
licans, the statements I mean, IL
Haunting the bloody shirt, as it is
called but for all that l shall do my
! duty as Chief Magistrate of all the
| people, Democrats and Republicans
| alike and ifin the execution Of the
! laws Justice shall demand punish
ment of this or that man, whatever
| his political connection may be,
/. shall not be deferred by partisan
criticism. All that I know is thaI
great crimes have been committed
and it is my duty to aid in the punish
ment of criminals. I do not thinl
the Southern leaders who have prom
ised to protect the blacks in the ex
ercise Of their rights are responsible
for these crimes. Governor Hamp
/ ton, for example, has tried repeated
" to repress the violence which hai
characterized the campaign in Soutt
Carolinn, and failed. Such Repub
Iicans as Judge Lee, and Mr.. Rainey
and ex-senator Swails, of that State
have advised me Of these facts. The!
say that Hampton can not cOntro
the red shirts, as they call them, anC
they have repeatedly informed me o
the speeches he has made deprecat
, ing violence in the conduct Of tn
1 campaign, and it appears that Gov
/ ernor Nichols, in Louisiana, is earn
, estI7 opposed to these proceedings
! or the same kind of violence IN hi
l State. The Officers Of the Depart
msnt ofJus,i3e have b2en instructed t
, carry out the proceedings alreadycom
menced not only against those VIII
) have been arrested, hut against other
who will soon be arrested. It is pro
: posed to make a clean sweep Of thi
t business, and exhaust every resOurc
in the execution Of Justice. The in
! tegrity of American citizenship ha
: been grossly violated IN wide sprea'
2 localities. It must be yindicated.
I The President closed by saying, i
regard to the District Attorneys L
, Southern States, that ''if it is dis
covered that any officer Of the clas
YOU refer to is not earnestly endea7
oring to do his whole duty IN tn
matter, there will be no hesitatiO
i in taking proper steps to replac
O. him. and to secure a vigorous pros