Smyrna times., 1879-09-17
The Political Situation.

The stalwart Republicans profess to be
greatly pleased with the veto messages
which President Hayes sent to Congress
during the recent special session. They
appear to forget in their partisan glee that
the strength of these messages lies in the
statesmanlike course of conciliation pursued
by the federal administration before the
political events of last winter. The Presi-
dent removed from the Southern States
every federal influence which could by any
chance interfere with the freest exercise Of
the right of local selfgovernment. He did
this, not because it was a good thing for
the Republican party, but because it was
right, upon the theory of government
which underlies the political institutions Of
the United States, and because it was 6.
good thing for the country. 1t was g.
right and logical course to pursue ire
spective of any political consequences, and
so far as it has resulted in advantage to the
Republican party it is due wholly to the
course which the southern communities in
their own local affairs and through their
representatives at Washington have chosen
of their own free will to pursue.
There is no doubt about the nature Of
the result. The Southern States, left
| wholly to themselves, have done very
nearly everything which could be done to
| irritate and alarm the country. They have
| seriously discussed the question of re-
pudiating their local debts; they have used
the shotgun in politics so indiscriminately
as to make it an instrument for preventing
division in the Democratic party; they
have endeavored to crush out all indie
pendent political opinion on the ground
that the South must be kept. solid at al
hazards; they have introduced in Congress
without preteXt of concealment the mos
despotic system of legislation by caucus
ever known in Washington; they have
gone to the length of assailing the position
of one of the pnrest and most intelligen
men in the Democratic party, Senator Bay
ard, because of his fidelity to sound fnancia
principles; and in various other ways the,
have shown Il spirit with which larg
majority of the citizens Of this countr,
have no sympathy and method of con
Quoting public affairs which bodies no goot
J for the future. These are real subjects 70
, consideration there is no tinge of tn
: "bloody shirt" in them, and no carpet
baggers are responsible for them. Presiden
Hayes has left Louisiana and Tennessee
: and Mississippi as free as New York G
Connecticut are to do what they please
and these and their sister Southern State
are WnOlly respOHSIOle lOr Lne results.
r The stalwart Republicans say truly tina
a all these things have helped their part,
= They ought to remember by what NEAR
y this help has been furnished. A very littl
5 reflection would convince any intelliger
e man that whatever improvement has take
n place in the prospects Of the Republca
G party has largely been aided by the cour'
n pursued by the President and his adviser
r A very little reflection ought to discov,
< the additional fact that the only single a
o of a political nature which has happene
It since 1876 and which has had close ar
n direct relation to the prosperity of IL
al whole country is the resumption Of spec
y payments. This is the work of the a
m ministration-a work which has destroy,
ID that potent cause of political revolutio
1T the desire of men, when their affairs a
at not going well to try anything for chang
~ N. Y. Post.