American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-03-22
The Next President.

Mobile Register
The waters are beginning to move
for 1880. 1t is useless 10 look to
the New York papers tor guidence
as TO the popular choice for the next
President. 1t is IA singular fact that
the press of that city rarely reflect
he choice of the people. Yet We
find just now the views of cores
pondents, and interviews with Con
gressmen, set out in their columns,
which are suggestive and from
which we may gather an imperfect
idea OF popular sentiment. We
find that Mr.. Z. V. SmaIley, who
has just completed tour in the
States of Louisiana, Texas and
Arkansas, has written a letter to
the New York Tribune, in which he
sums up the ruling opinions in both
political parties in the South. He
says he found the Southern Dem
ocrats "ii unit in sentiment to a re-
markabie and diScouraging degree
which he attributes to the memories
of the war, their desire for political
power, and the belief that the South
hdS NOV y tlD
preparations for internal improve
ments, the desire for which, he say IS,
is universal. Mr.. Smalley believes
the first choice of nine-tenthS of the
Presidential candidate would be
Mr.. BayarI, il he were thought
available, but that a Availability il
the only question seriously consider
ed. Though Mr.. Ti.deu is exceed
ingly unpopular i'll the South. Mr..
Smalley says most Southern politi>
clans look upon his nomination as
not Improbable. There is but one
expression among Southern Repub
licans as to their candidate in 1880
they are all Tor Grant I; but Mr.
Smalley says 'there is not Il ghost
of chance for securing a single
electoral vote from the South for
the Republican nominee"
Mr.. SIN illey is undoubtedly light
as to the sentiment of the South BE
ing in favorable to MIR. Bayard.
We admire him not only for his high
personal character, but for his de>
voiion and the signal ability with
which he has stood for ten years in
the United States Senate in defence
Of Southern liberty aud rights un
der the Constitutions. We recall
the following words which he utter-
ed IL few days ago from his seat:
II propose to secure liberty only
under la \, aud | believe that man
best serves his country and the
cause of liberty who insists upon IL
constant observance of laws as the
only means by which, and under
which, liberty shall be maintained.
So it was in 1870 and 1871, when
on the floor of this chamber there
stood with ME Il scanty handful of
men, among whom, ever conspic-
uous, was my honored friend from
Ohio (Mr Thurman), that We stead
lastly opposed the enactment Of the
50 called enforcement laws, and
stood here by day and night. en-
deavoring by strenuous debate to
awaken the American people to IA
.ensc of the dangers contained in
such Legislation, and to make some
attempt, vain thought it should be,
To dISsuade the great party major
ity that enacted these laws. L lie
iievcd then that these laws were
arbitrary, that they violated the
spirit Of justice which laws must
contain in order to be useful and
respected. That they were violative
of those limitations upon Federal
power which the Constitution had
imposed | then eudpavored to
point out their capabillty for gross
abuse and Injustice, and all the
dangers that L then apprebended,
and the injustice and the IN schiet
which such laws would necessarily
cause, have been more than fulfilled
in what we have witnessed III the
last iouI Yeas.