Daily Republican., 1879-05-13
Tho PresiAen Firm.


hs knuckled two years ago when he
withdrew the troops from South caro-
lima and Louisiana, and they expected
tn make him knuckl- still more in COM
pelling him to sign the d-testahle par
tisan bills that the rebels want put
through to enable them to carry tho
next election by fraud and violence.
To one gentleman the President Is re-
ported as having said in substance that
be did not think the time had come
vet when it was necessary to repeal
the laws for the protection of the citi-
zens, and the preservation of the life OF
the republic, signed byeWashington
and passed by the fathers. There are
none but the most bigoted who will not
admit that this is sound logic in the
face of recent events which have tran
spired in the South. Had that section
,.of the country carried ont the promises
of the Constitution and have encouraged
all classes of citizens in the exercise OF
the elective franchise without molesta-
ton by bulldozers, rifle clubs and white
leagues, then it would have been full
time to have asked the repeal of these
laws they so much complain Of. Dis
band the rufian hordes of the South
who were never organized for any
other purpose than to intimidate Re-
publicans, and this will be accepted as
an earnest that the South means to see
justice done.
This, however, can hardly be expect
ed under the present situation, for If
free and fair election was held it would
retire rebel trigadiers and Colonels from
the halls of Congress to private life, and
their seats would be filed by Republi-
cans, Senator Chandler knew and the
Southern Senators all knew that he
was telling the truth when he stated
that there were dozen Senator'S from
the South who held their seats by the
most unblushing frauds. 1t is we'll
known that North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi
and Louisiana each have an undoubted
Republican majority, several of them
as high as 25 900 if a fair election was
held, and yet there is not Republican
in the House Of Representatives from
those States, and only two Republicans
in the Senate, who would not be allow
ed to be elected now if an election was
20 be held. Under these circumstances
it Is poor time for binding the arms
of that power which alone can be used
by the President in the preservation Of
order.
We are glad indeed to find that the
President will not surrender anymore
and that no amount of clustering and
empty vaporing by the ex-rebel Con-
gress can scare him. A gentleman with
whom the President has conversed
says: "The Southern people do not
know the President. They do not un-
1erstand him. They have thought
that he was all peace and reconciliation
and would surrender on every point
They are mistaken in him. They dc
not know that on all issues growing
out of the war, he is radical and stal
wart as any Republican in Congress
and that he will surrender nothing o
the results of that contest, 80 far as j
is possible for him to prevent it. tel
YOU the Southern men do not under
stand the President, and to day hi
back is full OF porcupine quills. H
will not be coerced." This wonderful
tirmness of the President has had
soothing effect upon the Democrats
They passed the appropriation biI
with a great deal Of Southern planta
ton swagger, and if the President di
not sign the bill the army was to die
The ex-rebel Generals howled an
ragei and brought the cringing doug
faces of the north to their feet in a SUI
p'icating attitude.
In vain did the latter appeal to thri
masters to forbear, that while this thin
might be fun to them it was death
them (the doughfac4e.) There was Il
let up however, and with d solid Sout
and solid Democratic party, held
its place by caucus dictation the part
rushes on to the ruin that Is awaitin
it. with indecent haste the bill vii
true Southern insolence is laid b-fo
the President with all air of ''veto it
YOU dare" But the President did We
it though and he did it with such vi
that it to,k all the bluster out of IL
Confederate Army Generals, and
place Of getting mad about it they CO..
cluded to change front and try anoth
bill of the soothing syrup order. I'll
President they found couldn't be "bul
dozed," and chan 5e Of front beca'I
necessary. Beck, Chalmers, Hill al
other Southern sky rockets step to II
rear, and Connecticut Eaton for WHO
there is no chance of reelection.