National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-02-11
THE STRONG MAN.
His Administrator in tho sout
, Ms Ed!Ior Of The National Repnblicml !:

10 WS Ed'tOr OF IH6 NUltOPW hepWONcuH'
SIR: "The Record OF Eight Years Under
Grant" (which Crisleld Johnson, of East Aurora,
n. Y. has given TO tho readers OF the New York
Tribune, makes fearful story of Southern
barbarity. Let one peruse the pages Of the
wonderful book called "a FOOLS Errand" and
then take up this Record" by way of dessert
to the grim feast, or confirmation TO u tale
that Northern ears have been slow to believe,
and if ones breath is not quite taken away,
we are sure II will bo considerably quickened.
Yes, with Crishcld johnson tho Southern
Republican must acknowledge that the
"strong man" did not qucll or crush tho n-
fernal spirit of barbarity left from the nsti-
tuition that was the SUN of all villanics."
But in saying this about Grant, let us hon
estly ask il we have man among tho Presi'
dcntial candidates who wouId do any bcttor? !?
If Carl Schuiz is to be credited, Sherman
agreed with him In making 1t sine qua non
il he remained in Hayes Cabinet, that
"Chamberlain and Packed were to be thrown
overheard" ;" as he expressed 1t. The mon who
,. ny IA sgsraps for weeks that they might
vote for Chamberlain ana fackard-and
Hayes l-are not likely to think sherman
would be tho strong man to protect them
Every one knows that when conventions
met In the autumn, after the Hayes policy was
inaugurated, that Blaine went into the Maine
convention and used his whole personal in
lluence to keep the Southern question away
from all comment or resolution by tho people
thero gathered. Stalwart editors were hushcd
and the election came on to result i'll defeat
as much deserved as ever q defeat could be de-
served through deserton Of principle.
There WAS ono man in New York who ut
tered brave words at that very time-words
that seem to indicate that he is Il strong man,
for he spoke them when, Of all the press of the
country, there was scarcely one that did not
counsel acquiesccnce in the Hayes policy WHOM
even the New York Tribune omitted tho Sta)wart
part in printing his speech, aud tho New York
Times copied only to condemn it, But this
man says ho will not be a candidate for the
Presidency, aud Southern Republicans are
forced to turn again to Grant, even though ho
falls far short of what they would have. Many
of them won't believe that he ever told White,
Of Cornell or any other man, that he "ap'
proved the Hayes policy" or that he has told
| the Southern people lately that they were mot
| to blame" for the atrocities committed since
the war. They remember his hot letter of in.
| dignation sout to Congress after tho news OF
! the Hamburg massacre. God in Heaven"
| ho wrote, ''only knows when these things will
cease" They believe Grants heart is right,
and they think he is more likely than any
other man to act from his heart, and that when
he yields to public opinion he yields less
than other Presidential candidates would.
We have been told that the negroes will not
incur the risk of trying to vote again for
| President, unless Grant should be the candi'
date-that for him they will go to the polls
though danger and death confront them. We
can believe this and vet we know that their
votes will not effect the issue in any way.
They may have 10000 majority in State, all
given for Grant, yet no electoral vote will be
chosen by them So it will not be strange if
their choice in the National Convention should
have little weight, except with such Northern
fools" as may, perhaps, have read Tho Fools
Erand )" and begin to have an awakened con-
soiouco upon the subject Of their needs and
| their rights,
Ono word more to CrisGold johnson abou
what the "strong man did or did not do lie
did send troops to South Carolina during the
campaign Of 1876. weak President would
not have done so. Torrents of abuse were
poured out upon both him and Governor
Chamberain-the ono for sending, and the
other for asking. Yet the sending of those
troops saved many lives. II saved the State,
| too for Hayes At one time sixty or seventy
negroes were hidden IN swamp, and tho
white ridors had surrounded 1t. Certain death
awaited them, and the preparations for
slaughter were nearly complete when in the
distance single company Of United States
cavalry were seen approaching. To the ne
groes that company was life, deliveranco and
safety; to the rebels il was hindrance, and
power to which they thought IL prudent to
Weld, and thoy SUNK away. Does one Won
der that the poor darkieS in their wild Joy fell
on their knees aud embraced evon the legs OF
the horses that had come between them and
death? II, e. l.
| WAsuTNGToN February g. 1880