Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-17
Advising the President.

It is alleged that the President is re-.
ceiving communications from various
Republican sources urging him to favor
in his message an amendment to the con-
stitution embOdying the substance of the
civil rights act lately declared uncOn-
stitutionaI. There will be an attempt
made. doubtless, in the next Congress to
have such an amendment submitted to the
States. but it Will be a very feeble at
tempt. There are few politicians
in different parts of the country VINO
think they can acquire prominence and,
perhaps. political position b. attempting
10 make the race question an issue In
politics. and they will petition Congress
in favor Of legislation in behalf OF
the negro. There may be few
Republican Congressman who will aid
them. but the number will be so small
that their efforts will hardly be deemed
worthy Of serious attention. About all
the leading Republican journals acuui-
esced in the decision which set aside the
civil rights act, and their comments
indicated that they wanted no more OF
that kind of legislation. 1t is not prOba-
ble that these journals or any consider
able portion of the Republican party will
insist upon legislation that can do neither
the negroes nor their party any good. 1t
NAV be accepted as certain that the Pres
ident VIII not venture upon such uncer-
tain ground. He is a candidate for the
Presidential nomination of his party, and
he is shrewd enough to see that he could
not commit a greater blunder than by de-
claring himself in favor Of such an I'M
popular measure. Notwithstanding the
declarations of fanatics and few extreme
politicians. it is fact that the late civil
rights decision gave about as much salts
faction i'm the North as in the South. The eff
fort in the North to getup indignation meet
ings and denOunce the decision was a
failure Ifthe President were so foolish
as to accept the advice Of his fanatical
advisers he would find himself without
much support in his own party. Thus
far his administration has been remarka-
blv successful. so far as retaining the
good Will Of his entire party is concerned.
He has made no enemies and aroused no
jealousIes. lie has adopted no policy cal
culated tg-Sduse dissensiOns in his party.
For this reason he has come to be regard
ed as about the most available Republic
can Presidential candidate. 1t is not rea-
s0nable to suppose that he will destroy
his Presidential prospects to crafty a
few men who, if they are not influenced
by selfish motives, are certainly not safe
advisers. The best interests of
the negroes require that there
should be no further legislation i'll
their behalf, and within year there will
not be any considerable number of them
who will desire such legislation. The
problem Of their future is to be worked
out without the aid of special legislation.
Before the law they stand on the same
footing as other citizens, and they will be
accorded all the rights which the law
gives to any citizen. They will rise much
more rapidly from their present condition
yearnestly endeavOring to prepare them
selves for the intelligent discharge of the
duties and enjoyment of the privileges of
citizenship than by depending upon the
Federal Government to right their imagi-
nary wrongs.