The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-04-29
PORTSMOUTH, Va, April %, 1886.

years General Armstrong; private secre
tary there, writes for his State as follows:
PORTSMOUTH, Va, April %, 1886.
In his letter of acceptance, Mr. Cleve
land foreslradowed his policy. His declar
alton that public office is Il public trust,
joined with his pledge to execute it as
such and taken with the example which
he had given of the manner of executing
such trust, undoubtedly secured him the
election. 1t is difficult to say that he has
not tried and in large measure succeeded
in keeping his promise. The number of
disaffected Republicans who We're willing
to trust those promises rather than sup
port Mr.. Blaine, have been from their
standpoint, justified in their action.
In considering the present Admnistra-
ton, Mr.. Cleveland must be separated
from his party. He is not an every -day
Democrat by any means. He is a rara avis,
and his party in the South SO considers
him. The Republicans who have the good
of the country at heart are too keenly SEN
sible of his value to adjudge him bad be-
| cause he is as they think, found in bad
company. The position of the President
as contrasted with that of his party on the
civil service reform confirms this obser-
walton. The author of a civil service re-
| household was practically disowned by his
party The sentiment of leading Demo
Gratis is in opposition to the practical op-
Grafton of the law A prominent United
States Senator from the State just South
Of where l write, has recently offered a
bill to abolish it, and made an argument
! in advocacy of his measure. The feeling
against Mr.. Cleveland appears to be the
only real opposition he has had in eXecut-
| ing his trusts and the cause of most of his
mistakes.
The incoming of new Administration
representing a party which for nearly a
a quarter of a century was in continuous
opposition to the controlling power i'll the
gree of concern seldom, if ever, equalleC
in mere party change. The Importance
of the events and of the legislative enact
ments of that period readily account fol
the inordinate degree of interest shown
This interest undoubtedly existed to
more anxious degree in the South than il
| any other section. The great events an(
legislative changes above referred to NOR,
direcly affected Southern people To thu
master-class they had brought loss o
property, loss of power and certain ap
prehension; to the slave class they ha(
brought freedom, citizenship, propert.
| anu oOuCdClOu- 1uc Itlulu W POWSI "
the old party gave to one a prospect O
regaining their former authority in tn
general Government, and indirectly an in
crease of authority in local Government
while to the other it brought disappoint
ment, misapprehension and uncertainty
This was natural.
The colored people of the South are b,
political birth and education Republicans
Those who live among them and knoy
them believe that those of them who hav
adopted any other faith are too small il
number and too insignificant in inhuenc
to be taken into account The first feel
ing of large number of the less informe,
was that they might ultimately, if not i'm
mediately, be relegated to servitude. Blu
the advice of their own leaders and tn
assurance of the better class of white peo
Die to the contrary soon banished thes
needless fears, and they who had previ
ously regarded the prospect of a Demo
cratic President with fear, soon began t
regard the fact of his election with cool
ness and indifference.
N What effect the new Administration ha
y had tending to change their political view
soA us one of the questions more easily aske
le4han answered. There have been no cleo
f0 +