Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-11
Respite in Arkansas

The ominouS trend of events in Little
Rock has taken turn for the better,
and this is something that will be well
coined by all sensible people. For vio-
lence, feeding upon violence, has been
spreading in the South, and the very
process of education itself has been
jeopardized,, not only in Little Rock but
in several other cities as well.
AS matters stand in the Arkansas
capital, the Federal Government, acting
at the request of Judge Ronald N. Davies,
has brought suit for an injunction to
restrain Governor Faubus and his mill
tary aides from obstructing the inte-
grafton Of Central High School. The
Governor, emerging from his guarded
residence, has accepted service in the
case, which means, presumably, that the
issue will be tried before Judge Davies
a week from Friday.
The practical effect of this is to set
the stage for court test of the validity
OF the Governors stated reasons for
using the National Guard to bar Negroes
from the school. 1t probably will not
bring about test of the constitutional
powers of the Governor as against those
OF the Federal administration and the
Federal courts, for Mr.. FaubuS saws he
does not dispute the power of the Fed
eral courts to compel indignation in the
schools of Arkansas
One would like to think that this
turn of events foreShadowS a harmoni-
Gus settlement of the Little Rock dis
pute, and we hope that this will be the
case. But it may not, for much depends
upon what Governor FaubuS has been
trying to accomplish and what he will
DO in the future. If he is looking for a
way out of an impossible situation. this
court action gives him an excellent OBJ
portunity to extricate himself It is
conceivable, however, that he is not
looking for way out-that he merely
wants to shift the burden of RESPONSE
bility from himself to the Federal courts.
From the beginning, the Governor
has insisted that serious threat of
disorder and violence required him to
use the Guard to bar Negroes from the
school. If this is fact, he has acted
within his rights as Governor. If it is
not fact, then he has exceeded his
authority
As practical matter, Judge Davies.
II he is to order the Governor to with
draw the Guard and permit the Negroes
to enroll, will have to substitute his
judgment for that Of Mr. FaubuS with
respect to possible violence. And by the
same token, If violence results, the re-
sponsibility will rest on the Judge, and
Governor Faubus will be in an I-told-
you-so position. OF course, as we see it,
the Governor would still have a duty to
use the Guard to maintain order. But
If, in event of violence, he should revert
to his original position that order could
be restored only by closing the school to
colored students, the court would find
itself in very difficult situation.
There is nothing to be gained now,
however, by borrowing or anticipating
trouble. The situation can be worked
out If the people of Little Rock, or most
of them, will support the court and their
own school officials. In any event, the
problem is back in the courts, where it
belongs, and this is something to be
grateful for on day which also saw the
President signing bill to commemorate
the Tooth anniversary of the beginning
Of the Civil War.