Year: 1877

said not long ago that there was no
special reason for praising Hayes, be-
cause, forsooth, the President had only
done his duty. And in these simple
words the Banner pronounced upon
the country's chief magistrate the most
fulsome panegyric. Now the Banner
again comes before the country and
unwittingly enables US to measure its
patriotism as involved In Its partisan
ship. The Banner is informed that Mr..
Hayes will give no more offices to
Democrats, and that those people who
have lauded the President and COM
mended his patriotic deeds must now
be silent. These good Southern men
can have no share in public plunder
and Hayes can have no special friends
or admirers in the South, and the dis
solution of Democracy in the South is
impossible. Such is the general idea
evolved by our excellent contemporary.
What signifies it, if Hayes put honest
and capable men IN office, whether
these be Democrats or Republicans.
We want mainly an honest administra-
tion of public affairs, and this can be
secured as certainly at the hands of Re-
publicans as of Democrats. The rela-
tive number of knaves in parties, as in
States, is about the same, in the ranks
of Democracy as of Republlcapism.
So true is this that people have said,
since Republicans are surfeited by over
indulgence through seventeen years in
theft, that it were wiser to endure their
appeased nervousness than that of
a fresh swarm of starving flies. But
this is gross injustice to the Depo


Gratis. None of them had prepared
petitions for soft things addressed to
Tilden. Democrats don't hunger and
thirst after the deshpots of Egypt and
Democrats are wholly patriotic. But
if this were true what does the Banner.
mean when it says that Hayes will
hereafter honor none besides Republi- :
cans, and he can have no admirers
among Democrsts2 Does the respect
and admiration which a Democrat may
tender to a president of the United
States depend upon the number and
dignity of offices distributed among
Democrats9 Buy their praise and
fealty, Mr.. President. 1t is for sale.
Such is the natural and necessary in
ference from the Banners statements.
Surely our contemporary does not
mean what it says and surely there are
few honest men in Texas who care
what may be the political history of
Federal placeholders if these be honest
and capable. If Mr.. Hayes will stand
by US while we are recovering from the
reign of carpet-baggers; If he will see
that we are taxed equally, neither
more nor less, in proportion to wealth,
than New England; if he will give US
the freedom of the seas and make the
Mississippi part and parcel of the
ocean; if hei will exert his influence
that Texas may not be unequally bur-
dened by the Texas and Pacific
Railroad Company; if he do these
things, and deal generously with
populations of the South exasperated
against strangers because we have
been victimized by carpet-baggers and
bummers invested with Southern of
fees, because not decent enough to re-
side in Intelligent Northern dommuni-
ties-if the President do these things,
what reck the people if he do assign
honest Republicans, instead of honest
Democrats, to officei


But isn't it pity that intelligent
editors absolutely measure the worth
and patriotism and devotion of presi-
dent, not by his acts affecting the re-
lations OF the States to one another
and to the Union, not by his acts of
administration, not ty his admirable
State papers, but by his resorting to
one or another party for appointees to
Office. Has not the patriotic sense
been feartully dulled when President
Hayes is deemed wise and great not
because he executes the country's laws
faithfully, but because he does or does
not invest men of his own modes Of
thinking with oficsl Mr.. Hayes shosld
parcel out Offices among good men and
ameng Southern men like Key, but il
the President do not and still give the
country . wise and patriotic govern