Year: 1877

The DUTY OF THE HOUR. /


Mr.. Hayes has now filed the position
to which the suffrages Of the people called /
him something more than two months. /
In that period he has succeeded in dis
posing of the Southern question TO the
satisfaction of the Southern Democrats,
but by no means TO the satisfaction of his
party friends in that section. Nor can it
be said that it has been done in manner
satisfactory to the Republicans of the
North. For TO them it is evident that
there has been n great surrender of prin-
cplc, upon the score of expediency that
the rifle clubs Of Wade Hampton and
the bull-dosers of Louisiana were not
organized in vain. And this feeling
finds expression flom some of the oldest
and staunchest Republicans we have,
while, at the same time those who are
inclined to hope the most from Mr..
Hayes effort to restore the ''era Of good
feeling cannot help recognizing the fact
that the experiment Is II most dangerous
one and one which can only be fully just
fled by its complete success.


We presume it will not be questioned
but the people of the nation, North as
well as South are anxious for the restora-
ton of peace and good government in
every part of the Union. That to secure
this era Of peace and harmony they are
willing to make concessions, and that
the only vital question to be considered
is to what extent these concessions should


go. And if this feeling be truly recip-
Tocal one, one where each side is ready to
yield cherished ideas for the sake Of
peace and good will, the way to such res
toration would seem TO be plain enough.
But in the present instance, it seems that
all the concessions have come from the
North, the only thing which Democrats
can point to as being given up in turn, is
the fact that Northern Republicans are
graciously permitted to live on Southern
soil. We are triumphantly told that
Packard, notwithstanding his attempted
usurpation still dwells in safety in the
hostile city Of New Orleans. 1t certainly
does not look as if the first fruits Of the
new policy Of concilation were such as to
give abundant promise ms to the future.


Yet we hold TO one thing in reference to
( the policy Of Mr.. Hayes, and that is the
/ 4 1t,t, -, 81, /


elevation to give it fair trial before it
i: condemned. We have had our ears
assailed with cries ofthe evils ofcarpet bag
government, of the "peace" which pre-


vailed in those States in which the Dem.


ocratic party had control, until large


class of people really believed that much


OF the trouble really arose in consequence


Of bad local government, instead Of being
| due to the efforts Of the minority to Sc
| cure by violence what was lost by the
/ ballot box. Now this source ofcomplaint


is stopped there is not a State Of the


South but is under the government which


its people claim as the true one. II the


civil and political rights of all people are


rs well recognized and protected under


the new regime as under the old, we can


have no just cause Of complaint. IN 9TH


er States whore the Democrats obtained


control they have not been, and this leads


us to fear that the same results VIII fol-
/ low now.


| No good can come to Southern Repub-
| licans or to the negroes by factious OPP


position to the policy Of President Hayes


at the present time. The olive branch
/ has been extended and we must wait and


see II it be accepted in good faith. At
/ the present time it looks like an abandon


ment of the Southern Republicans white


and black, to the tender mercies Of their
/ White League enemies. But if this be
! the expectation Of the triumphant De


mocracy they will be taught their mis-


take. The duty OF the hour is for all


men to stand by the President in his pol


icy of cancellation however much they
may distrust and disapprove it, until it is


proven to be failure. And if it so


prove, the Republicans of the nation will


be equal to the emergency,