Year: 1877


The Presidents Southern
PoIicy-Let Us Have Peace.


Fears are expressed by some Re
publicans, that the Presidents South
ern policy will work harm to the in
terests of the colored people Of the
South. On the contrary we hope
and believe it will result in their be-
ing better treated in every way by
the white people, and this we have
no doubt is the expectation of the
President himself.


The Presidents course in with
drawing the Q. S. troops from S.
Carolina and Louisiana, thus leav
ing the white people of those States
to support the government of their
choice, appeals strongly to their
sense of honor and justice, and they
have pledged themselves in the most
solemn and public manner, to re-
spect all the rights Of their colOred
fellow citizens, and promote by all
means in their power, peace and
harmony between the two races.
Wade Hampton's letter to the Pres
ident, written before leaving Wash
ington on his return to S. Carolina,
in which he s1lemply and unreserve6-
ly pledged himself to see that the
colored people Of his State shall lie
protected in the full exercise of all
their rights, and Gov. Nichols proc
lamation to the people of Louisiana,
together with the resolutions passed
by the Nichols Legislature before
the recent withdrawal of the .. S.
troops by the President, should be
taken as guarantees for the good
conduct of the white population in
both States, to which they will be
strictly held by the people of the
North.


Should these promises of good
behavior be violated, and the colored
people again be subjected to violence
and i'll usage by the whites, without
receiving protection from the State
authorities, then it will become the
duty of the President to interfere at
once, and protect them with all the
power of the National government.
Those who know President Hayes
have not the slightest doubt that IN
der such circumstances, he would
not hesitate a moment to send .. S.
troops to restore peace and order in
the South, and afford protection to
the colored race. And be would be
justified in so doing by all good citi-
zens-even by many who have hith-
erto been opposed to the use of ma
tionaI soldiers for that purpose; be-
cause, if the white people Of the
South should thus prove faithless to
their solemn pledges, and betray the
confidence reposed in them by the
President, every fair minded man
would say they deserved nothing but
severe treatment, and would have no
right to complain of military rule.


We are satisfied that the President
is merely trying the experiment of
kindness and Cancellation towards
the Southern people, to see whether
it will not work better than the plan
hitherto pursued, and which has
been attended with such poor sue
cess. If his policy will only restore
peace and harmony between the two
races in the South, and bring the
white population once more into
true loyalty to the Union, it will be
a grand achievement, and the result
will be hailed with Joy by the people
of all sections.


Such a result, we earnestly hope
and believe, will be accomplished, if
/ the people Of the South honestly
and faithfully fulfill their promises to
the President, and if his conciliatOry
policy is. thus crowned with success,
he will justly deserve the highest
praise for having the wisdom to con-
ceive and the frmness to carry it out
despite the doubts''and fears of some,
and the opposition and even bitter
denunciation of others, of his own
party.


On the other hand, should his pol
icy fail, through the bad faith Of the


Southern people, on them alone


should rest all the blame, and not


upon the President, who, as all must


admit, is actuated solely by the
purest and most patriotic motives,
I,DI bv, IN oo,,erf oyd piDooro 10