Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1866-08-15
The New York Post on the New Orleans
Massacre.

The N. Y. Post, moderate Republican journal
and heretofore very partial to the President, de-
nounces the New Orleans massacre, and declare
openly for colored uhrage says
1--WE shall discuss the convention question an.
other time, and will only now say that the loyalists
of Louisiana are by this time, probably, convinced
that they ought to have taken Mr. Lincoln advice
in 1864, and established impartial suffrage. They
have probably discovered what will yet be demon.
trated to the loyaists in every Southern State and
to the whole country, that the love of Union, The
hatred for rebellion, is found chiefly among the Ia
boring class, and that while white suffrage may
give the majority in every Southern State to the
lawless and rebelous politicians impartial sufrag
will show large majority of the people everywhere
to be in favor of Union, law and liberty.
"Mr. Lincoln wrote on the 18th of March, 1864,
to Governor Hahn, suggesting the wisdom of equal
suffrage. Here is his letter
"ExEcUTIFE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, March l3, 1864. I
Hon. Michael Hahn: MY DEAR SIR: l con.
graduate you on having fixed your name in his
tory as the first Free-State Governor in Louisiana
among other things, will probably define the cleo
tive franchise. barely suggest, for your private
consideration Uetter Of the coLored people may
not be let IN as for instance the very intelligent and
especially those aCho haze fought gaILar,tIy our
ranks. They sOomid probably help, IN some trying
time TO come to keep the ewe Of liberty in the tGnsi-
Lyof freedom. But this is only suggestion, not to
the public but to you alone.
Truly yours,
A. LINCOLN"
But the convention had got no further yet than
the foolish doctrine that this is "a white mans gov
ernment" they saw themselves sustained By the
general government, and probably imagined that
they could always call upon that; and they threw
away their great opportunity. The New Orleans
Tribune speaking Of the attempt to reorganize Lou
isians, says:
General Banks, when he called forth the cleo
ton Of 1864 had in his power the electing of the
conventoners by the generality of the people. He
went to the white men only. Governor Hahn had
for several months an opportunity to enlarge the
electoral franchise by only making public President
Lincolns letter, and calling together the Leg sa-
ture, or even the convention. He chose to secrete
the letter in his pocket. Selfgovernment, in the
true sense of the word was thus denied to Louisi-
ana"
There were 1t seems, twenty-four thousand ex-
rebel votsrs-nineteen thousand colored voters and
five thousand loyal Or as they are called, Radical
voters, in Louisiana, at election where all voted
This shows that the two parties are in reality pretty
ev emily balanced in the State if only impartial suf
frage prevailed. The colored men Of Louisiana
have among them much property and intelligence.
Those in New Orleans own fifteen millions dollars
worth of property.
The white loyalists of Louisiana have allowed
their preudices to get the better of their common
far to exclude these people, their natural
and indispensable allies, from the suffrage.
As fo- the tale Of a crowd Of negroes armed and
marching through the streets-everybody in wolf
land knows that it is the sheep who are constantly
in the habit of erociousy attacking the peaceable
and innocent wolves. 1t is scarcely worth while
to send such idle tales by telegraph. The blacks
are not likely to attack anybody-not even when
they are themselves first attacked, it seems for we
do not hear of any rioters being killed We advise
the colored men of New Orleans and OF the South
generally to defend themselves when ruffans at
tack them, and to take life for life and limb for
limb. That is the best way for them to secure res
pect Tor themselves, in a community which elects
Monroe its mayor. They are numerous eneugh;let
them striok back, once, and strike hard. The cow
ardly wretches who deny justice to men because
they are black, will leave them alone when they find
that their victims know how to protect themselves
Lieutenant General Sherman gave the speech
making President sharp thrust the other night in
Washington. In response to serenade he appear
ed on the balcony and spoke as follows;
MY fellow-citizens, / thank you for this compli-
ment, although l do not intend TO make you a
speech. ! have been told that the less man says
in Washington the more he is thought Of. Great
laughter I am stranger among you and shall
depart tomorrow for St. Louis, where / shall be
happy to have you call on me, or on the plains,
where soon expect to be. A man is his own best
friend when he don't makes speeches. now bid