New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-05-17
THE REPUBLICAN, IND ITS DUTIES

" 1AatiIl-hbi lt4-ll-ss
THE REPUBLICAN, AND IT'S DUTIES.
| The work TO be performed by the New
| ORLEANS REPUBLICAN may be said 10 BEGIN
where that Of the Union army left off. The
| officers and soldiers under Generals Butler
and Banks were sent here to teach the evil
/ disposed persons of this State to respect the
| power of the United States government
They succeeded in accomplishing this; but
! it required severe labors on the march, in
the camp, and in the field. Many of the
| members Of the Army Of the Gulf were in.
! telligent New England men, who saw while
they were here that it was not
! force alone that was required to
bring Louisiana back to the proper under.
/ standing and performance Of her duties,
not only in respect to the federal govern.
| mcnt, but to her own citizens. This State
has never yet, during her whole history,
/ been Just TO all her people The political
/ power has been welded entirely by few
men, many Of the lower order of whites not
| having anything further to do than to ratify
| at the polls the nominations made at the
| state conventions, at which, as is well
known, no man except a Shareholder, or the
spbseryicut tool Of one had the slightest
influence. The elections, therefore, were
merely held for the purpose of registering
the DEGREES Of the lords Of slaves, white
and black. The people for more than
thirty years, had been trained 10 this
system, aud few, if any, ever yentured to
suggest the propriety Of thinking for them.
selves for it has always been here as it is
charged as having been in Connecticut
about one hundred years ago, when the
council formally resolved that every man
had right to express his opinions freely
provided they were on the right side.
This unnatural condition Of affairs culmi.
mated in "a stupendous war, in which the
brave sons of New England took leading
part and contributed to bring to
glorious issue. Their duties were of
course necessarily, to a great extent,
physical, although moral training was
not lost sight Of. General Butler revived
and General Banks continued the common
schools: and threw around the teachers the
safeguard Of the military. Both Of these
wise and far seeing officers gave encourage
ment to the loyal press. The result was
that for two years loyalty was respectable;
law and order were the rule, with few O., no
EXCEPTIONS a healthy public sentiment was
appa. ent everywhere, and the prospect was
really cheering for Louisiana to become as
" loyal as Massachusetts," as was at one
time announced by a distinguished gentle /
man in Boston.
But the withdrawal Of the New England |
troops at the close of the war, and the return |
Of thousands of men from the "Confcderacy' |
checked the progress of the good work and |
threw US back to a condition almost as de- |
plorablc as that which existed in 1852.
1t is the mission of the REPUBLICAN to |
bring this great State up to the high stand |
ard of loyalty to the union, and love of |
justice which our northern friends desire
to sec established here. We have to take |
up the work where the army left off. The |
sword has accomplished all that was re.
luired Of it, and now the pen must engage
N the closing conflict. For there is still a
determined struggle kept up by the enemies
to liberty. Some of the old prejudices still
exist. A commercial war has been waged
here for years, and is now eliminating in
the bankruptcy and failure of scores of
firms that have always been considered
solid. One Of the largest banks
in the city has just closed its doors on de
positors who have entrusted 1t with mil
ious Of dollars. No one knows what per
,entage he will ever receive. The accounts
rom Washington are not encouraging. The
people in the country are TO a great extent
impoverished, and their fertile acres under
vatar. The causes that led to these disasters
lecd not be pointed out here.
But it is the peculiar mission of the RE.
'UBLIcAN to cultivate feeling of loye for
aw and order, for liberty justice, and equal
lights. To teach the freedmen the duties of
and his late oppressor the obliga
ions belonging to his changed condition.
This is stupendous work, requiring CAPT.
al, intellect, energy, and patience. We
hall Go all in our power, and hope to sue
,eed. But we require all the assistance we
,stH ODlulH. Out iIltnd5 III lut NOTLl can |
i'd us materially al comparatively small
.ost to themselves, and we feel con.
'inced that they are willing to do SO
the case is fairly stated to them.
The affairs OF this State are matters of
-reat interest to every member of that
glorious army that helped to vindi-
ate the integrity of the Union here He
will find in the REPUBLICAN a faithful
,hronieier. The Boston merchant will find
his profitable field for the investment of
lis capital. Our advertising columns af
ord him every facility for introducing him
elf TO the Southern public. By availing
themselves Of the opportunities we offer,
,ur Northern friends can assist us in the
.reat work we have undertaken, and at the
anne time promote their individual
interests. The question is, win you do it
PILOT MoNTAGUE's BoDy.--A dispatch from
,aton Rouge informs us that Mrs. Thos. H..
fontapue widow of the heroic pilot of the