New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-08-27
GENERAL POPE,

General Pope to General Grant points out
in very clear and .forcible language the
| danger that is to be feared from the old
political leaders of the south, who have
learned nothing and forgotten nothing, and
who still cherish the hope Of regaining their
former influence over the minds of the peo-
| pie. This is theme that we have often
| dwelt upon in these columns, and all that
General Pope says in his last letter we
have said again and again, with all the
earnestness that the Importance of the sub
ject demands. 1t is not from the soldiers
of the late confederacy that the friends OF
the reconstruction of the south have any
thing to fear The nonsense has been
whipped out of them. in the sharp school OF
war they learned lessons that they will never
forget. But the old politicians of the south,
the men who brought on the war in the first
place, and who hid themselves in soft and
safe places while it was being waged, are as
dangerous now as they were seven years
ago, and no permanent peace will bless the
land until they are placed in position
where they can do no more mischief The text
upon which General Pope wrote the letter
we have alluded to, was a speech delivered
BY B. H. Hill, of Georgia, man recently
| pardoned by President Johnson, and who is
a fair type of the southern politicians who
are doing all in their power to impede and
prevent the work of reconstruction, and to
build up the reactionary party in the
south. We have many of this class of
men in New Orleans. and they are
far too plenty all over the south. They
are dangerous but when properly on our
guard against them we can render them
powerless 1t is fortunate that they have
already commenced to PROFOUND their
| theories, and to enunciate what they call
their principles. And here we may see
fresh illustration Of the good that always
attends the exercise of the privilege of free
| speech in a republican community. 1t
would be very easy to find in the speeches
and writings Of these anti-reconstruction
| politicians of the south, abundant cause
| for silencing them, In no other country in
the world. under the same circumstances,
would men guilty Of the blacklist treason
against the government, be permitted to
assail its acts, abuse its officers, and de-
nounce its measures. But here the widest
liberty Of speech and the press consistent
with law and the preservation Of the peace
is not only permitted but is encouraged.
The evil designs OF the reactionsts are
dangerous only so long as they are not
brought to light When thus uncovered and
displayed they will be quickly disowned and
repudiated by the people. "Vice is
creature of such hideous mien that to be
hated needs but to be SEEN" The preg
nant source of many Of the woes that have
befallen the south was the restriction that
was placed upon free speech and free
press in the old days of slavery. The ex
istence of slavery and the peculiar system
of politics that grew out of it, engendered
in the south sluggishness of mind and
body, and a disposition to assail by vio-
lence the right of opinion and discussion,
This mental and physical disease
is not wholly eradicated among the
whites of the south. There is little
doubt but that every Radical news
paper in the south would be sup
pressed by mob violence tomorrow, if the
fear of the military arm of the government
were removed. But, on the other hand,
the Radical party desire nothing more than
that the utmost freedom Of discussion
should prevail and it will be seen that
when the new civil governments Of the
southern states go into operation, admins
tered by the Republican masses, the same
freedom OF opinion and discussion will be
guaranteed to every citizen that is now
enjoyed under our military government
There is no bigotry in the mind of Radi-
cal Republican. He knows that he is
right of course and he is so firm in this
conviction that he is not only willing, but
anxious that his political adversaries should
have full freedom to attempt to prove that
he is wrong; satisfied that, as truth is
mighty and must prevail, the effect of all
such discussions must be to viEdicate the
soundness of his own faith, and to demon
strate the unsoundness of the theories OF
his opponents.
For these reasons we are always pleased
when southern politicians like B, H. Hill IN.
veil their feelings and declare their purpo-
SEES. General Pope expresses the same
idea when he says that no reconstruction
can be satisfactory, or at all reliable as to
future results, unless these men are per-
mitted to discuss openly and according to
their nature the issues presented. In this
state, and perhaps in all Of the states now
under military rule, it may be considered
certain that the work of reconstruction
will go forward without impeachment, in
the manner prescribed by congress,
until the. new constitutions have
been framed and adopted, and the new
civil governments set fairly in motion.
Until then the old politicians will wisely
keep themselves, for the most part, in the
background, although we must expect to
see their fingers occasionally thrust into
our pie while 1t is being baked by the new
cooks selected by the people. But no
sooner than this work is accomplished they
will be found laboring to regain their