The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-27
These are Times to be Met--Not Followed, ,

world to "point moral" rather than as pcopl
who close enacted drama with an act of philosophy
heroism. The suggestions OF our own proud spirits
which could not realise how terribly the iconoclast
war had shattered its beautiful ideal-tlIs. not les
than the mistaken and oficous advice Of outsiders
made slow to hasten to entirest Submission an
: seek immediate reconciliation. We DELAYED fcedin
on the delusions of hope" We scorncd the syb
Of reconciliation, and day after day leaf of conces
sion was torn from her book till now we must buy til
: last leaf at price of pride and manliness to whic
the first was as nothing. We saw this at the outset
Manlncss recants error with heardeep sincerity, am
wisdom should not neglect such natural teaching. W
repeat it the saddes rerifcation of our prophecy
that delay went on conquerng the South when tn
sword left off-smoothing down little becose ebuli
tons here with strong hand, making there the
confirmed by plastic touch and everywhere spreading
doubt to the rghglness of the past and uncertainty
: as to the salvation of the future. The sword con
y quered the body-delay crushed out the soul We
have been as the criminal whom the Roman tribu
nal had pronounced its appalling rode in pacs-tht
impalpable darkness Of doubt was about u.s. and We
knew not-in what shape or from whence the Nemes:
Of vengeance would reach forth its taloned hand tc
clutch US. Individual hope unfxed, and energy
! undirected Public prosperity and improvements
langushed in this air of doubt and uncertainty and
the strong hand Of justice failed to assert its power in
the restraint punishment of crime. The " ex-
rebel States, since the close of the war; have pre-
sentcd the spectacle of people d,ting rather than
of people who in sort yet masters of their
own fate, and from the thistle of danger determined
to pluck the flower of peace.
In the language Of Governor McNutt, of Mississippi,
these times to be met-not followed" The
question is shall the of things to which we have
so briefly alluded 60 on? Shall we give rein to the
wanton feelings of the heart and bow to the Geser
cap of military GOV ernment till the last yestige of
manhood is botted out and no distinction left between
the of the South but that of color9 Shall we
not rather, seize the last SYPHILIS leaf act upon it, and
reOrganise State government in good faith? For
one, we say let the doubt end to-day and let Louisiana
be among the first to take the purgaon bitter as it
When the Hampton Roads conference met, the
South might have discussed terms ct reunion; when
General Lee surrendered, there was no civil govern
ment to ask concessions; but when Mr.. Davis was
captured the last reasonable hope to expect else than
the rictjs of the conqueror expired. Worsted
with a currency turned suddenly to fairy nothingness
system of labor suddenly destroyed and universal
want staring tho people in the face, it only wanted
delay to complete the saddest 'picture in the book
of time And to talk of resistance now Why, it !
than the bear-eyed idiocy of Lear-it would
be the madness of Nero.
There is no question propoundcd to the South |
The present Congress has given US two-horned |
thing called dilemma. Either horn is bad enough and
will gore US awtuy, but we must take We prefer
the State Government horn to the Military Government
horn The question of negro suffrage is settled for
irrevocaby, so no need accuse his neishbor of
being 'negro suffrage man." for none is more re-
sponsible for it than the is for the moon stealing
his light The of the people of the South have
yet the right to VOTE and it only remains for them to
say whether they will wanonly abuse and jeopardsc
that privilege, or whether they will it as to re-
tain it, ard make it useful to their friends and the
public veal If those who can take the oath will do
So the registration of Caddo parish and Of the State
at large will be greater than ever Every man must
consider himself dutybound to register himself if
he conscentiousy do Soft he can conscientously
say that the past is dead past to him, and that for
the future be will cherish the Union of these States
Men assure US they love that Being whom no mortal
has SEEM and may men yet scrupe to say they love
Unlon OF which they are an integral part and in the
direction of which they desire hand and voice. We
lsk to do violence to his conscience but we
njoin to qubbte in the name of patriotism, at q
ime-like this The right of the coored man to vote
ndefeasibe. We only ask to calmly ad nit the e
lct and phlosophically make tie most Of it. We p
l. +l,o++1 ,h cr+, IL. r
ates, aud that in the name Of duty every white man :
tho can will 90 to the polls and for them smother
ng the irksomenes OF the idea of voting side by side Il
18th who SO lately slave We ask them to Is
all they can, by act and word to incucate the truth
hat the white man Of the South is the black mans
est friend for in this way'w the social relations of
ne two races be most harmonious and reciprocal It
emains with the white race indeed to determine what
xent of concord shall exist between the races and y
C trust they will not be wanting in kindness and V
rudence sufficient to make the black contented d
land so suited to lis wants and which has such ~
asst uses for his great capital Of labor To do this,
very must ndoctrnate himself iato the new Or
er of things-enlarge his lbersy and tolerance of
oinon, and lend commencing appreciation to what
'cr adds to social progress and public prosperity %
make the best Of evils that grow bigger the more te
icy are petted II an iron post grew up from the al
ntre of the earth, should vote any man fool ca
no persisted in stubbing his against it. Aud is hi
at much better who needs eternally bark OF
shins by stumbling theirrevecable fact? When cl
e moon gives out, shall try to utilise starlight Gu
ID advise our friends to read Boetius and try to ~
ltvae philosophic spirit. The present state of pr
ings forces upon US some facts, which are stuck IN
0ng path like adamantiue me-stones and it be- ~
oves every to mark and inwardly digest We vi
e like Edpus of od-we must guess Alright the rid pc
e of our destiny or be deYoured. ar
Why not act COW? Why not at once take the i'll "a
'ient steps, and, registration can be
de, elect convention? We agree with the New
leans Picayune, that have ''erery motive for r
mediate action" for the longer we wait the more
erterence shall have from outside quarters If viz
suffer from universal suffrage" it will be our ST.
n fault for have the advantage Of knowing our ue
n and our ground. As the Commercial Bulletin. FIJI
} organ of the commercial men of New Orleans of
tly remarks "No halfway measures will suffice sur