The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-17
TO THc g fEoPaE OF LOUISIANA.

TO THE fEOPlE Il OF LOUIsIANA.
t. New ORLEANS, Nov. 16, 1868.
The Campaign Committee, on behalf of the
Democratic party, cannot refrain from con-
graduating the people of Louisiana on the re-
suit of the recent election in this State, a
result which demonstrates beyond cavil, that
the actual State government exists in defiance
of the public opinion Of the community, and
that it could never have come into existence
except by the fraudulent or violent suppress
sion of the will of the people In view of
this result the attempt of the small faction
constituting the Republican party of Louis
lana to claim majority in the State, and to
attribute their decisive defeat to the use of
unlawful agencies by the Democratic party,
constitutes only another proof of their utter
recklessness of assertion, and their entire dis
regard of facts 1...o
In order that the country may judge OF the
truth, it is only necessary to point to the
vote and to recite briefly the events of the
canvass. In discharging this duty, the DEM
ocratic Campaign Committee will not enter
| into contest of assertion with the persons
who have SO grossly slandered the people of
| Louisiana in document purporting to be the
"Address of the Republican State Campaign
Committee, but will confne themselves to
statement of facts which are SO notorious
as to be indisputable, and which even the
most practiced and accomplished masters of
the art of perversion will not attempt to con-
trovert. We may, however, without violating
this rule, be permitted to state that the ac-
| count given in the Radical "Address of the
| effort made at an early period of the canvass
| to effect some arrangement for the purpose
| of averting collisions and disorders is en-
| tirely incorrect; and we meet the statement
of that "Address" by declaring that the
responsibility for the failure Of those negotia-
| tions rests entirely on the Republican
| committee. The fact that the Democratic
party, composed of the white population of
the city, and of voters accustomed to free
dom, and used to the exercise OF political
| rights, consented to a negotiation which in
volved the surrender of portion of the rights
which they had always enjoyed, showed the
length to which they were willing to go in Or
der to preserve the public peace; and it is
a conspicuous illustration of their moderation
that they made this concession at the demand
of faction composed of persons who, in the
language of the Radical Address" are sun
| accustomed to the duties and responsibilities
of citizenship" The effort failed, simply be-
cause the white leaders of the Radical party
declined to concede anything to the demands
of public opinion; because they persisted IN
maintaining a tone OF arrogant and dlctatorial
authority toward the Democratic party and
the people of New Orleans, evidently relying
ON their influence over the ignorant and ag
gressive masses of their party; and because
they exhibited the most determined dispose
ton to exert their usurped powers at the ex
pense of the inalienable rights of the people
of New Orleans, and in fragrant defiance O.
the wishes of the people of the State.
In reply, therefore, to the accusations OF the
Radical committee we charge that the Radi
cal leaders, whilst they knew that peace ant
order were desired by the Democratic party
during the canvass, were, on their own part
desirous of COLLISIONS and conflicts which
might serve as pretext for fresh calumniei
against the people of Louisiana, and which
might be made the basis of claim to th
, L
selves to be unable to carry at the ballot box
They assert that their power over the negroe
ia unlimited, and that the black voters vii
obev their commands without reflection AM
without protest. We admit the fact w
have had convincing proofs that many 0
these people, "unaccustomed as they are
| the duties and responsibilities of citizenship,
L - t,a whit a
their masters. We have seen them driven
: the polls like sheep, at one election, an
4 kept away from the polls at the next election
in obedience to commands issued from th
q q Radical Headquarters. And we maintain,
n a reasonable deduction from these admitte
6 facts. that the Radical leaders had the power
prevent the difficulties which occurred prior
0 the election, and that, failing to exercise th
power they are responsible for all the DISC
ders that took place. The accusation tn
the people of Louisiana view the negro
! with hostility or animosity is false. III
= charge that they have attempted any suppre
sr sion of the legal rights of any class is equal
]. false. The enemies OF the negroes are tho
who incite them to a struggle with the whi
:, people in which, whenever the latter addre
ID themselves seriously to the contest, the defe
in of the negroes, and the small faction whic
~ unhappily, attempts to control them, is
evitable.
nd The "Address" says that "oar color
(: K; citizens have sought" nothing more than 90
I'd exercise the rights bestowed on them
ng the laws and Constitution Of the Unit
IN IN States and of this State" But the "Addre
be omits TO state that some of these assum
st, rights have never been recognized, and
M never be recognized by the people of Loui
an ana, and that the attempt to enforce tn
's- "a. was the main cause of difficulty. The peo
nd of Louisiana never recognized the right
lso Congress to disfranchise portion OF our G
~. zens. They never recognized, as rig
en-, full exercise of authority, the infam'
perversion of the reconstruction laws
',v Az which nearly one-half of the white citiz