The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-23
:
A RADICAL FORGERY.

1t is an old saying that ga lie well stuck to
is as good as the truth"-a maxim which the
Radicals have been so accustomed to regard
lie much better than the truth. In fact, the
conscience of the Radical party has become
SO scared and distorted by the habit of falsi-
fcation, and by persistent violations OF all
kinds of law, that it is no longer capable OF
distinguishing the true from the false. If
ever there was clear case of lucus non
lacendo, it is that of the Republican party in
assuming the name which it disgraces. If
ever the Hegelgian doctrine of the identity Of
contraries can be practically illustrated, it is
in the professions and practice of the Radicals.
The "party of progress" returning to all the
exploded dogmas of past age; the "party OF
liberty" suppressing all the guarantees OF
freedom and establishing ruthless military
despotisms in ten States; the party of NOR
atty Z" deliberately contrivingzfalsehoods and
publishing bare-faced forgeries to discredit
its political opponents, almost compel one to
believe.that Hegel was not so far wrong, after
all, when he declared that "to be" and "not
to be" are equal and the same.
The Radicals have displayed remarkable
talent during the last three years in the in
vention of facts and the continuance Of false
hoods, but they have surpassed all their
previous achievements in a recent forgery OF
a pass.oA nurnortino to be extracted fre-"
General Blair's speech IN St Louis. The
following is the language attributed to him:
Tho point TO which desire to bring you is this,
II in this struggle we have everything at stake
that it is the final and last struggle for the preser
,ahon of free constitutional government IN
America that If we fail ia Il the republic falls
with us; il becomes a mere appendage OF the
military chieftain who Is lifted to power in the
name of the president. but who never will leave
the presidential mansion alive.
Upon which, with due parade of suggestive
italics and copiousness of startling headings,
the Radical organs proclaim to the astonished
country that Gen. Blair has predicted the
assassination of Gen. Grant, when that fated
candidate finds himself in the presidential
mansion. 1t is of no sort of consequence that
in making this assertion they are forced either
to accuse Gen. Blair of unparalleled idiocy,
or to assume that their readers are more
asinine than Dogberry; it is of no conse.
quence that it is impossible for Gen. Blair to
have said such thing, and equally impossi-
BILE for any sane person to believe that he said
it; the opportunity for fslsehood was too
tempting to be rejected. And so Gen. Blair,
who was at first charged with latent design
to assassinate Gov. Seymour, In case of the
success of the Democracy in the approaching
election, is now accused of publicly pro-
claimed intention to become the Rlvaillac
of General Grant. But, of course, General
Blair never said that which the Radical
papers attribute to him-of course he never
said anything like it. What he really said is
contained in the following genuine extract
from his speech:
The point 10 which desire to bring you is this.
b at ~ s1s ssrugge we nave every.n,hs stake
ton Of free constitutional government in America
that II we fail In 1t the republic falls with u.s. 1t
tain who is elevated 10 mower in the name Of the
presidency. But be win never leave the presiden-
ss1 as'ains, h 10 aa nova M ~
derogating from his great merits as soldier. and
nave no oes,re 20 .a.nsh sny oi ans isSrels when
during the late war. But have lust as little de.
ct nd ahso,ats into the hsas
made bis name in this great war.
1t will thus be seen that instead of the fero-
cious threat of which he is accused. General
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