New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-06-23
WHY TIE PEOPLE WANT RBOoNsTRUO-

Most of the attacks of the Copperhead
leaders and writers upon the Republican
party are more damaging to the assailants
than to the assailed. A case in point is an
article which recently appeared in the
Louisville Courier shortly after the acces-
sion of It's new editor to the control of that
paper. Being fresh from New Orleans, and
in the full confidence of the Democratic
party here, the writer naturally supposed
himself to be also acquainted with the Re-
publican leaders, and fully competent to
define their motives in advocating the
principles of the party. So he announces
to the credulous Kentuckians that the
chief reason why the Republicans of Lou
isiana were anxious for immediate recon-
struction Of the State, and unwilling to
wait until November fer the meeting of
the Legislature and the Inauguration of
State officers, was that the adventurers
and carpet-baggers could not wait so
long without the salaries attached to the
offices to which they had been elected.
Passing over the slur upon the character Of
gentlemen whom the people of Louisiana
have honored with their highest confidence,
we shall only consider the motives which
it is charged actuate them.
In Judging of the character and motives
of men who are unknown to US personally
we are very apt to judge them by the rules
which we deem applicable to "human ma
ture.' And nine times out of ten a writer
will complacenuy consider himself the
very highest type of his species, and pre-
sumo that as other men are also human
they are governed and controlled by the
same rules which would actuate him in a
like case. And as the writer of the article
in que stion is Democrat of the straitest
sect, and like all other Democrats that ever
lived i'm bued with but one leading desire,
namely: to hold office-he naturally fell
into the error of supposing that the Repub-
lieans of Louisiana were no better than
himself and his political friends. This is
a very serious error, but it is not the first
that is recorded against the gentleman.
1t would be no doubt difficult to- con-
vince any dyed-in-the-woo Democrat that
there is a political organization in this
State engaged in the propagation of ideas
and in the accomplishment of practical
results calculated to benefit the whole peo-
pie of the State, and that the success of
these principles is an object near to the
heart of every member of that party. Re
cent political events have brought the
time for realization Of hopes long enter
tanned comparatively near to US. Hence
the disposition manifested by General Blu
chanan to postpone this good time till after
the first of November meets with marked
disapproval from the people Of the
State. The number OF gentlemen personally
interested in the result to the extent of the
salaries Of the offices to which they have
been chosen is very small and bears no
proportion to the army Of eighty or ninety
thousand loyal voters throughout the State.
Aud the fact that they are Republicans of
tried character is a sufficient guarantee
that they are not controlled by the sordid
motives attributed to them by our late
!guest," who no doubt thought he was esti-
mating them according to the approved
rules of human nature"
The Republicans of Louisiana have a
great mission to perform. and we hope to
live long enough to see it accomplished.
We hope to See enterprise and industry
the rule, and not the exception in
the South. We hope to see system of
liberal education adopted in every parish
in the State, the spirit of class broken up, and
every man valued exactly according to his
real worth. We need laws, and officers
who will enforce them, that will rigidly
punish all evil-doers, and protect the in
dividual rights Of the poor as well as the
rich. As the need for most Of these reforms
is pressing the people naturally cbafe when
told they must wait until after the first of
November before they can begin. 1t is not
that they are anxious about few months
salary of their friends, but they are i'm
patient for thc accomplishment Of Ii the great
results for which our brethren Of the North
have fought and for which our loyal people
have so long suffered.