The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-06-27
Bureau for the Fabrication of
Negro Votes,
From the National Intellipencer

$. or more properly a machine for Il
~ manufacture of negro votes, has been @,
Is tended for another. year from the l6t
t. of July. It will be remembcre tn;
:. General Howard, who has had the prof
e able direction of this vast political age,
n cy, and has been the richly endowe
$ BENEFICIARY of its large emolutions an
r perquisites, recommended in his las
a report that it should be closed at tn
: end OF the term to which Congress ha
then burthened the taxpayers with thi
iniquitous load. Even lie could see n
further pretext for upholding SO costl,
, and unnecessary an organization at tn
, public expense. 1t did not require mucl
time, however, for him to change hi
mind, or to repent of his hasty advice
if it was ever seriously given. Massa
chusetts, which enjoys the largest share
of the profits and pickings Of this es
tablishment, became earnest for the pen
slons of her so-clled school-teachers and
employees as the time of shutting,up the
bureau approached so Mr.. Eliot, in the
House, and Mr.. Wilson, in the Senate,
put their heads together, and, seconded
by Gen. Howard, they got up "loyal''
appeal to the humanity and iustice' of
Congress to continue the tax upon the
people by extending the bureau for an
other year.
Of all the barcetaced frauds perpetra-
ted here, this bureau is one of the most
shameless and inexcusable, even accord
ing to the showing of the Radicals them
selves. They have just passed the
reconstruction iniquity, in direct defiance
of their own laws, because i. is admitted
that Alabama and Florida have not CON-
piled with the conditions imposed, and
il was stated by Mr. Guano Manager
Butler that he and others voted for the
bill as matter of "policy" only-that
is to say, in obedience to the dictation
of party.
Most of the reconstructed States are
given over to n, gro supremacy. The
whites were disfranchsed expressly to
accomplish that object. These negroes
may possibly decide the fate of the
Presidential election, and thus materi-
ally affect The future condition of the
country. They are declared by Con-
gress competent to govern ten States,
to make constitutions, to pass laws for
ten millions of people, to regulate the
rights of property, and to take their
place among the enlightened communi-
ties of the Union. All this, and more,
is solemnly announced in the reconstruct
ton acts by the votes and voices of the
Radical majority in Congress. They
substantially affirm that th4 Southern
rafo, tr"s.i from ts.e cotton and rice
fields, and from state Of seni-tarba-
risn, is superior to the educated white
man, and they clio he him with all tile
privileges Of political power.
This is the declaration made in one
breath, and yet, in the very next they
demand hat these same negroes, who
have just been charged with the very
highest responsibilities appertaning to
civilized society, shall be kept in ture.
age under an organized bureau, be-
cause they are still unfit to take care f
themselves, and shall become a burthen
lpon the National Treasury, because
hey are too lazy to work. Such is the
proposition when divested of its selfish
'retences. The negroes are made
Preferred class over our naturalized citi-
'ens. Radicalism elevates them not
nly to the same political and social
quality, but it tells them, besides
You need not earn your bread by the :
weat OF your brow, as the white men !
must do; vote the Radical ticket, and
70 will vote your subsistence out of the
eople's treasury"
The motive of this proceeding is not
ven disguised. Now that the States
re "reconstructed," the military despot-
inns which have subsisted in the South
nee the close of the rebellion can no
niger be maintained with any show of
ght' though the intention was to have
them, had impeachment sue
seded. The game, therefore, is to sub
ltute this Freedfnen's Bureau as
ol,tlcal organization through the South,
18th view only of directing the negro
ote at the Presidential election. Fer
us purpose the people of the United
tates, who are weighed down with
xatlon, are required to contribute to
- maintenance of negroes who claim
govern, but will not labor, and for the
'neflt Of an army of Radical Office
'lders, who swindle both the Govern
ent and the negroes.
In the whole history of this country
fraud ESQ monstrous has eyer before
en- attempted. While industry is op-
essed with taxation, and the honest,
ling masses find their labor indiffer-
tly compensated, Radical Congress
ts its hand into the public purse, and pt
:hes tens of millions, extorted from
'rthy white taxpayers, to pamper in
'e and vagabondism the degraded in
uments of their venal despotism.
aSa tIacobins give the balance of pow
taaad debauched negroes,
lo' without property or intelligence,
to legisiate for the great interests of
white race of native and adopted
lzens; and to SECURE their favor thew BE
'e the taxes Of these white citizens to
be their back followers. Oppressed
! outraged taxpayers, this is a speci.
q Of Radical legislation. Is it sur
sing that the public debt should be
at it is, when plumber has absorbed
least half Of its aggregate, and that
war vas continued two years only
the profit of shoddy contractors and
orrupt Congress That debt is in =
asing daily, and must continue to ia
Ill while untold millions are added to ~
o keep up electioneering bureaus and
nutactories of negro votes.
My son, would You suppose that the
DIS Prayer could be engraved in