Le Louisianais. [volume] (Convent, La.) 1865-1883, 1868-10-31
We borrow the following from the speech

of Fl. Seymour, ut Buffalo:
when his war ended. nearly four wears
ano. il left the Southern States disorcaWjZel
and Impoverished, The duty Of restoring pcacr
and prosperity to ,ha, section. and putting il
in o n condition where it could add 10 he m.
iional prosperity and aud 10 bear lis burdens.
fell nroa the Republican party. The %A,tiicnl.
ties OF the task were increased hv The fac,
that its population was made mp Il Two DIS.
tinct races. one of which lad been Held in
slavery, and was low Suddenly called on, I'm
tn'nfed as they were. 10 act a new pant ia our
social and political system.
| do not wish 10 nndr,rate the difficulties
with which they had to contend. hut The Mug
ni,nde of these difficulties demanded they
should enter npon the task ia a wise and
,honch,fnl way. Armies canno, bring back
a due sense or the valne Of orSier 10 4 comma
nifty. They can only Iestrain violence. ard the
healing measures of the statesmen mn-, wax
the cures, The Two grea, objects to lie kep,
in view Were to give to all classes hat pros
perity which tends 10 make men desire peace.
which gives them hopes and in The end a state
in The good order of society. Despair ever
makes dIS0FteT.
Another great object and end was to lift IN
the African as far and as fast as cnnlA be wise
y done. Humanity dictated il. The inteieS,
OF the white population Of the South demanded
il. as the races Were to live unon The same
soil. Their common interest called for harmo.
ny of purpose and of feeling. t'nder these
cases aud fact. wise men would seek 10 aid the
most int-lligen, and influential men Of that
section of the country, taking care 10 guard
against any influence sprin.ing from preja-
dice.
Have these obvious Truths been regarded by
men in power? Has not reconstruction f died
because they disreoardeL them ? The FIRST
step toward restoring order and producing har-
mony between the races was 10 administer the
prosperity of tia, section which would be
shared alike by white and bla, k. Unless The
employer made a profit on his cotton he could
moi pay the laborer. Falling to do this. hisas-
ter brought not only poverty hnt confusion and
disorder, and ,rne statesmen would have STREET
ched ont a helping hand.
What was the first act of the man it power ?
II was to put a mnnsirous export, lax Of six
cents on a pound npou The cotton raised by
The labor Of The black man upon the p'an,arionoi
the, white. struggling with The evils of power
iy. with The difficulties of their new positions
aud relationships. the first feeble efforts of III ir
people TO gain the means Of livelihood were
blasted by an unwise, selfish, and vindic,ive
act.
say hi"IS'. UetdiSe u na> lhh WlCn tC
do with The failure of the Republicans IL
to restore order at the South. The black exas.
pcrated by the failure of his ruined employer
became hostile TO him. The empower, losing
the li,lle credit that he had before in the
Norlh. renewed his efforts under still create
difficulties than before.
| say it was a selfish aci, because it was done
in the i~nterps, OF the Eastern manufacturer
already wealthy from the frni,s of the war
protected by enormous taxes Of six cents
pound upon all cotton exported, was si,npl,
imposed 80 that he might buy it for six cent
less than it was worth in the mar kets Of tn,
world. / say il was a vindiciive act. For i
You will read The debates in Congress whe1
this tax was levied to cover the selfish interest
that prompted it, you will find that il was urge
upon the members of the Western States. VIII,
voted against the interests of their constituent
upon the ground that it was to be imposed npol
the son,h as a penalty, and thus we fluid tina
the black and white man Of the South wer,
alike stripped Of the marke, value of thei
staple products nnder circumstance of sue
great difficulty that they were hindered an
not helped on he road to prosperity by men i
power. [Applause.w