The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-01
HE RADICAL HOPE OF VIOLENCE.

We agree with the Richmond Enquirer that
if there is one counsel which, during the pre-
sent campaign, should be impressed with
more force than all others upon the Southern
people, it is this " BE cautious in aoord and
act"
The Enquirer remarks, and not without
reason, that it is by no means certain that the
| people OF the North would not have sustained
the President in the fall elections of 1866,
purged Congress of its Radicalism and antici-
pated by two years the glorious victory on
which we count in November, had not two
unfortunate circumstances occurred to check
the popular tendency in that direction. One
| of these was the honest but over-hasty and
rash character Of certain utterances by the
President But, in the words of the Enquir T.
"the far more fatally effective obstacle was
the not in New Orleans" The same JOURNAL
adds
IL he no exaggeraton to say that that melan.
choly occurrence turned the scale in fifty doubtful
congressional districts and thereby secured that
two thirds vote In the House which Is accountable
TOT all TIE enormites OF the most profigate egis-
laton that ever cursed people with even the ira
dltous of freemen. Thus was lost for two years
The chance Of peace thus was gained military
despousm, csrpetbag constitutions the tenure Of
office bill and all the multifOrm enormities which
d graced the last session Of the thirty ninth SEES
sion OF Congress, and the first session of its sue
cessor.
Testimony to the above effect is by no means
confined TO Democratic quarters The New
York Tribune has frequently accounted IN
the same way, for the check of popular reac-
ton, and the consequent Radical success, in
1866. 1t has often, in its scolding moods at
the over-confdent waywardness and needless
profigacy Of its party, reminded the Radical
politicians that they owe more to the indiscre-
ton Of their opponents than to their own man
agement, and that they are more especially
indebted for their continuance 10 power to a
fortunate accident-the riot in New Orleans
But about this matter the Tribune has taken
care not to tell the whole truth. Otherwise it
would have given the Radical politicians the
credit, which they richly deserve, in relation
to sanguinary event that, as it admits, saved
their party from disastrous defeat two years
ago. This event was in reality, as all impair
tial inquiry shows, brought about by the con-
trivance of the Radical politicians. 1t was
their deliberate work just as much as the legis-
iatiVe usurPation and the military despotism
for which it furnished desiderated pretext,
was their deliberate work Like the attempt, by
subornation of perjury, to implicate JEFF, ION
Davis, and even Andrew johnson, with the
Booth-Lincoln tragedy in front of theatrical
farce like the attempt to force the conviction
of the impeached President, by intimidation
and calumDy directed against Republican
vrb oil To- - ~
conscience; like the attempt, through Stanton,
to seize the war department and practically |
depose the President as commander-in chief |
OF the army; like the attempt, by terrifying |
and torturing colored witnesses in Georgia, to
manufacture evidence to prove that the Radi-
cal and profigate wretch, Ashburn, who fell |
during drunken orgy ina brothel at Atlanta,
was the victim of "rebel assassination and
martyr to the cause of freedom of opinion
and speech, the riot of 1866 in New Orleans
far from being an accident, was one of the
essential incidents in the programme of the
Radical politicians for keeping and for uni
versalizing their power by all means and at all
move -aasa-, therefore, have |
our people to exercise, under all provocations,
a resolute patience, and to make manifest
beyond all cavil and question, their anxious
for the maintenance of peace and
good order. 1t is perfectly safe to say that
secret instructions have been sent from Radi-
cal leaders in Washington for provoking at
the South, before the election day, scenes of
violence and bloodshed. The purposes for
which they desire such eatastrophes are these:
To unite the colored vote on the Radical
ticket; to obain occasion for Gen. Grant to
use the army in carrying Southern elections in
favor of Gen. Grants claim to the Presidency;
to secure pretext, should the emergency
seem to demand such measure, for taking
the choice of presidential electors from the
people, and having them chosen by Radical
but, above all, to get such fuel
or reminding Northern passions against the
South as the Radical politicians had in 1906
md such as they know they must have again,
'r else see their black and Infamous banners
iwept from the whole North before storm
If popular indignation.
Hence the highest and wisest courage that
'ur people can now display is the courage to
'e prudent, patient and unresentfuf to the last Z
If the peace is broken, let it be ,
t once clear that they were not the aggressors,
nd that the whole responsibility for the dis
urbance and for its consequences attaches to
heir enemies.
This is the way to confound the last hope
nd device of the faction that is now as ,
esperate as it was always INSCRIPTIONS,
rohigate and cruel Remember!
PhOtOg rQphS. PhOfOsr0Dhs G