New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-08
DESIGNS OF RAnInALIsM.

of the designs Of radicalism iG the South.
Its main charge, and the only one we have
space to notice is, that radicalism means
Africanizing the South. We deny the charge
in whole and in part. Radiealism, as a
philosophical theory of human rights, exists
not alone 10 the United States. 1t is per-
haps stronger and more determined to per-
sist in its work in Europe than with Us. In
Italy, in Prussia in France, in Russia, in
England, and even in ancient Greece, where
a negro never has been seen save as an OBJ
jeot of curiosity, radicalism is becoming a
spirit that will not down at the bidding Of
emperors and kings, and the heretofore
supposed to be divinely appointed sover-
eigns of the earth. It has to do with Man.
not with races it knows only Man, not
classes Of men; it is an idea, a theory,
grounded upon the fundamental laws
of mans being as distinguished from
the fundamental laws that govern the
beings Of beasts. 1t casts its glance over
the whole creation Of men, aud if it sees an
oppressed italian in Italy, an enslaved
African in America, an ignorant serf in
Russia, cringing subject in Austria, an
oppressed and tax-burde1ed peasant in
Ireland, OR human being under any form
Of government struggling to gain political
and religious freedom, and gives him all
the aid its organized strength can COM
mand. He who thinks radicslism and the
designs of radicalism are confined to this
country and have to deal simply with
the negro race, never looks beyond
his county newspaper, never passes
beyond the range of his courthouse
square. And not alone in the pol
itics of nations is it busy. The churches
hoary with age and the systems of religion
consecrated by the piety of centuries are
trembling at its tread, Eros, ignorance,
and superstition flee before il aghast, and
all they have supposed to be true disap-
pears at its approach. Light and knowl-
edge are its attending angels, and hold
their torches high for all the world of man
to walk beneath them, Why will not our
Southern reviewers and editors rise
to the comprehension of the great
idea that is deep down in the
foundation of effairs working its own
revolutions? The negro and the destiny of
the negro is but as nothing in the vast bUak
of the work radicalism is to perform in the
affairs of the world. II, as negro, he
serves its purposes, well and good; if he
disappears as a negro something better will
take his place. The earth was
given to man, not the white, the black, or
the copper colOred. If the negro disap-
pears, the man will still remain; If the white
disappears, the man will still surviv e; if the
fade out of sight, man will
still stride over the earth lord Of all Re
surveys. Radicalism has to do with the
genus the species must look out for them
selves. Just at this moment the negro has
a tremendous load to carry. Radicalism
has stricken off his bonds, and told him to
AXE care of himself. Bat just as he is pre-
pairing to obey the command his old enemy
springs to his feet, and tells him to bear the
whole load Of civil government, to pay the
national debt, to settle all rebel war claims,
20 bald the levees, TO keep the SHOWS on the
Rocky mountains from melting, to repeal the
cotton tax, to raise cotton cheaper than it
IAN be raised in India, to improve ma
,hinery so that good cloth can be made out
Of cypress logs, TO check the ravages of the
cotton worm, to stop the growth of weeds,
md stimulate the growth of salable vege-
alton, and to pay rebels for the value of
The slave property lost by act of war.
Bunyan's Pilgrim never bad such a pack
on his back. 1t would have crushed him
down to perdition rather than slipped of
as he journeyed on to paradise. Bat with
Ill this load the rebels are trying to heap
lpon him the negro is not heard to muir
MUIR. He will bear il patiently until he is
allowed TO vote, and then the bearing of
burdens viii be placed upon the shoulders
II those who are able to carry them The
designs Of radicalism have nothing to do
With the negro the designs of slavery
nave. Nature in developing the order of
her progress provides checks as we'll as
springs. In political affairs conservatism
assumes to be the master Of the checks, and
10 know how and when to apply them. The
assumption, however, is false. The same
hand that drives the engine OF
progress knows when to whistle
down the brakes. Radiealism is the
engineer not the engine. Il has control of
both engine and brake. 1t drives with the
speed Of lightning in New England, in
New York, in the great Northwest where
the road, on account of popular education,
and-on account Of all being able to read
and write, is smooth; but whistles down
the brakes as it approaches the South.
where ignorance is the rule among both
black and white. Radicalsm in The South
discovers that il has a work to do with the
whites as well as the blacks. Its first work
i to plow up the ground and SOW the seed.
This Is being done 10 way perhaps net
II all pleasing to the old cullivAtors Of thu
mental soil; but still 1t Is being done, and
i Che school reports are reliable, very
thoroughly too. Six hundred thousand
in the South are now able to read
and waite who did NOT know a letter Of the
alphabet four years ago. Education Is one