The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-08

If the New York Times were not the most
solemn it would be the most humorous paper
in the country. If it were not that the current
of its rhetorical platitudes has never been rip
pied by joke, it might be supposed to be
overlooking with jocoseness. What, for in
stance, in person addicted to irony, could be
more exquisitely ironical than the assertion
that "from the beginning Of the campaign
the Southern Republicans have displayed the
utmost respect for law" Why of course they
have displayed respect for law since they have
made the laws, and made them expressly to
fill their own pockets with public plumber,
and to enable them to carry the elections by
fraud and trickery. 1t is true that when their
laws seem inadequate for the accomplishment
of these patriotic and mercenary objects, they
do not scruple to dispense with them, Just
as Sheridan dispensed with the recon-
struction laws, in order to disfranchise
the white people, and just as Congress dis
pensed with its own legislation in the Ala
bama case; but they do this through the
agency of officials like Baker, who assume
to be Legislators, judges and juries at once.
OF course they obey the law, but they obey
it in manner peculiar to trooly loil " car
pet-baggers-by making new laws every day,
to suit their own purposes, and to consum-
mate their own schemes. Again, the Times
says, "they the Southern Radicals) have
not sought, by legislation, or violence to in
X-----x-4A-- - 4l.~ ,-;>rhA- a -
opponents" OF course, then, it is all mistake
that the Tennessee Radicals have disfranchised
a hundred thousand white men in that State;
that the Florida Radicals have taken
away the right of suffrage in the presidential
election, from the people, black as
well as white, because they knew that the
State would be sure to vote for Seymour; that
the Arkansas Radicals attempted by an infa-
nous test oath to disfranchise every Democrat
in that State that the Alabama Radicals have
been for months scheming to carry that State
against the will of the people by means Of
legislative expedients- attempting through
the Legislature to usurp the choice of presi-
Dental electors, and by declining to provide
registration law for the benefit of the voters
and that they are now conspiring to do the
same thing in Louisiana. Again, says the
Times, "they have not assailed Democratic
meetings" Perhaps not but it is their Gus
tom in this State to put Democratic meetings
in state of siege, by stationing armed men
in the roads to prevent the colored people
from attending them. Again, says the Times,
''they have not threatened war against all who
vote the Democratic ticket" Perhaps not; but
they attack, and beat and sometimes murder
colored men whom they suspect ofan intention
to vote the Democratic ticket and they de-
nounce all white Democrats as rebels and
traitors, whom it is the duty of the law tc
disfranchise, in order that these rebellious
and traitorous votes may not come in com
petition with those of the negroes and the
carpet-baggers. The Times, if not addicted
to periodical joking, must certainly have be
come one huge embodied joke, else it would
never have attempted these remarkable state
ments. Their appearance in the Tribune
would not shock us with sense of incongrui
ty, because the business of the Tribune is t.
Astohiisi. siAa sidest possible difference be
| tween its assertions and the truth but in The
Times, they very much out of place, be
cause they disturb the rounded symmetry o
its solemn hypocrisy.