The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-02
MR. punN,s EXPERIMENT.

Mr.. Oscar ]. Dunn, who acquired, abouta
year ago, by the grace of fraud and the po-
tency of the bayonet. the fictitious title of
lieutenant governor Of Louisiana, cannot
shake, his Angola locks ct New Orleans or
Louisiana and say that they did it, or that
they are in any way culpably complicated
with it We refer to the distinguished but
not complimentary manner in which he was
received when he made his transit through
Louisville in the course of tour undertaken,
it is supposed, for the purpose of ascertaining,
by the test Of personal experience, the opin.
ions and feelings of the people in the West
| and the East on the question of social equal
ity regardless of race or color. Having tried
theexpefiment on the inside of an omnibus
public opinion soon disclosed the result in
the shape of his summary extrusion. Then
he addressed the same practical inquiry
to the promiscuous "white trash" of
railroad ferryboat and he obtained in short
order an answer Of precisely identical pur-
port, namely: that on at least one of the
highways in the West the white travelling
public insist on drawing an impossible line
of social separation between people of his
race and color and themselves. And, de-
pend upon it, the sentiment prevailing on
this thoroughfare is not exceptional 1t
exists in all parts of the West, and in all parts
of the East, as general fact which is only
projected into holder relief by few excep- 4
tons, more simulated for the most part than
real. Indeed, Mr.. Dunn will find, before he
finishes his tour, that in the South the mani
festations Of the instinct of caste with respect
to the negro are mild, gentle, and gracious,
compared to what they are in the North. The
scant consideration with which he may meet
there viii be due to the strained courtesy of |
few politicians, or to the morbid sympathy |
Of o few fanatics. 1t will be accorded because |
he wears the title of the second officer of a |
Southern State, and in this way symbolizes
the political abasement of the Southern white |
man and the political apotheosis of the South |
ern negro. But in the South, it is in spite of |
this fact, which is precisely calculated to en-
bitter the white population, that as general
thing they are habitually courteous in their
demeanor, and kind and considerate in their
acts, towards the negro. The contrast is
replete with profitable instruction, and Mr..
Dunn and his colored partisans cannot pom
der too deeply if they hope either to under
stand it or to solve the social problem which
now perplexes them.
Nor should this titular dignitary imagine
that Louisiana is dishonored by the social
inflicted upon him in his peregrina-
tons abroad The genuine voice of the State
has never made him its representative. He
represents system which is founded upon
lying assumptions system which aims TO
establish q political domination in q self
evident and revolving anachronism-a system
Ior which nobody is responsible outside of the
Inscriptions faction which has devised it and
he weak or the wicked tools who have ae-
septed the detestable and mischieyous mission
If putting it in practice. These are the peo-
pie who are responsible for the absurd and
lnseemly spectacle of soi-disant lieutenant
governor who cannot travel in any part of
he country and claim social equality, upon
lis personal merits only, without subjecting
himself to humiliating rebuffs that are as
emediless as they are gross. Laying aside
he question of abstract right and fitness, it
8 clear that their system is condemned by
he imperious facts of the situation and nnaer
his condemnation, it is bound to result in
'exation, trouble and confusion. Neither
nor intelligent patriotism would
yer ignore such facts either for the sake of
Illustrating an uncongenial and impracticable
or for the sake Of maintaining in
'ad ascendency a corrupt, tyrannical and
desperate faction