The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-08-13

North and South, upon what ground
can the nationality Of that party b
prcdictcd2 It may divide, as in 1850
between two representative presidential
candidat"s, and even if if triumph unde
I the so5tionai success of the new "whit,
man party" the white people rf Louis
lana must reina ~ prisoners of wal, sub
: ject for an indefinite period to the evil:
of which they complain We ask the
white people OF Louisiana to regarc
calmly the diiomma in which then
= Drmocra,ia defenders are placed. II
. the Democratic party be :lltiouali~rd on
,hs basis of repeating the fifteenth
amendment, they will be left in dones.
tie and sectional horiace If he basis
Of repeating the fifteenth amendment b,
accepted ti.H Dpmocracv OF Louisiana
must abandon the present pc ition at,
tributed to them and adopt the ? l'atforn1
of acquiescence IL the constitution and
law which h@s been heretofore published
by the Peoples party Of Louisiana
We submit, then, that the relief to be
expected trcm tie success Cf the Nation
al Democratic party cannot b" relied on
until We shall know on what basis the
Democratic party shall b. nationaIised
Having thus shown the dcp!orablc
djssensons which paralyze the only par
ty pretending 20 nationality which can
be ,pected to collt 10 Our assistance,
"" shall proceed to show that there are
jA.rrrat,vo reasons why Louisiana
-.louId not complicate herself with an
! abstract discu'sion IF her peculiar in
tercsts by those who can have no prac-
! tjeal sense Of their importance.
Harmony Between Capital and Labor.
1t is certainly the duty Of every com
nunity to avoid al unnecessary con
! fict between the two great interests of
| capita! and labor. This is especially
important in Louisiana, where the chief
capital is invested in land, whicl, with
out labor is absolutely yalueless. This
labor is in the hands Of different race,
and upon It's disposition depends the
value and revenues of this capital. The
question forced upon Louisiana by an
issue between the white mans party
and the colorcd race, must add a dan
gerous element to the natural jealousy
between capital and labor. In a social
and industrial view it is certainly to the
interest of every planter and factor, and
to the family OF every planter and fac
tor in Louisiana, to cultivate harmony
between capital and labor, as It is also
to regain and preserve the confidence of
his colored laborers. # the ageLcy of
this labor produces for Louisiana only
3OO,0 900 bales Of cotton worth, say
$37, 100000 with $4,000 hogsleads ST.
gar worth, say S12. 100000, we have
$50, 100000 dependent more or less on
the regularity Of labor and its ccntented
cooperation with capital. The prepara-
ton Of this crop for market, and its
transportation, transfer and delivery at
New Orleans, with the peace and safety
of thousand households, is concerned
in the same object Does any State of
the North Or West hold the peace and
prosperity of its people by the same
tenure? Why, then, should Louisiana
permit other communities, whose inter-
ests are wholly abstract and disslmilar
from her own, to force such issues upon
herl The renewal Of this conflict of
races must impair, it may utterly des-
troy, the values which have been invest
ed in almost the sole representative Of
capital left us. But independent of the
dictates of interest the impulses OF hu-
maniry deserve to be respected. Du-
ring three great military struggles Tor
liberty, in which the Southern people |
have borne conspicuous part, the
colored people have been faithful. Tn
der the instigation of the British procla-
nations, and of other reckless enemies,
the colored people have neither resorted
to fire nor the knife to destroy the un-
protected women and children of the
South We cannot reproach them tor
accepting their liberty, when we so
deeply deplore the loss of our own.
All that they know has been acquired
from the Southern people. They were
received as savages. They are present
ed to the world speaking the tongue,
protesting the faith, instructed in the
Industries Of Christianity.
There is an attachment and harmony
bound up in this intercourse and instruc-
ton of generations. Should we then
encourage an alienation which must
leave this indispensable element to the
OF violence without coun-
selor, to the allurements of vice, or to
the rayages Of disease, without friend
This harmony of races is alike invalua-
bic to the interests Of all. Any further
OIL this subject by any
foreign influence should be repelIed as
sternly as abolition itself formerly was.
The effect of this agitation is the same
with the other. 1t will create domestic
loss and mischief among us. Louisiana
should demand that SO lar as she is con-
cerned, it shall be settled promptly and
forever-settled by giving to the colored
people an assul ance and guarantee that
the political right given them by the
results of the war, and the Legislation
thereon, shall never be dis
turbed. While indeed we protest
against Intervention, because such issues
are injurious, we must remind our citi-
zens that they are futile: We have
already an admitted majority of colored
votes against us. This is Increasing
every day by the transfer of colored
Iaborers, every one of whom brings at
the least, one vote. Under the militia
law of this State these colored voters
are armed, disciplined and equipped at
the expense of the State The least
obstacle to party success may
hriuo the military raiuforeauon+ nj .ho