New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-14
-N NEW -ORhEANs REPUBLICAN sUNDAYy-AUGUST-l4, l87o
Communicated.
OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNOR

lCommunicated.l =.
OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNOR.
True Republicans will not encourage a
factious opposition to the Governor that is
only calculated to strengthen the opponents
of Republicanism, and bring defeat upon
the Republican party in the political CAM
paign upon which they have just entered.
Governor Warmoth, though elected by Re
publican votes, must be regarded as the
Governor of the State of Louisiana, en-
bracing all parties. He must not he re-
garded as only the Governor OF the Repub
ican party, and subject to the dictation OF
any wing of the party OF any one man OF
the party who panders to the prejudices OF
a class, and in that way hopes to raise him
self to the dignity of leadership. The Cover
nor is expected to rise above the petty
leadership Of class in a government. that
embraces all classes of the people. He
must do this if he intends to fairly represent
the people. The constitution Of the State
made by Republican convention does not
provide for the election of Republican Gov
errors any more than Democratic Govern
ors 1t provides for the election of Gov
ernor by the majority Of the people, and
" the people" are supposed to embrace all
classes Of voters within the State, and he
becomes their Governor tor stipulated
term. The Republican who desires the
Governor. to transcend the provisions
cxl <1,o
nor only of that portion of the people who
elected him, is Republican merely in name,
not in principle. The Republican party of
the United States owes all its success to
principles Endorsed by the people for the
last ten wears. 1t was their opposition to
the extension of slavery that secured Mr..
Lincoln's election in 1860, and brought on
a civil war in 1861 that resulted in freedom
to all-blacks as well as whites. All through
the confidence of the people, because it was
the Union party-the party that fought not
only for the integrity of the republic, but for
the principles of an enlarged national
iberty-a liberty that would secure equal
civil, religious and political rights to all.
This confidence secured for the Republican
party strength enough in the National Con
gress to overcome a mode of reconstructing
the States that were in rebellion that would
men Of the South at the mercy of the very
men who had fought for slavery and the
disintegration of the United States. The
congressional mode Of reconstruction, Sc
cured in spite of tiny policy" SO strenu-
ously advocated by President johnson and
the Democratic party, has thus far met
with the appreciation of the American peO-
pie, or a majority of them, and the Repub-
1ican party is still in power, working faith
fully to secure the rights Of all. But in Or
der to remain in power it has got to consult
the wishes and views of nearly forty mil
lions of people-over thirty millions of
whom are white and less than ten millions
black. Thus far causes have cOnspired to
break down and overcome prejudice against
color or previous condition Of men in this
country. The question Of color in
the old free States has not preju-
diced the white people in those
States to the extent sufficient in the
past to give the Democratic party even a
respectable vote as to numbers in Congress;
and if the question Of color is not unwisely
raised in the South, where black men are
believed to be in the majority in the Repub-
lican party, that party will be continued in
power by the people of the United States
to carry out, to their fullest extent, those
great principles that will truly render all
men, politically, free and equal. But if the
black man forgets that he has a duty to per-
form as well as the white man, and i'll the pur
suit of minor objects, or of an unworthy
ambition, suffers himself to become the tool
of men who would make him believe he
should vste as black man and not as a
Republican-why, then, he endangers not
only the success of the Republican party,
but he endangers all of those privileges that
have been secured to him since the Republi
can party was invested with power by the
people. The black man who would advo-
cate such course and aspire to lead in it,
should be rebuked for his folly, but the man,
white or black, who, presuming upon the ig-
norance of those he would lead, advises them
to course that is SO fatally prejudicial, not
only to themselves. but to the party. simply
to crafty personal ambition, deserves
something more than rebuke-he deserves
the execrations of every honest Republican
who desires the success of the party for the
sake of it's principles. No man has done
more in this State to secure equal civil and
political rights to all men than Governor
Warmoth He was one of the earliest advo-
Gates of suffrage for all, without regard to
color or previous condition; and without de-
scending to the low tricks of the demagogue
he has risen to the highest office within the
gift of the people of this State, and in that
position is endeavOring to compOrt himself
SO as to command the respect Of all good
ucl, anu gam dCCtSSlOIS " tLC ACpuUHCdu
ranks: Let those who would cavil about
little things, and blame him for what they
consider a derelictiOn of duty, remember
that they have duty to perform other than
tault-fnding and sowing the seeds Of dis
sension. While their present conduct pro-
duces discord, it is not calculated to remedy
what they complain of. All must
work to harmonic and make the Republi-
can party unit, that it may in the future
continue the good work of the past, and
eventually secure for all every right guar
anteed by the constitution of this State and
the United States. To be enabled to do
this the Republican party has got to main
tain confidence with the people. 1t has got
to rise superior to white mans party or a
black mans party. 1t has got to be a party
of sufficient magnitude and purpose to carry
with it majority of the voting population
of people numbering near on to forty mil
lions, who give their verdict, and that YER
dict determines the political complexion Of
the country.
GRANT PIONEER.