New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-16
TRUE TO ITS WORD,

d he Republican party set out in 1866,
after the close of the civil war, to recon-
stract the Southern States on the basis Of
jus ice to all men. The first step was to
declare that certain parties in the South
should not vote nor hold Office The next
step was to declare that all men who
co,lld swear that they had not committed
certain political offenses should vote.
I'll e first proposition was accompanied by
suggestion that after certain time, Or
on the happening of certain contingent
cies. all the men who were so unfortunate
as to be DISTINGUISHED under the first
declaration should he restored to all their
rights of citizenship. One reason Of
these two declarations was that the lead
ing men in the South were then very
much infamed against the government,
and it was not only a necessary precaution
Oh the part of the nation to disable them
from doing injury to the State, but it was
| wise and provident to prevent them
from doing in anger great wrong
to themselves by further exhibitions of
disloyalty. And another reason was, that
as the negroes had been vested with the
| ballot, something was necessary in order
| to protect them from the hostile or selfish
| legislation which the Southern Democrats
| might attempt against them. And the sa-
gacity of the first proposition has been de-
Tended by the willful and desperate oppo-
sition which the DISTINGUISHED class has
made to all the laws of Congress and the
prudence of the second has been shown
by the misguided efforts of the same men
in Louisiana and Mississippi to impose
upon the negro apprentice laws which
were worse than slavery. So that what
the Republican party did do was just what
it ought to have done and in nothing
has it shown it's far-reaching wisdom to
greater advantage than in its disabling
laws. Southern men have been prevented
from doing those acts which would have
irritated the North and secured the con-
tinued success of the Republican party
and the people have been so reconciled
that it is now difficult to tell sensible
Republican from sensible Democrat.
All this is the work of the Republican
party, and it has been wrought out IN the
face of the most extraordinary opposition,
and while it was being abused for all that
was low, base and contemplate.
But while the Republicans have been
carrying forward the plan Of peace and
reconciliation, they have never for
gotten the promise they made at the out
SGT, that in good season all men should
again recover their privileges as citizens.
Keeping steadily in view the duty of pro-
tecting the negroes, the great party Of
freedom has constantly watched for ali
opportunity to enfranchise all men who
were suffering under any political disa-
bility. Whenever a Southern man has
renowned his sympathy with the cause
of secession, and has again put on the
livery and allegiance of the republic, Con-
g,ess has never failed to remove his disa
bilities. And now that the laws which
declare universal suffrage, which abolish
distinctions on account of color, and
which secure Republican government, are
sustained by an amended constitution,
the Republican party proposes to redeem
its promise in.full, and to the extent of
clothing every man with all the rights of
which he has heretofore been deprived.
Itoffers citizenship to all only on condi-
ton that they swear allegiance to liberty
ard the nation. :
This is what the party proposes in Mis-
sour and in Louisiana. Governor Brown