New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-25
TaEPoLrrICAL STU ALTON.
speech Of Judge +. North Cullom, Deliv
cred MT Marksvlile, Louisiana, May y
1870.

yiously made in the Marksville Register,
quite numerous assemblage of white and
colored citizens convened on the second OF
May, at the grove standing in 'front.' OF the
Avoyelles Academy, in MaIksVllle, TO near sI
a speech by Judge E North Cullom. All
present listened with fixed and silent atten'
ton, whilst the speaker spoke for an hour
and q quarter. We give, below an outline
of his remarks. He said that five years ago
there returned to their desolated ana dllapl'
dated homes, armies OF as gallant men as
ever fought at Marathon. or fired gun un-
der Nanoleon, They had struggled through
the din of devastlng war for period OF
nearly four years.
The bones of many of their faithful COM
rades were now bleaching in valleys and
mountain gOrges from Gettysburg 10 the
Rio Grande. In nearly every household we
beheld the sable insignia of sad bereave-
ment and agonizing distress. The great ex-
citement and luminosity of feelings which
that mighty struggle had kindled AMI
famed in the hearts of our people, were. to
say the least of them, natural under all the
surrounding circumstances. On the other
hand, the people of the Northern States
who had so recently met them IN battle
array and deadly conflict, sought to make
the assurances of q CONC uered peace doubly
sure by Selling the reigns of the State gov
eminent. The great majorNy OF those most
distinguished liz the arduous scenes OF the
war Immediately retired from the local pub
lie eve. and betook themselves to the more
congenial pursuits of private life. THOSE
who remained to actively manipulate the
machinery OF the State government, wele
regarded by our people ss lnterioperS
of our own people, who willingly
assisted in the work of recon-
struction by cooperating with them,
were denounced as scalawags. These in
sultipg names and epithets by no means
served to allay the acerOity and bitterness
of feelings that existed on both sides, and
as a spirit of manifest insubordnation was
palpsble to the view everywhere, it was not
at all strange that the legitimate functions
of civil government were seriously OBJ
structed on the one hand, and oppressiVely
welded on the other. These were natural
results of such ininical feelings. me gener-
al government, in the exercise OF It's power
and its discretion, had, during the struggle,
broken into atoms thesgyves and chains OF
slavery, and elevated the sable sons of
Africa from the degraded condition OF
slaves to the exalted dignity OF American
citizens. Our people were greatly eXas-
perated, and very naturally objected to the
engraitment of such radical change upon
the organic laws of the land. Whether the
government acted wisely or not in so doing
is q matter which must be left to the decl-
sion of time and the test ef a practical ex-
pertinent.
The strenuous opposition of our people to
this, and to the general policy OF the United
States Government in all matters connected
with what were known as the reconstruction
measures of Congress, led to the require.
ment of test oaths, and the enactment Of
laws imposing political disabilities on thou
sands of the very best men in the Southern
States. In all these political diseases, we
discover that our rulers, though far from
being charitable and liberal toward us, pre-
scribe remedies. and often qNack Dostru s,
only to meet the symptoms, we must, III
all candor, confess that the fever OF excite
ment. insubordinatlon aud rebellion to the
newly Illuminated, but fixedly determined
policy of the government, rar SO hlSh, as 10
throw our people into delirium. This
symptom had to be vigorously met and
treated, and the great sheet anchor rene
dies had to be used. No fair thinking man
Will maintain that, because the disease be.
came desperate and alarming, the physician
should have abaI0l oned its treatment. The
government used first such remedies rs it
thought the case required, and although
many of them may now be considered harsh
and unwarranted, in the light of subsequent
developments. we should succomb, ana yleid
q cheerful acquiescence.
Every patriot regrets that so many Of our
best citizens should be deprived of the po-
litical privileges so lavishly conferred upon
the ignorant masses of the newly enfian-
chised: but all must confess that 1t is the
fruit of their own disobedience, in a great
nsjority Of instances. 1t is vain to hope
that government will place power in the
hands of those who openly oppose its au-
thority. AS it has declared It's purpose of
enfranchising the colored race, and TO cti-
zenize it, on the broad principle of apoliti-
cal equality with the white, we may fairly
presume it will continue to weld its powers
Cor its permanent contamination until 1t is,
beyond all cavil, a fat dccompR. In our
private lives each OF US acts on the same
principle in the management and govern
ment of our children; If they prove H.
subordinate to Gar commands, and unruly
in their conduct, we deem it our duty TO
enforce obedience by q resort to adequate
remedies, and We would be very unworthy
patriarchs and oligarchs were We to suffer
them to disrupt the harmony OF our petty
domestic government by disobeying our
iDjunctions with impunity. The general
government has pa ed the colored man
where he is, and he is no more responsible
for it than are the prattlng babes we fondly
fold in our arms and dandie on our knees.
The government stands pledged before
God ana the families of nations to foster
and protect these, its adopted wards, what
ever we, as Southern men, may opine, OF
the wisdom OF its newly assumed paternity.
One of the means it saw proper to adopt
was TO place the ballot in their hands,
that their legislation might suffice to shield
them from injustice and violence. That
they have done much injury, will not be
denied, for it is known that they have, as a
rule. elected incompetent and unworthy
men to Office, who, in the pretended per
torrance of their duties, have enacted
partial and unwhOlesome laws, tarcically
administered good ones, burdened the
people with oppressive taxation, squandered
the vast resources OF groanipg State by
rewarding partisans, robbed the treasury,
and who have shown corruption and venal.
ity nearly everywhere. But IN respect 4
these things, what better can Ine ume-
. honored Democracy boast, with all It's pre-
tensions to political sagacity and party
honesty? Look at those parishes
in which it has ruled with high
hand and an immaculate pufl'y
SO peculiar TO itself. and what do we behold:
Need YOU be directed to examine the details
of YOUR own parochial matters. Here, al
least. the Radicals have not borne sway,
while the Democracy has fouted Its oid
banner in exultant defiance until it almost
swent the clouds. Have the laws been bet
ter administered? Have your murderers and
thieves been arrested and brought to JUS
fice7 Is the burden of your taxes any
less: are the parish expenses economical
Look to your criminal docket; examine your
long list of bench warrants; look at your
parish appropriations, and by no means
forget 10 look at your tax receipts, ana tnese
questions will require no answer. LOOK al
the city government of New Orleans, where
again the orthodox Democracy gioat over
the spoils of Office, and you will hnd thai
the ingenuity of Radicalism stands aghasl
of the corruption and misgoverqment thai
prevail there. The intelligent. unambl tlous
and better men among those VINO call them