The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-09-28

The sea serpent and the m on ster
gooseberry render periodical service to
a certain class of newspapers. There
are others, and those, we are sorry to
say, of the Republican faith, which
with marvellous regularity, descapt up
on "the reign of lawlessness in the
South" The heading appears period
ical]y. We accept it as sign, when
Congress IS in session, that some ex-
tra-agant measure is in contempla-
zion. At other times. the stale story is
intended to serve some election pur-
pose, or to afford semblance of JUS
tlfication for some extraordinary as
sumption of power of the kind with
which Governor Holden is familiariz-
ing North Carolina and startling the
country. Whatever the end to be
served, we are quite sure that usually
there is an unavowed purpose, the ac-
complishment of which seems to ren-
der expedient the awakening of popu-
! lar indignation at the South.
"The reign of lawlessness in the
South is stcreotyped expression,
which is used to fire the Radical heart
when the tendency in matters political
is to Indifference and stagnation.
The device is blunder even in a
party sense. We do not say that it is
destitute of effect. Experience has
shown that an incessant reputation OF
sensational stories relating to crime in
Southern communities influences the
action of Congress, and is effective as
an electioneering agency in the North
and West.
Thus, criminal incidents which are
passed unnoticed at the North, are in
vested with political significance
when they occur in the South. We
have plenty of laHlessness in New
York, but who among us proposes to
hold the whole community responsible
for it7 Who proposes to make it an
excuse FOR Federal interference, or to
use it for campaign purposes i'll Ohio
or Mississippi Yet the whole South
is arraigned at the bar of Northern
opinion because murders are commit
ted in Tennessee or North Caroliua.-
The whole Southern people are made
the text for solemn exh0rtations and
loyal threats and warnings, because
some drunken rebel in Memphis shoots
an industrious negro, or because q
gang of rutfians in Georgia insult and
! iniure some worthy Northerner, who
has gone there to earn an honest liv.
ing. These occurrences are bad
whether reported from Kansas or the
south. But we act unwisely and uu-
justly when we apply the generalizlne
process to one case, and omit it in the
other. Of this injustice the South may
reasonably complain.
As whole, the South is as free from
lawlessness as any other part of thu
country. There are bad localities il
the reconstructed States, but SO Their
, are in this city and in this State. Th
4 general condition of things is, howev
: er, one that the Southern people hay
i no reason to be ashamed of. Virginia
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama an
y Mississippi may safely Challenge com
parison with States similarly situate
d in ordinary respects at the South an
e West. There has been fair averag
e of progress everywhere. The mai
d body of the population have apple
2. themselves to industrial pursuits, wit
: steady determination which has a
70 ready borne good fruit. They are II
building villages and cities, cultiv'
is ting farms and tami1iarizing themseiv'
N with enterprises which will yield mo-
than the old prosperity.-lNew foI
Times (Radical.)