The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-09
The Orange Riots and the Politicians

To those acquainted with all the
tricks Of politics and politicians the
pious and patriotic professions of
those who express opinions on the
New York riotsFon either side of the
question, appear quite ridiculous.
On The one hand we are told that
the right of the Orangemen to par
ade anywhere and in any manner
they please is sacred Constitution
al right" and that the murder of the
Irishmen who threatened to attack
them, was the vindication of q stgreat
American principle" Those W h o
take the opposite side of the question
are equally as eztravagant in the ez-
preston of their opinions. Now the
whole truth might as well be told at
once. The whole business, from the
first, was, and was intended to be, q
political trick out of which to manu-
facture capital for broken down poll
ticians and dilapidated political par
ties. No ttsreat principle" has ever
been thought of from the beginning
to the end of the affair, but why pol
iIicians were engaged all the time in
spreading their nets to catch the
votes of the mob i'll the next Presi-
dental campaign. We have no such
exalted opinion of Mayor Hall, able
man and sound Democrat though he
is, as to believe that The Irish vote
was not uppermost in his mind when
he allowed Mr.. Kelso to issue an or
der prohibiting the parade. We ale
not so green as to believe that Gov
ernor Hoffman, when he revoked the
order when he discovered the North
ern fanatics were against it, had not
his thoughts directed to their suffra-
ges much more than to the preserva-
ton of the peace of the city of New
York. And as far as the Radical
wolf-cry of sacred rights" is con-
cerned, we are getting little too ac-
customed to it, not TO know chat the
stability Of the Protestant religion
has great deal less 10 do with the
present howl than the securing of the
votes of the whole Puritan element
for The. next Radical candidate fol
the Presidency.
We agree with the New York World
that the whole Orange business was
botched from beginning TO end. And
it requires no prophetic vision tc
foresee that it will end, as it was in.
tended to end, in great damage to
the Democratic party. The waning
fortunes of the Radical. party were
in need of some God-send to raise
their spirits, and they have found ii
in The imbecility OF the Democratic
leaders of the State of New York. A
grand effort is to be made now to
unite all the fanaticism of the North
in favor Of Radicalism under The
false pretense that the Protestant re-
ligion is in danger at the hands of
the Democratic party, and that the
Radical party is the only party That
can save it. Such was the cause OF
the rise of know-Nothingism in 1854.
And as acknowledging party, that
most miserable of all political abor-
lions, gave an impetus to fanaticism,
and finally shelved off into the Black
Republican party, with its consequent
destruction of the South, sos. we may
expect to see The South the main sui
ferer from this new "fring Of The
Northern hear" in a pretended de-
Tense of the Protestant religion and
of sacred Constitutional rights. Fo1
the invention of humbugs, whethe,
political or otherwise, count on you,
genuine Yankee above the people Of
any other nation under the sun.
The absurdity Of making Pro-
testant and Catholic issue out of the
riot is too palpable to deceive any
but the most ignorant and prejudic-
ed. The Orangemen and the Catho-
lies have an old quarrel, which once
had lis origin in religious differences,
but which has deSenerated into a
personal one and is used now princi-
pally to let off the superHuous bully
ism and "Donnybrook Fairishness'
Of the Irish character. The Irish
Catholic hates the Orangeman much
more for his oath to maintain the
present English sovereignty, than for
his adherence to the established
Church. Nor is American protes-
tantism reduced to such low ebb as
to have no other type of its suprema-
cy than a miserable little society Of
Irish Immigrants. If the protection
Of Che Orangemen was the vindica-
ton of the sacred rights of the Pro
testant religion it was also q vindi-